This fine 1730’s townhouse by Thomas Phillips, one of Georgian London’s finest carpenters, had been very much altered in 1800 when a new Wyatt-style interior scheme was introduced.  Around this time it also became used for commercial purposes & it’s internal quality became much degraded over the years.   The as-found existing building seemed to lack any authentic design relationship with its Georgian heritage & the setting of the remaining fragments of original fabric seemed very compromised.  To correct these issues we wanted to do the following:-

1. Provide a much more appropriate setting for that original fabric; the existing setting was very unflattering & the transitions between old & new were very awkward.  To this end the 1800’s Wyatt entrance hall design was extended through the reopened stair lobby to create a new reception space in a similar Wyatt style.

2. Reintroduce more authentic vertical hierarchy in the decorative detailing; the existing design treated every floor the same way.

3. Reintroduce a traditional tiled roof when viewed from outside the site: the original roof had been totally removed at some previous time existing roof was totally modern & flat.

4. Reintroduce a sense of the building being a Georgian house that was lightly converted to office use at some later date; the existing interior shouted 1980’s spec office. 

5. Relocate the modern lift away from its very unsympathetic location in the centre of the Georgian staircase & strip off all the non-original cladding to reveal, repair & where necessary reinstate the cantilevered Portland stone original stair.  Also reinstate the metal balustrading all of which had been previously cut off.

6. Create an efficient modern office workplace with associated meeting & reception rooms that felt harmonious with its period setting.

7. Create charming urban garden on the rear terrace.

Interiors collaborator: Olivia Outred Studio, garden design collaborator: Jinny Blom