The Art of Design Issue 22 2016 | Page 70

Southwood WORDS: LLI Design PHOTOS: Alex Maguire Award Winning Contemporary London Townhouse LLI Design have recently completed their Southwood project, a total interior design and refurbishment of a 4 story 1970’s London townhouse. The project has been awarded “Best Interior Design Private Residence London” in the UK Property Awards - 2015 / 2016. Although the room sizes were good, being the full width of the property on each floor and benefitting from good natural light; the circulation spaces on all floors were cramped and dark. Lower Ground Floor LLI Design recently completed a total redesign and refurbishment of a 4 story 1970’s townhouse in Highgate, a leafy and desirable part of London. The existing staircase that led from the lower ground to the upper ground floor, was removed and replaced with a new, feature open tread glass and steel staircase towards the back of the house, thereby maximising the lower ground floor space. All of the internal walls on this floor were removed and in doing so created an expansive and welcoming space. The house had tremendous potential and the new owners, a young professional couple, wanted to embrace the 1970’s feel, rather than try to ignore it, albeit not in a cliched way. Top of their wish list was a contemporary glass and steel open tread staircase and a master bathroom with a distinctive WOW factor. Due to its’ lack of natural daylight this floor worked extremely well as a Living / TV room. The new open timber tread, steel stringer with glass balustrade staircase was designed to sit easily within the existing building and to complement the original 1970’s spiral staircase.