Our clients own a successful foam upholstery business, and had lived in this semi for a few years before embarking on these final renovations. It was very unusual in that our commissions for semis usually involve adding a new upper floor. In this scenario, the upstairs had already been added, but the ground floor remained closed off and cellular. Our challenge was to open this area up, while maintaining the structural integrity of the upper

floor.

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The lower level was gutted, the front bedroom became a spare bedroom/study, a new entry created down the side, with the living dining and kitchen area opened up to each other and a new covered patio and pool in the rear garden. Being a semi, the spaces were not exceptionally wide, so we optimised the wide side setback, creating several ‘interventions’ in the form of two new bays for added width, one glazed for the living room, the other

enabling a new galley kitchen between the dining and living space, while maintaining the structural stability of the existing upper floor. An outdoor daybed links these two bays.

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A new linear stairwell, placed centrally in the open living space opposite the new kitchen, had to be a feature, and more than a utilitarian stair. We wanted to treat the stairwell

differently to the stock-standard choice of a glass balustrade. Instead the stairwell has become a feature, articulated in a cubic fashion to create additional storage below, which then extends into the living space. Similarly, we chose to avoid the popular ‘swiss cheese’ look of multiple downlights in ceilings, instead opting for clusters, and further articulating the ceiling space with custom slots for lights.

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The upper floor layout remained, with all rooms refurbished, including opening up the front bedroom into the ceiling space to create a desk area.

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While we designed the kitchen, the interior furnishings and finishes were completed with consultation by Shellee Gordoun interiors.