An Architect Couple Create Their Ideal Family Home in London

This renovated London home is filled with daylight, hidden nooks, and clever storage solutions.

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When the directors of London–based Scenario Architecture—husband and wife Ran Ankory and Maya Carni—purchased a Victorian terrace house in London, they sought to renovate, expand, and adapt it to suit the needs of their family of four. Their main challenge was finding a way to connect the front part of the house with the basement level.

The original floor plan consisted of two separate Victorian reception rooms at the front of the house, and a basement a full floor below these spaces. Ankory and Carni wanted to link these two areas both physically and visually to create connected, open living and kitchen areas.

The Victorian brick terrace house is more than 100 years old.

The kitchen door opens wide to improve connectivity to the backyard.

The renovation retained the old brick wall in the dining area and kitchen.

The couple used Graphisoft Archicad software to calculate light flow and develop a plan that optimizes light penetration to the interiors. The result is an open, split-level double reception that connects to the kitchen and garden floor. An angled glass roof extension fills the interior with light.

A reading bench looks out to the garden.

Glass stair rails help increase transparency, while storage beneath the staircase conserves space.

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The house has a library with a glazed wall.

"Considerable thought was given to developing our brief both for current and future scenarios and conscious effort was made to use every available space the house had to offer," says Carni. The renovation created storage spaces in the hallways, the eaves, under the stairs, and in a low-ceilinged area, which presented the opportunity to create a fun and practical play area for the kids.

The living lounge visually connects to the dining area and kitchen.

Ankory and Carni designed a storage unit under the stairs with a pull-out table and bench where their kids can play and do their homework.

The children's bedroom has a climbing wall and a fireman's pole.

The children had their say in the design of their bedroom, which includes a climbing wall that leads to a secret space at the eaves of the original, single-pitch house. They can descend from this secret space using a fireman's pole.

A reading nook is built into one of the walls along the stairs.

Ankory and Carni used software to develop an accurate model of the existing house, so they could communicate their intentions for the smart and efficient new 2,174-square-foot home to planning officers, consultants, and suppliers involved in the project.

Maya Carni relaxing near the fireplace in the stepped-down lounge area.

"We found that the BIMx and 3D imaging from within Archicad make everything much easier for planning officers to grasp, leading to a much smoother planning process. Using a single model throughout the whole process allowed for smoother information management," says Carni.