When Phoebe and Paul Sprinz first laid eyes on this Edwardian semidetached house in London’s Ealing neighborhood, it didn’t matter to them that it hadn’t been lived in for several years, with an overgrown yard, musty wall-to-wall carpeting, and decades-old wallpaper. The couple, a director of an HR agency and a director slash producer at Stripe Media, liked that it had good bones, generous proportions, a large hallway, and a west-facing garden. Its location was yet another positive; Phoebe, Paul, and their two teenage kids already lived in the neighborhood, and wanted to stay in the area because of its proximity to transportation.

Before: Front Exterior

After: Front Exterior

The couple refinished the front facade in linseed-based paints from Brouns and Co and added a new butter-yellow door." layout="" credit="Photo by Jim Stephenson" photoUserId="6648611400154394624"/>

After buying the home through a probate sale, the couple planned a renovation with architect Aurore Baulier, founder of Atelier Baulier, with whom they had previously worked with on a smaller project at their previous home. There were the aforementioned issues to contend with, of course, but the layout had also largely gone unchanged since the residence was constructed.

Before: Living Room

After: Living Room

The downstairs was “very fragmented,” says Baulier; one had to pass through the living room and hallway to get from the kitchen to the dining room. What’s more, “the decor was rather dated,” she adds, “with peeling wallpaper and electric fireplaces.” However, peeking through were hints of historic character, including moldings, fireplaces, and stained glass.

Before: Kitchen

After: Kitchen

The house was about 1,500 square feet and followed the typical floor plan of a home in the area from the early 1900s: two living rooms, a dining room facing the garden, and a kitchen with a bathroom that, in this case, was tucked into a crumbling lean-to. On the second floor were three bedrooms, a study, and a small bathroom and powder room. Above the second floor was an unfinished loft primarily used for storage. Phoebe and Paul imagined turning the home into a place they could do lots of hosting and throw large dinners, but it was also important to have flexibility, with the means to isolate spaces as needed.

Before: Stair and Stair Hall

After: Stair and Stair Hall

On the ground floor, the two living rooms were combined, the lean-to with the kitchen and bathroom was demolished, and a 250-square-foot kitchen addition was added. On the second floor, one of the three bedrooms was converted into an en suite bathroom for the parents, and the family bathroom was enlarged. Finally, on the third floor, the previously unfinished loft was expanded, insulated, and turned into two bedrooms.

With all of these changes, Baulier’s design approach was to unify the complex, matching the angles of the additions’ roofs with those of the original home. “We played with the existing roof faces and came up with this sawtooth profile,” explains Baulier. The zigzagging pattern creates a striking double-peak silhouette for the kitchen addition, its form mirrored by the loft extension.

Before: Rear Facade

After: Rear Facade

The green tiles at the lower part of the extension were inspired by the green of the original historic tiles at the front facade." layout="" credit="Photo by Jim Stephenson" photoUserId="6648611400154394624"/>

Before: Bedroom

After: Bedroom

For the renovation, energy efficiency and natural materials were important to Paul and Phoebe, too. The walls are insulated with rigid wood fiber panels and finished with lime plaster, which has a more traditional feel than drywall and provides a subtle organic texture. Pine veneer plywood is found throughout the home, varied with colored linseed oil or stained white, green, or pink; original green tiles on the front porch inspired a similar color in the home.

After: Bathroom

Concrete was avoided as much as possible in the name of minimizing the project’s carbon footprint. The kitchen addition’s foundation instead consists of screw piles, with timber framing for its walls. Systems, too, are sustainably driven: a heat pump installed in the garden provides hot water and heating.

With a fresh, expanded layout, a crisp roofline, and elegant materials, finishes, and fixtures that follow a sustainable ethos, Phoebe and Paul now have everything they envisioned in their new family home—and they didn’t even have to leave the neighborhood.

Before: Third-Floor Loft

After: Third-Floor Loft

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Project Credits:

Architect: Atelier Baulier / @atelier.baulier

Builder/General Contractor: John D Construction

Structural Engineer Company: Mark & Partners

Approved Building Inspector Company: Complete Building Control

Kitchen Joinery Company: McCormack Joinery

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