Architecture Inspiration: The Hackney Mews House Makeover in London by HUTCH Design
08.12.2019
Architecture Inspiration: The Hackney Mews House Makeover in London by HUTCH Design
08.12.2019
The Hackney Mews house in London has recently been transformed into a home that now feels bright and spacious. This two-story brick London mews house was anything but that when architect Craig Hutchinson, founder of architecture and interior firm HUTCH Design, first saw it. Hutchinson recalls, “It was dark, confined and claustrophobic, with low ceilings in both the kitchen and living room.”
In this post, we are pleased to present HUTCH Design’s amazing architectural and interior project known as The Hackney Mews House. It first crossed our radar when Hutchinson contacted us about a number of lights in our Blom & Blom Heritage Collection. We have since been enthralled by the metamorphosis of this home and think you will be too. Let’s take a closer look at how HUTCH rejuvenated this two-bedroom house situated in Hackney for a family of four.
The Black Swan above the dining table and Nautilus above the stairs.
HUTCH Meets the Challenge Head On
Before the HUTCH makeover, the original brick dwelling felt small and closed in. It fact, it was flanked on both sides and to the rear by other buildings. This is typical of a mews house. As part of a ‘mews’ - a row or street of characteristic houses - these houses are often hidden away behind some of the more prestigious homes in London.
As an architect, Hutchinson had to be inventive in reshaping the use of space in order to turn this small property into a larger and lighter modern home - while staying within the home’s original footprint. He chose to introduce an uninterrupted, open-plan layout that flows through a series of connected spaces.
The office/bedroom with Baby Nautilus. The windows have frosted glass for extra privacy for the young family.
Creating Light and Extending Height
HUTCH started by tearing down almost all of the interior walls in favor of half-height walls, allowing light to pass through the interior uninterrupted. During the makeover, the Hutch team discovered an empty space of about three feet deep beneath the living room floor, so another key alteration was to lower the ground floor. This increased the overall ceiling height for a more spacious interior and ambiance.
The folding doors with the Baby Nautilus in far right corner.
Connecting Spaces
The reconfigured interior is now arranged over a series of three split levels. The low-level walls link the various spaces together, creating a continuous open-plan arrangement that feels larger and allows for interaction between the different areas of the home. The new home-office addition opens up to the living area, and the open-plan kitchen looks out over the living and dining spaces below.
Each area has been designed as a flexible, multi-purpose space which can be transformed depending on the needs of the family. In this way, the area which serves as a home office, also doubles as a third bedroom with its bespoke folding doors that can easily be opened or closed. The feeling of continuous space, rather than individual rooms, is further enhanced by using similar materials throughout the house such as plywood, white-stained oak flooring and exposed brick walls that have been painted white. To create a sense of calm and light filled interior, HUTCH added larger timber windows and a full-width skylight above the repositioned staircase allowing natural light throughout the day in the centre of the home and the kitchen area.
The 'Osprey', a black enamel shade, in the kitchen.
Lighting
Now we are going to talk about Blom & Blom’s favorite part of the Hutch makeover: the lighting, of course. Knowing that the space’s functionality would need to be flexible, HUTCH designed the lighting to be flexible as well. Rather than choosing a single and permanent fixed spot for the pendant or ceiling lights, Hutch opted for lights on cords, which can be draped and hung from hooks placed in various positions in each space. Hutchinson explained, “Regarding the lights, I really liked the refurbished and reclaimed aesthetics of the Blom and Blom product line, and felt that the lights were a good contrast to the neutral and calm living environment that we had created – they are also attractive focal points throughout the open plan layout.”
In the living/dining area, the black pendant fixture - the Blackbird - can be suspended to focus light above the table, or be repositioned over the sofa to light the entire space. Similarly in the office, the porcelain light chosen - the Baby Nautilus - can be hung in a corner, creating a reading nook, or in the center of the room for when the room is being used as a third bedroom.
We truly enjoyed working with Hutch Design and learning about their comprehensive approach in how they work with clients. From the selection of all materials, lighting and furniture to their impressive use of the space, Hutch Design has truly transformed the Hackney mews house into a home that is lived in and loved by its residents.
Photography by Helen Cathcart