Montrose Court- This house is situated in a 1950s terrace hidden away behind a mansion block on Exhibition Road in Kensington. This clean no fuss complete refurbishment gives a nod to a 50s spirit with open plan spaces more akin to Los Angeles than London.
The heritage is also articulated in subtle interior details and materials throughout including stepped skirting and coving. The kitchen is designed as a floating dark timber slab enhanced with frosted mirror above and below creating the splash back and kick plate.
On arriving at the house the entrance is punctuated by a recess porch clad in dark timber slats and basalt stone floor contrasting with the clean white render of the original facade.
The remodeling of the ground floor with full width extension acts to create a generous open plan space linking the hallway, kitchen, dining, living and playroom.
The hallway and playroom can be isolated by closing concealed double doors. This flow of space is further enhanced through impeccably detailed frame-less internal door sets.
The entrance, kitchen and living room space are defined with a raised ceiling and stepped coving light shelf.
The extension has been meticulously detailed to create frame-less glazed openings and flush flowing floors.
These full height apertures are lined with black reveals that perfectly frame the courtyard garden views beyond.
The dining area extension projects further into the courtyard defined by two sides of these glazed frames and a thin skylight defines the third open side.
The Courtyard has perimeter planting over red cedar slatted fencing and the warm variation of honed York stone slabs are broken up with lines of riven textured stone.
Project Details:
Montrose Court
Nick Leith Smith Architecture + Design- nickleithsmith.com
Design team – Nick Leith-Smith, Creative Director and Principal
Irene Scudellari, Project Leader
Location – Kensington, London
Function – Residential
Built Area – 350 square meter
Finish – 2015
Photograph – Quintin Lake
