Extension and renovation of a ground floor flat in a traditional Edwardian terraced house in Leyton, London, with the artist-architect couple (us, here at Fettle Studio!) taking a self-finish approach to the build.

The project is carefully designed to add an extra bedroom within this small property, whilst creating a large open plan living space with great light and connections to the south-facing garden.

The project utilises simple, healthy and sustainable construction methods, crafted with natural, colourful and handmade materials including timber frame, ceramic and cork, to create a warm, vibrant and creative young family home.

In the original layout, the bathroom was located at the rear of the property, blocking all views, light and warmth from the south facing garden, with the kitchen tucked in the dark middle zone - a very common ailment of these types of properties!

The reworked layout swapped the bathroom to the middle of the plan - discrete, efficient, and closer to the bedrooms. The kitchen was pushed to the rear and extended to include dining and living areas, with two large glazed double doors opening to the garden. The two rooms in the existing house both celebrate generous proportions and original features in their refurbishment as bedrooms. A central external lightwell provides good daylight, privacy and ventilation to the middle of the plan, and captures a glimpse of the new ceramic-clad extension.

As client and architects, we took a very personal approach to this project, in particular handmaking the ceramic cladding and kitchen splashback for the project. The design of the tiles features tall elegant proportions. Externally, the teal-glazed ceramic is paired with fine, dark grey aluminium windows and rainwater goods.

Internally, a palette of teal and navy blues in the kitchen is balanced with natural cork flooring and rich orangey furnishings and fine black ironmongery & lighting details.

The project received Planning Approval in April 2020 and the build started on site in May 2021, due for completion August 2021.

As the client, architect and project manager, we at Fettle Studio enjoyed working closely with the team that has was personally coordinated for this project - builders, tradespeople, structural engineer, partywall surveyor and approved building inspector, as well as managing external involvement from planners, freeholder surveyors and neighbours - a careful balance which has been vital to the running of this build!

Listen to the Home Notes podcast, ‘Stories from Site’, Episode 3 ‘the self-finished renovation’ where Lydia discusses the approach to building the extension and self-finishing the project, whilst living on site during covid.

Listen to the podcast and read the article by clicking here!