Stoke Newington Victorian terrace renovation: Evening Standard Homes & Property

Press

Renovating a house is one thing. What architects Maya Carni and Ran Ankory did to their Victorian terrace home was more like a disembowelment. by Ruth Bloomfield

They stripped their run-down property back to basics, leaving just its front and side walls standing, then they rebuilt it from the ground up to the roof. The fortysomething couple spent £480,000 – much more than most of us could dream of having in the renovation/decoration kitty. But their expertise in adding value to a property and creating more flexible living space can give the rest of us ideas for upgrading our own homes – on a more modest scale and far more cheaply.

Maya and Ran wanted a modern family home for bringing up their sons, Romi, 11, and Leo, eight. In 2015 they paid £1 million for the four-bedroom house in Stoke Newington but despite its price tag it was in a sad condition, with uPVC windows and threadbare carpets, a dark basement kitchen and not enough bathrooms. Over eight months during 2015 and 2016 they remodelled the house completely – and as co-founders of Scenario Architecture they were at least able to save on architect fees.

The biggest structural change was lowering the basement floor and replacing the ceiling above it with a steel-supported floating mezzanine, creating a dramatic, light-filled kitchen with a new glass wall overlooking the garden; a living space on the gallery above, plus new stairs connecting the two spaces. A neat workstation for the boys has been tucked beneath the mezzanine steps – a desk and bench seat which slide away beneath the stairs when not in use. Built-in cupboards were fitted along the hall to boost storage, while upstairs the half-landing was enlarged and lined with bookshelves.

Read the remainder of the interview

Read the PDF

Talk to us about your project

We would love to hear about your project and discuss how we can help

Please use the link below to schedule a call at a convenient time

Select a day

Date

Select a time

Time

Contact Information

Any information you provide us remains strictly confidential

Ownership

Any information you provide us remains strictly confidential

Ownership status for the project

The property is

Any information you provide us remains strictly confidential

Property type

The project is

Any information you provide us remains strictly confidential (You must select at least one option!)

Aims of the project

Your budget

Any information you provide us remains strictly confidential

Please indicate an estimate of your target budget (excluding VAT and professional fees) so we can advise on the viability of your requirements

Budget range

Additional information

Any information you provide us remains strictly confidential

Please attach files such as plans, estate agent brochures, image and surveys