British Houzz: Heritage Coach House Gets Homely Renovation
A 17th-century house is cleverly renovated and extended for family living
Good design is about finding intelligent solutions, not necessarily expensive ones. That was exactly the approach architect Guy Morgan-Harris took when he set about renovating and extending this 17th-century coach house in Twickenham. “The clients weren’t seeking a modern, pared-back design, but wanted their property to be more homely in character to suit the original property. That was the real genesis of the project,” he explains. “We were working with a contained budget, so had to look for intelligent solutions. We actually redesigned it three times internally during construction, improving it each time.”
The project involved adding two storeys to the top of the house, total reconfiguration and renovation of the interior, and the addition of a linked garden room at the back of the house.
“The existing structure was something that had evolved over the years,” explains Morgan-Harris. “It had been altered really badly in the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s and had a lot of bad extensions. We took the coach house as the basis to work from and completely remodelled it internally.”
“The existing structure was something that had evolved over the years,” explains Morgan-Harris. “It had been altered really badly in the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s and had a lot of bad extensions. We took the coach house as the basis to work from and completely remodelled it internally.”
“You can now open up the whole house or close areas off for privacy,” explains Morgan-Harris. “The projected long view through the length of the house and garden makes you feel comfortable, because you can see from front to back.”
As much consideration went into how you pass through the spaces as the spaces themselves. “The ability to have contemplation and transition through space is just as important, so we spent a lot of time thinking about how you pass through the property.”
There is a cloakroom and utility room on the right, and the staircase and a boot room are opposite, unseen. The living room transitions through one set of double doors into an entrance hallway and utility space, and through another set of double doors into the kitchen.
Pendant light: Artifact Lighting; radiator: Feature Radiators
As much consideration went into how you pass through the spaces as the spaces themselves. “The ability to have contemplation and transition through space is just as important, so we spent a lot of time thinking about how you pass through the property.”
There is a cloakroom and utility room on the right, and the staircase and a boot room are opposite, unseen. The living room transitions through one set of double doors into an entrance hallway and utility space, and through another set of double doors into the kitchen.
Pendant light: Artifact Lighting; radiator: Feature Radiators
Morgan-Harris was careful to be sensitive to the context of the building. “The existing kitchen was modern, and contrasted with the fabric of the building in a way that didn’t quite feel right,” he explains. “We wanted to create something closer to the original house.”
The architect had to work with an existing side return extension, denoted by the sloping roof. “We were careful to work with what we had. It’s arrogant to ignore context, so even the bits that weren’t perfect we accepted and reworked,” he explains.
The architect had to work with an existing side return extension, denoted by the sloping roof. “We were careful to work with what we had. It’s arrogant to ignore context, so even the bits that weren’t perfect we accepted and reworked,” he explains.
The clients wanted the kitchen to be quite soft, and were keen to have open shelving to display their pieces and have everything to hand. An oak benchtop is paired with soft grey cabinets for a more traditional feel. The shelves were a mixture of old painted floorboards and bits picked up from various hardware shops.
Tiles span the entire wall behind the units for practical purposes. “Grease tends to rise, so having the wall tiled partway up would probably have led to problems with the plasterboard a few years down the line,” explains Morgan-Harris. The clients opted for bench seating at the table because of its communality. “It was all about family, and there’s something about being in close proximity that helps you to enjoy each other’s company,” he adds.
Fridge-freezer and oven: both Fisher & Paykel; sink: Villeroy & Boch; tap: Franke; tiles: Walls and Floors; lighting: Artifact Lighting; Kitchen Units: British Standard; radiator: Feature Radiators
Tiles span the entire wall behind the units for practical purposes. “Grease tends to rise, so having the wall tiled partway up would probably have led to problems with the plasterboard a few years down the line,” explains Morgan-Harris. The clients opted for bench seating at the table because of its communality. “It was all about family, and there’s something about being in close proximity that helps you to enjoy each other’s company,” he adds.
Fridge-freezer and oven: both Fisher & Paykel; sink: Villeroy & Boch; tap: Franke; tiles: Walls and Floors; lighting: Artifact Lighting; Kitchen Units: British Standard; radiator: Feature Radiators
Communication between the spaces was key, and rather than separate the garden room, Morgan-Harris wanted to ensure it felt part of the house. “Garden rooms can tend to feel a little abandoned, but we wanted it to be a continuation of the home,” he says.
