Marlow House

Marlow House occupies a Victorian end-of-terrace in the heart of Kensington, its original bones preserved while every surface has been meticulously reinterpreted for contemporary living. The brief called for a family home that could accommodate both the demands of daily life and the occasional need for formal entertaining.

Our approach centred on a dramatic rear extension that dissolves the boundary between interior and garden. A full-height glazed wall slides open to a limestone-paved terrace, creating a seamless indoor-outdoor living space that floods the kitchen and dining room with southern light throughout the day.

The material palette draws from the building's Edwardian neighbours: hand-made brick in a warm buff tone, bronze metalwork, and wide-plank European oak flooring that runs continuously from front to back. Bespoke joinery throughout conceals the mechanical infrastructure while providing a sense of serene order.

Upstairs, the primary suite occupies the full width of the original house, with a dressing room and bathroom suite that references the proportions of Georgian townhouse planning. Skylights above the staircase bring daylight deep into the plan, eliminating any sense of the gloom that so often afflicts terraced houses of this depth.