Refurb & Restore Issue 37 2024 | Page 40

PALLADIAN COMPLETES ‘ THE TILE HOUSE ’ IN

KENSINGTON WEST LONDON

Refurbishment and extension of a stunning Arts & Crafts home in Kensington , West London , dating from the early 20th century
Architecture and interior design practice Palladian has completed the refurbishment and extension of a stunning Arts & Crafts home in Kensington , West London . The property , dating from the early 20th century , has been named The Tile House because of the building ’ s former industrial use , having originally been purposebuilt in 1909-10 as a tile factory .
The Brief The conversion from factory to domestic residence was already decades-old when Palladian came on board , briefed by the new owners to remodel the house to suit their needs and
40 - www . refurbandrestore . co . uk those of their growing family . The brief was to design a home with a contemporary interior , but one which would also respect the building ’ s heritage , incorporating references to the Arts & Crafts movement and the building ’ s former life .
‘ Initially , exploring this avenue meant seeking to preserve select features that would maintain a connection to the building ’ s original style ’, Hugo Lindsay-Fynn , Founding Partner & Commercial Director at Palladian explained , ‘ as well as seeking to incorporate the Arts & Crafts movement ’ s appreciation for brightness and the natural world , using natural materials and bringing in natural light wherever possible .
However , when we excavated the foundations to create the newly-enlarged space plan for the house , we struck metaphorical gold when we came across stacks of beautifully-preserved original tiles from the property ’ s factory past . We were able to incorporate these into the new interior design scheme as a direct link to the building ’ s past life , including using them to clad feature areas , such as the surround to the entrance hall fireplace and bespoke writing desks .’