This comfortable home sits at the south end of a well-preserved Edwardian terrace in South London.

To increase functionality and maximise the liveability the house offers, the rear extension – an addition to the original two-storey ‘outrigger’ which blocked connections to the garden – has been removed and replaced with a simple, contemporary volume with generous glazing.  And to create a natural flow through the house to the outside and benefit properly from its orientation, dining and kitchen areas have been swapped around, moving entertaining closer to garden views and access.

The ‘problem’ of the misalignment of the party wall with the interior has been turned into the cheeky character moment of the project, the ‘Wiggle’ – and its increased thickness to achieve area-weighted thermal performance exaggerates the difference, taken up in a hop forward or ‘wiggle’ of the interior joinery.

Kitchen units, built-in seating, storage, utility facilities and a new Ground Floor WC have all been tucked into the length of this line of joinery, running the full length of the party wall from beneath the hallway stair to the garden.

Interior vertical surfaces have been given organic finishes in oak, with expressive longitudinal grain – vertical sweet chestnut clads the exterior.The new extension has been topped with a wild-flower green roof.Otherwise, horizontal surfaces emphasize minerality – polished concrete worktops and interior flooring complement the purple herringbone brickwork terraces, and the garden itself has been redesigned as outdoor rooms for relaxation and play through the seasons.

private client - Lewisham, London - completion 2018

photos - Matt Clayton Photography