Framed Space
Framed Space
The project transforms a 1930s Putney home with a striking, minimalist extension, a new loft conversion, a two-storey side extension, and a carefully orchestrated open-plan interior. The project adds 100 square meters of space, integrating two new bedrooms above while reimagining the ground floor as a fluid entertaining space that seamlessly connects to the garden.
The extension features a visibly floating corten exoskeleton that frames the slimline glass sliding doors behind. From the moment one enters, views through the house reveal glimpses of the corten frame, which aligns precisely with the glazing to create a seamless connection to the sunken terrace outside. The main corten beam appears to float over two lower feature frames, which themselves hover above the concrete terrace, giving the composition a delicate yet impactful presence. The millimetre accuracy of the prefabricated steel frames ensures the minimalist floating aesthetic is realised perfectly.
Inside, the ground floor is organised into clearly defined spaces through subtle architectural gestures. The kitchen is framed by brick piers and separated from the dining area via an up-and-over rooflight that floods the space with natural light. The dining table is centred on a vertical carved brick slot wall, which aligns with a linear lighting trough above and the geometry of the adjacent rooflight. This precise orchestration of elements creates a cohesive, visually stimulating composition that reads differently from multiple angles. By night, the slot wall and trough are illuminated as one continuous feature, while a large pendant above the dining table adds warmth and emphasis.
“Every space has been reimagined and every area maximised. The house has been considered architecturally, but Matt and his team also took the time to understand how we live, what we need, and how best to make the house work for us.”
Ed and Melissa (Client)
Geometry as Flow
In this project, geometry and materiality are used to define and connect both inside and outside. The corten exoskeleton creates a subtle boundary between dining and living areas, while internal brick piers articulate the spaces without interrupting the open-plan flow. Natural light floods through the glazed rear façade and carefully positioned rooflights, accentuating the spatial rhythm and highlighting the precise alignment of architectural elements.
The ground floor follows an hourglass plan at the rear, accommodating the kitchen, dining area, and two living spaces, a more formal zone and a relaxed, casual area. Each space is distinguished by its palette and materials. The kitchen is ink blue with crisp white walls. The dining area is open, defined by brick and glass. The soft seating space is minimal and pared back with white and glass surfaces. All three share a polished concrete floor that reinforces continuity. The final living space introduces warmth and texture through timber, richer soft furnishings, colourful bookshelves, and a stone fireplace.
Inside and outside are deliberately blurred, with level thresholds and a patio finished in the same polished concrete as the interior. The spaces of inside and outside were conceived together, ensuring a holistic design where rooms, views, and the garden are seamlessly connected.
The Art of Artificial Light
Artificial lighting is carefully integrated to reinforce the architectural geometry, with concealed troughs, linear elements, and feature pendants used to align with walls, slots, and rooflight forms. By night, light becomes a material in its own right, enhancing depth, warmth, and atmosphere while maintaining the clarity of the open-plan spaces.
Tradition Reframed
Viewed from the kitchen towards the garden, the project brings together familiar domestic elements and contemporary spatial thinking. A traditional shaker kitchen with brass handles provides a sense of familiarity and craft, grounding the space within the language of the original house while remaining calm and restrained in its detailing.
This traditional setting is deliberately contrasted with modern architectural moves. Polished concrete floors run uninterrupted from inside to out, visually extending the kitchen into the garden and reinforcing a strong connection with the landscape beyond. Large panes of glazing open the rear of the house, allowing long horizontal views and flooding the space with natural light. The corten frame is revealed through these views, acting as a defined edge and a picture frame to the garden, giving structure and depth to the otherwise minimal glazed façade.
The reclaimed brickwork further strengthens the relationship between old and new. Carefully selected to match the existing house in colour and texture, the bricks are carved and detailed in a contemporary manner, creating depth, shadow, and moments of precision within the walls. Concealed lighting is integrated into the brickwork, subtly highlighting these details and reinforcing the layered character of the space as daylight fades. Together, these elements create a kitchen that feels both rooted in tradition and unmistakably modern, where craftsmanship, materiality, and spatial clarity are carefully balanced.
Framed Perspectives
From the hall, doorways frame contrasting interiors, from a traditional green-painted reception with classic sofas to the more formal open-plan space beyond. Chevron floors, floor-to-ceiling joinery, and subtle modern touches create a seamless dialogue between tradition and contemporary elegance.
Rest and Refresh
The bedrooms and bathrooms are designed for comfort, colour, and careful detailing. The master suite combines pastel blues and greens with a modern ensuite in microcement and stone, while the nursery uses playful pinks, woodland wallpaper, and sculptural furnishings. Every element, from joinery to lighting, reflects close collaboration with the client, creating spaces that are both personal and meticulously crafted.
Framed Views
The loft conversion forms a second principal suite within the original Arts and Crafts home. Carefully placed dormer windows frame garden views and extend the gaze across Putney Heath. Corten cladding links the dormers visually to the ground floor extension, presenting the house externally as two modern interventions layered above the original structure. The suite includes a bedroom, dressing room, and bathroom, combining comfort with a subtle dialogue between old and new. The space is private, light-filled, and intimately connected to the surrounding landscape.
Blurring Boundaries
Large windows and carefully framed openings link the interiors with the surrounding landscape, bringing the garden and green roofs visually into the home. Views are choreographed to create a seamless connection between inside and out, ensuring light, openness, and a sense of calm throughout.