The walkway offers a little point of pause between the kitchen and garden room. Doors at either end mean it can become its own little nook as well as being a transitional space.
The walkway offers a little point of pause between the kitchen and garden room. Doors at either end mean it can become its own little nook as well as being a transitional space.
A wood-burning stove makes the garden room feel instantly homely. “A great way to make a new building feel like an old one is to burn some wood in it,” says Morgan-Harris. “It tricks you into feeling it’s a much older house, and makes it a lovely place to go and relax.” A vintage leather chesterfield adds to the relaxing mood.
Wood-burning stove: Vesta; lighting: Artifact Lighting
Wood-burning stove: Vesta; lighting: Artifact Lighting
The garden room is psychologically a real retreat. “You enter the house, then pass through the hallway to the kitchen, through the walkway and into the snug, so by the time you’re there, you feel completely enclosed and protected,” Morgan-Harris explains.
Bi-fold doors were chosen to match the ones on the existing extension. “Perhaps bi-folds aren’t the obvious fashion choice, but we’re not driven by fashion alone,” says Morgan-Harris, “and we wanted to acknowledge the existing context and mirror the bi-fold doors across the courtyard with what was already there. After all, fashions come and go, good design is permanent.”
Another major addition to the home was the two-storey dormer. In the garden, slate flooring was laid for easy maintenance, and olive trees line the walls. Eventually, wisteria will grow up over the trellises. “We didn’t design this with an end photograph in mind, but rather as something that will grow and develop over time,” Morgan-Harris explains.
The first, second and third floors each contain their own bedroom suite, so the young family of four will have plenty of space as the children grow.
At the top of the house is the master bedroom, up in the eaves and away from the hustle and bustle below. Two Velux windows keep the space bright and airy, and built-in storage makes the most of the pitched roof.
Bed: Heal’s; bedside lamps: Artifact Lighting
At the top of the house is the master bedroom, up in the eaves and away from the hustle and bustle below. Two Velux windows keep the space bright and airy, and built-in storage makes the most of the pitched roof.
Bed: Heal’s; bedside lamps: Artifact Lighting
Crittall-style, steel-framed windows and doors separating the ensuite make the entire room feel a lot bigger. “There was no need for the visual privacy you might require in a family bathroom,” explains Morgan-Harris. “We tucked the toilet away and the doors are external grade, so the bedroom is quiet even when someone’s showering.”
Glazing: Yes Glazing; radiator: Feature Radiators
Glazing: Yes Glazing; radiator: Feature Radiators
The ensuite is crisp and pared back. “This is a final home, and the brief was to design something that would be lived in for a long, long time, so we went for something calmer and more subtle that can be dressed up or down as the clients wish,” explains Morgan-Harris.
Flooring: Dalsouple; Vero sink and D-Code toilet: Duravit; taps, shower valve and other brassware: Crosswater
Flooring: Dalsouple; Vero sink and D-Code toilet: Duravit; taps, shower valve and other brassware: Crosswater
On the first and second floors are the children’s suites. The idea was to keep the walls and floors more neutral, to allow the personality of the occupant to define each space. “I don’t really think of it as neutral,” says Morgan-Harris. “It’s electrifying to see all of the colours bouncing around.”
This first-floor bathroom is, again, a simple design using a relatively calm palette. “We wanted to make it functional and elegant, so the children won’t grow weary of it as they grow up,” Morgan-Harris says. “If you go bright, you’ll probably have to change it in a few years, and that wasn’t the timescale we were working to.”
Victorian Metro tiles: Walls and Floors
Victorian Metro tiles: Walls and Floors
Who lives here: A family of four
Location: Twickenham, southwest London
Size: 3 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms
Architect: Guy Morgan-Harris of Morgan Harris Architects
The psychology of how a space is lived in played a large part in the design of this property. “Having clients who really cared about the home was an important part of the process,” explains architect Guy Morgan-Harris. “We were able to work very closely with people who were willing to engage in a process that took on board everything from them as people to the site as a whole.”