A Kentish Town Victorian house turned back into one home

In Kentish Town, the calmer edge of Camden, a designer and a creative director who works in film had lived in the upper maisonette of a Victorian house for 14 years. When the flat below came up, they took the chance to make the building whole again, working with Architecture for London to undo the old split and restore a single family home.

The aim was a light touch. Senior architect Sophie Armstrong says they kept and reused as much of the original fabric as they could, letting old and new sit side by side. The couple's midcentury furniture shaped much of the thinking. The old first-floor kitchen became a laundry and shower room, the stair moved to make a generous main bedroom, and a new loft added two more bedrooms and a large bathroom.

Downstairs is the heart of it: a Shaker-style kitchen under exposed timbers and a big rooflight, with metal-framed glazing, reclaimed brick and Portland stone lintels, plus a lowered snug alongside. The house sits in a conservation area, so the rear extension and lead-clad dormers had to suit the terrace, and the clients lived on site throughout the works.

A private home, so nothing to visit, but a useful read for anyone weighing how far to change a period house. Armstrong wanted it to feel "relaxed, rather than precious".

Our summary of a story from Wallpaper*, published 8 October 2026. Read the original

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