A terraced house in Notting Hill, once part of the backdrop for Roger Mayne’s gritty photographs of post-war street-life, has been renovated and extended by Dominic McKenzie Architects (DMA). The renovation transforms our clients’ experience of living in the house, whilst respecting and restoring the wider urban context.

Seen from the street, the front façade’s brickwork (rather than render as on the pastel coloured houses opposite) had previously been painted blue. It was consequently highlighted in Kensington and Chelsea’s Conservation Area guidance saying the paint ‘…destroys the architectural integrity of the whole terrace, as well as an individual house’. As part of DMA’s restoration, the paint was carefully removed and the brickwork repointed, restoring the continuity of the wider terrace. A new entrance gate and steps allow direct access from the street to the lower ground floor kitchen. 

Regarding the wider renovation, key to the project is the new four storey, tower-like rear extension, which occupies a relatively small footprint, but frees up existing rooms for other uses. It was constructed from brick closely matching the original house and is articulated at its base with recessed arched forms reminiscent of John Soane’s Chelsea Barracks – adding visual interest to the rear garden spaces. Windows on two facades of the tower make the rooms within feel more spacious and filled with light.

Adjacent, echoing the language of the rear extension, a grand brick arch surrounds a new timber window at the back of the living room. The window connects with the new French doors below via a fluted spandrel panel and is finished in dark ‘Studio Green’ paint.

The compact rear garden is enclosed by an existing two storey high brick wall. Previously there was access to the upper part only, with an inaccessible lightwell at lower ground floor. Now there is a direct connection from the lower ground to the upper ground floor terrace via the new Yorkstone stair. Walls are lined with a combination of Yorkstone and western red cedar. Balustrades and handrails are made from architectural bronze. Integrated planting by the landscape designer Studio Cullis creates a green backdrop at both terrace levels.

At the top of the house a further terrace has replaced the pre-existing slate butterfly roof, tripling the amount of external space for the property. The roof terrace is reached by an additional flight of stairs which rise from the existing second floor landing, through an electronically-operated glass door. A spacious outdoor living space has been created containing dining and seating areas. A western red cedar screen provides privacy.  Small areas of container planting create a comfortable, natural setting. Views extend to St John’s Church in the east and across the treetops of Avondale Park to the west.