Fairholt Street, London

This four-storey house was purchased by a developer client for redevelopment. The existing plan was a warren of small rooms which had been developed in a piecemeal manner over many years.

By taking advantage of previous additions we were able to expand each storey toward the rear and better integrate with the main house. This provided generous bedrooms and ensuites on each of the three upper storeys.

The ground floor was reconfigured as a large open plan room with a small courtyard garden. This entrance storey included an open plan staircase and two seating areas suitable for extended families and guests to gather.

The new basement storey covered the entire site and provided a top-lit dining area, kitchen and media room.

This focus on driving up the total size of the house without compromising on the layout drove the end value into a significantly higher bracket. This also allowed us to use more modest finishes for the fit-out since it was the layout, space and design that was driving the value rather than expensive designer brands.

The end result is a credit to the team of contractors and interior designers we co-ordinated. From the planning approval to the multiple party wall agreements, we diligently managed the processes on behalf of our overseas client.

The construction involved two separate main contractors within a tight site and completely rebuilt the entire property save for the front elevation. The fit-out involved co-ordinating the input from many specialists and co-ordinating services including discrete whole house audio and visual systems.

This project doubled the value of the property within a relatively modest construction budget and was one of a number of profitable refurbishments undertaken for the same family.