Archway: Breathing New Life into a Victorian Townhouse

Tucked away on a tree-lined street in the heart of a conservation area in Archway, North London, this Victorian townhouse sits perfectly between the sought-after enclaves of Hampstead Heath, Highgate, and Crouch End. Unmodernised since the 1960s and full of original character, it offered plenty of promise when its current owners, David and Rianna, purchased it in 2019.

We speak to the couple about their vision for Archway — and how they set out to honour the home’s heritage through a full refurbishment that carefully introduced timeless comfort and considered style.

We wanted to build a sustainable family home that respected the Victorian heritage of the property while also modernising for 21st-century London living. For us, that meant as much open space, light, and natural materials as possible — and keeping all the heritage features we could. We also wanted a design that managed to be both minimal and clean, yet also homely and comfortable — [not] the easiest of briefs! We were fortunate to find an architect and builders who shared our vision and wanted to work with us on it.

Our biggest non-negotiable was natural light. Our house faces north-south, and before the renovation, we would have rooms that were filled with light all day, and others that felt dark and cold even in the height of summer. It was a huge structural challenge for our architect and builders — how to get natural light into every room and bring as much light through from the south-facing side to the north, in a Victorian house within a conservation area with many restrictions. In practice, that meant a lot of glass (including having a partial-glass floor in one room!) and a lot of removing interior walls to bring it through. It's the design feature that cost us the most, but it is also worth the most to us.

We wanted to create a home that felt closer to nature and was more sustainable and in harmony with it. [The] lack of modernisation meant the house was draughty; every window was single-glazed, and there was no insulation at all (so the only way was up!). Secondly, the style we used for the home incorporated a lot of wood and other natural materials, so building sustainability into the design never felt challenging.  

Specifically, we incorporated lots of glass, which welcomed a lot of natural light. We also insulated everywhere we could to keep the house feeling warm on cold days. This was combined with zonal heating, which means you don't warm spaces you aren't in. We used polished concrete for the ground floor of the back of the house — in summer, it absorbs the heat, keeping the house cool even on hot days, and releases it through the evening. Often, the most sustainable thing you can do is reuse what's already there. So, we kept old fireplaces and capped chimneys, refurbished old floorboards, and kept areas of old tiling, walls, and stairs where possible.

The practice lead at Lineworks Architects, who led our design and had worked in Australia before coming home to England, knew of and recommended ABI. We all loved the design aesthetic, especially how well ABI products fitted in with the natural style we were aiming for. The colours are also just really beautiful — there’s something that feels really good about using a product that looks good. There's also a practical element as well; all the different pieces match in colour and style, meaning you can just as easily do one sink or a whole bathroom with taps, shower, bath, towel hooks, and more.

The biggest challenge all the way through has been managing timings. The demolition/strip-out phase goes much faster than expected, but the finishing takes much longer. Things take time to order, fit, dry, and other jobs for the builders overrun, etc. You're also working with lots of different types of trades and professionals who all work in different ways and have different schedules, so it's just a constant juggle. And when we moved out, we had a rental flat with a contract end date, and now we have a baby due, so it's a lot of managing!

Know your non-negotiables, as things will cost more or differ from what you expect, and you'll need to choose what you make compromises on. Be organised as you'll have a lot of choices, and you'll need to be disciplined to look through bits after a long day at work. Be kind as you'll work with lots of different types of people on the journey (yet also be firm — you'll be living in the home at the end!). Most of all, be brave and treat it as the big adventure that it is and the opportunity to build a home and create or re-create a space.

For us, home is the place where we relax and restore. It means light, warmth, peace, a feeling of being close to nature, and lots of plants.
 

For more London renovation inspiration, read our blogs:

Sustainable Design Q&A with Studio Becoming Founder Rory Harmer

The Foxes Maltings: Q&A With Owner-Builders Zara and Giuliano