With their perennial quest for more space, Londoners are digging down to create functional basements. Digging’s the easy part though; the challenge comes with filling the void.
In a complete overhaul of a Victorian house in west London, architects Stiff + Trevillion created a modern family home by filling the basement with a large kitchen, living and eating area, while introducing a strong industrial aesthetic that weaves the new together with the old.
Photography by Killian O'Sullivan.
Above: Steel-framed windows and doors provide a transparent screen to the garden.
Above: Materials such as subway tiles, poured concrete floors, and steel-framed windows—used as both
external windows and screens to divide the space—were used to create an industrial feel in the basement kitchen and dining area.
Above: Blue cabinet faces add color to an otherwise neutral palette. The cabinets were custom designed by Stiff + Trevillion.
Above: Internal steel-framed windows and doors act as a transparent screen between the living and eating spaces in the basement. A set of wood stairs with modern detailing leads up to the ground floor.
Above: The ground floor entry hall retains original Victorian details and scale.
Above: The living room has an eclectic mix of vintage furnishings and modern art.
Above: In an upstairs bathroom, Arabascato marble contrasts with the industrial steel-framed glass doors.
Above: The walls of this bathroom are lined in subway tiles while the floor uses a modified chevron tile pattern.
N.B. Inspired by the industrial aesthetic in this Stiff + Trevillion project? See 245 Industrial images in our Gallery of rooms and spaces.