Context
In a previous article, I stressed how much I believe design skills can adapt and cross over. Well, I'm now putting that to the test...
(Please note, this article is WIP and will be extended as the project progresses)
I recently bought a Victorian textile factory in Hoxton, which has been converted into a live-work unit. At the time of purchase, it looked a little something like this:
When I found this property, I immediately fell in love with it. But I was not a fan of the way the space had been converted. I decided to rip everything out, bringing it back to the original warehouse features and start again.
Planning
I'm no interior designer – but true to my beliefs, I applied the same rules I do for my work, which is to develop a clear set of goals followed by a set of strategies to achieve them before any work is commenced.
Goals
- Preserve the historic characteristics of the building
- Create a cosy, warm and welcoming entrance downstairs
- Separate a working space, accessible to clients and freelancers, without crossing into the living area
- Create a jaw-dropping living and socialising space upstairs
Strategy
- Leverage styles and methods from Victorian and early 20th century periods.
- Use warmer tones and more residential features for the hallway and bedroom.
- Move the Kitchen to the living space upstairs and move the bedroom in its place to allow the existing large bedroom at the front for the office.
- Knock down the wall into the upstairs utility room creating more open plan space for a kitchen and bar, and fit large skylight windows for even more natural light.
If I was to summarise this strategy into one sentence, I'd say Industrial grit, paired with period elegance.
Building work
As expected with a 150 year old building, it has its problems that need addressing, so while much of the work is improving the layout, plenty was similar much needed repairs, starting with the roof.
Roof
The existing roof was basic, being only a single layer with no insulation. It was not an expense I was expecting, but we determined that the best course of action was to replace the entire thing – a big sting to my budget.
Existing Roof
But I bit the bullet and we began work on demolishing the existing roof, and setting up a new one.
Once complete, a better roof structure, now takes the weight off the walls which had been bowing out, requiring significant wall bracing. It also enabled us to introduce proper insulation and the four large Velux windows.
Subsidence
Many Victorian buildings like this, were built on minimal foundation. So 150 years of slow subsidence had created plenty of cracks and in some cases, questionable structural integrity. The lintels had dropped so much that some of the weight of the existing roof was on the windows – a testament to the strength of Victorian Steel Crittall W20 Windows.
So once the previous roof was removed, we took the opportunity to rebuild the top seven or so rows of bricks, just below the lintels, realign the walls and add steel beams to lock them in place.
Creating space for the kitchen
The previous layout had a small utility room tucked away in the corner, accessible via a small door way to the right of the terrace.
When the roof was removed, we knocked this wall down, and opened the space out, making use of Victorian contrast brick for the cornering detail.
We also reclaimed an original Crittell Steel Door to replace the glass bricks that had been badly installed in a previous renovation.
Partition walls
TBC
Victorian Staircase
TBC
Interior Design and Decor
Timber floor restoration
TBC
Victorian hallway tiles
TBC
Reclaimed Oak doors
TBC
Wall panelled hallway
TBC
Traditional Cast Iron Radiators
TBC
Painting and decorating
TBC
Lighting
TBC
Furnishings
TBC
The Result
TBC