Modern Minimalist Oasis Hidden Inside a 1970s Property
Alan Waxman is the Founder and Chief Executive at Landmass. In this article, he describes the new look of a 1970s residential property.
London-based architecture and interior design company Landmass transforms a 1970s property into a modern and minimal oasis.
In the heart of Holland Park, within a pleasant upmarket residential area, sits a three-storey mid-terraced townhouse. It’s constructed of brown weathered brick with white wooden frame windows, black iron cast Juliet balconies, and gates. Originally the property had a pretty traditional layout – kitchen, dining, and a work room (?) on the ground floor; master suite and living room on the first floor; and two and a half bedrooms on the second floor. It appeared rather cramped, especially on the ground floor but despite this, the property had great light and tonnes of potential.
Our client was interested in creating a calm, minimal and easily maintained home. An additional and the most important request was, of course, space, and the answer to that was excavating a basement. With an entire extra floor, we had the luxury of keeping the ground floor almost entirely one big open living room. The brand-new staircase, having nowhere to hide, is an architectural feature in its most honest and simple form.
Unlike the original layout, the basement is now home to a modern, black marble and high-gloss kitchen. A modest dining nook has been created right under one of the lightwells, which keep the basement from being dark and gloomy.
The entire first floor is a master suite containing a very generous bedroom, bathroom and a walk-in wardrobe. Here, as well as in the rest of the house, the colour palette is a subdued but warm shade of oatmeal. Throughout the entire house the floors (and bathroom walls) have been finished in microtopping – which is an innovative solution that combines the aesthetic qualities of concrete with the modern requirements of a smart and green space. The second floor contains two guest bedrooms with en suites and a home office.
The severely pared-back finishes are in a direct contrast with the client’s dark and organic art collection. Rich wood carvings shine on the cold concrete walls, whilst unexpected funky wallpapers are hidden in the cloakrooms behind bespoke sliding doors. The only link to the very traditional exterior are the white wooden window shutters adorning every window.
Landmass was founded in 1998 by managing director Alan Waxman. Based in London’s Soho, it is a multi-award-winning, RIBA chartered design and development company. We deliver meticulously planned design solutions and bespoke luxury properties worldwide.