A couple with two cats enlisted us to transform a dark, underused ground-floor flat and conservatory into a functional, fluid living space. The goal was to design a cosy space for the cats to lounge with an overall uncluttered aesthetic to align with the homeowners’ minimalist tastes.
A stark, simple layout is more challenging than a busy, detailed space to design, with every material, joint highly visible. Here, we’ve included a single door to separate spaces on the ground floor; when open, it hides within the supporting wall. A step down to the polished-concrete floor of the kitchen delineates the lounging and eating spaces – as does the double-sided fireplace, glazed to allow sightlines between the two rooms. The flexibly built kitchen features a central island. It doubles as a workspace and also conceals a nested dining table. Tucked into one side of the home, the shower room benefits from a private dividing wall and a floating catwalk for the pets to enjoy.
> Read more about extending and renovating period houses
Photography: Matt Clayton