Regency Terraced House in Belgravia

Photography by Damian Comans from Creative Cattle

Brief

To create a feeling of space in this diminutive Belgravia town house, to be used as a ‘Pied a Terre’ in London for the country dwelling clients and their two ‘twenty something’ children. It was important that the house should have character and be welcoming, but also it needed to be comfortable, practical and easy to run.

The House

Rivière, acting as design consultants, were involved in the complete gutting and re-building of this charming property. Work involved adding a mansard roof extension, rear conservatory, contemporary staircase and basement kitchen, three ensuite bathrooms, lighting plan and all decorative details and materials.

The Project

By putting a circular Regency inspired window into the ground floor stairwell and a contemporary bespoke designed metal staircase, a feeling of space was created in the heart of the house.

We aimed to work with the traditional architecture of the building but adding a contemporary twist. We specified good natural materials of stone, and oak for the floors of the common areas and reception rooms, to establish clean lines and airiness. Massive classical plaster columns were installed to divide the main sitting room, and these lend a sense of scale, added areas of light and shade and help the small rooms to become more impressive and stylish. The middle room was clad wall to wall in patinated silver leaf mirror glass up to the ceiling .The paintwork was slightly patinated in order to enhance the atmosphere.

The bedrooms and en-suite bathrooms needed to maximise the limited space for storage and practicality, yet also be individual and interesting.

In the mansard room a mirrored wall was installed to maximise the light from the shoulder height windows and concealed storage was created in every possible cavity.

The contemporary feeling bathroom incorporates a massive hewn limestone basin and vanity mirror with built in star lights. These juxtapose well to create a contemporary sculptural atmosphere with a fun, feminine twist.

The master bedroom was drawn up with a classical feel around the wonderful proportioned original windows. A contemporary fire surround lends a feeling of scale and the dark hearthstone serves to enhance the clean lines of the surround and compliment the black and white photographs hung above. Again, maximum storage is concealed within wall cavities.

The basement bedroom is more contemporary in feel, with the ensuite bathroom clad in riven slate with close fitted halogen downlights to enhance the surface texture. Glass bricks were installed above head level to let in natural daylight from the stairwell. Contemporary sanitary ware and fittings were sourced to juxtapose with the rivens slate and limestone floor.

Rivière sourced and specified materials, fabrics, floor coverings, soft furnishings, paint colours and finishes, sanitary ware and fittings, some furniture and artworks, designed and commissioned the block top kitchen table and introduced specialist garden, kitchen and lighting designers to assist in the project.