Project Profile – Ladbroke Walk, London, W11 3PW
Project description – Total redesign & modernization of a three-floor mews house in Notting Hill with outside patio
Consultant – Liz Moloney, Amber Design, www.amberdesigngroup.co.uk, 8 Baseline Business Studios, Whitchurch Road, London, W11 4AT
Phone – +44 (0)2072438956
Email – studio@amberdesigngroup.co.uk
Budget – Undisclosed
Design Inspirations –
In 1863, 6 Ladbroke Walk was built as a simple row house with horse stables on the ground and accommodation for the stableman & coachman above.[1] Over time the house was converted into a fully residential home, with its old stable doors being replaced by two large casement windows – a rarety amongst mews houses as removal of the stable doors was later prohibited.
When another floor was added in 2006 the staircases were not lined up, leaving a large amount of unusable space on the first floor. In addition, the master bathroom was located on the ground floor directly in front of one of the casement windows, meaning natural light could not access the house due to the need for privacy. Features such as oversized internal French doors & glass cabinets overwhelmed the layout of the mews house. The new owners took over the house in 2013 and these design challenges led to the decision of a total redesign to address the everyday needs of an active family of four.
[1] The Ladbroke Association website, June 2021
Project Notes and Timescale – The project took approximately 12 months onsite and was completed at the end of 2019.
Technological appraisal and Review –
Project manager, Liz Moloney explains, “We started renovation on this historic Notting Hill mews house in 2018. The original interior was dated and a little dark. We weren’t in a position to extend or create any additional floor space so we essentially gutted the interiors completely on all three floors; reorientated the staircase and replaced the large central load bearing wall with a beam which created a much brighter open plan living and dining space. We also incorporated a wonderful small back terrace using the same dark blue & natural wood colour palette to tie in to the front of the mews.
For the interiors; we had to be inventive with the space we had on each floor essentially maxing out on every inch available; incorporating storage wherever we could while retaining a flow of continuity from ground to the top floor using a soft palette of natural wood flooring, natural light and neutral warm colours.
As the front doorway had formerly led directly into the living area, a more private entrance hallway with toilet and sports closets was created which then opened up to a large private double-sized living/dining area. Installing full sized sliding glass doors spanning the back of the house created the option of a larger indoor/outdoors leafy living space. By stacking the stairways & reconfigurig the layout, there was more space in which to add a small laundry room, a sunlit office with double-seating (a boon during lockdown!), four bedrooms plus a guest bedroom with on-suite bathroom. In the master bedroom five built-in closets were installed which lead to a fully modernized master bathroom with shower & soak tub.
A second larger skylight was added to the top floor allowing natural light to permiate both the top floor and the 1st floor via the staircase. The thickness of the patio walls were reduced and a storage shed was added, in addition to large sized planters and a bench. The two-feet of existing paved space outside the entrance was also fully utilized by installing another wooden bench, large planters (including a large olive tree) and a full-sized basketball hoop which acted as a a focal point bringing children on the street together to play.
Liz explains,“Mews houses are wonderful but you are always space restricted within the four walls and mindful of the historic nature of the property and their unique part of city living. We had a wonderful working relationship with the family which helped create a super, warm, spacious and inviting family home which we believe retained the true essence of a London mews house’’.
