A rear and side extension of a Victorian property in East London

Project Team

Main Contractor: JK Construction Ltd
Structural Engineer: AS Construction & Structural Engineering
Architect: Marilena Walton Architecture + Interiors
Interiors + Furniture: Emily Pun
Photography: Anna Stathaki
Joinery: MTM Herman
Landscape: LINDA/ Susanna Grant

Denbigh Road is a 3-bedroom Victorian property located in a quiet, tree-lined residential street in East Ham. Natural materials and subtle colours were used to create a warm and calming atmosphere.
The renovation of Denbigh Road was a close collaboration between the interior designer client and architect Marilena Walton, who recently established her practice.
After living in London for a few years, the owners sought their first home together. After considering several properties, they chose Denbigh Road, a property they could fully renovate and personalize.
Upon purchase, the house was uninhabitable, showing signs of asbestos and dampness internally. Neglected by the previous owners, the property had not been modernized for many years. The toilet was still accessed from the outside, and there were visible signs of poor repairs throughout.
The client’s brief was to fully unlock the house's potential and layout without compromising the size of the garden. The architectural response was a side and rear wraparound extension to maximize the house's footprint. Careful space planning was done during the early stages to accommodate a spacious kitchen.
The ground floor rooms were connected to create a flow between them, making them feel like one large room. Hidden fire doors disappear behind plasterboard partitions to achieve this. The planners insisted on a side-pitched roof to reduce the elevation's height along the boundary. Exposed timber rafters were incorporated to create more internal height.
Positioning the kitchen at the rear was crucial to enjoy garden views while cooking and entertaining. Rooflights were carefully placed to bring light to the middle of the ground floor. A window that doubles as a window seat was added to frame long views from the front rooms to the garden.
The external patio was designed flush with the internal floor for a seamless connection with the garden. On the exterior, the brick is careful articulated above the sliding doors and at the parapet level. The sliding doors are semi-recessed in the exterior wall to minimise the appearance of the frame. The slopped elevation is clad with charred timber cladding.
Inside, the bespoke kitchen, made from oak to match the roof, creates a cohesive look and reclaimed terracotta tiles in a chequerboard pattern provide contrast with the timber roof and kitchen.
On the upper story, rooms have elegant proportions, and all areas have been fully redecorated. A new window was introduced to the bathroom for natural light and ventilation, and all fittings were refurbished. Storage spaces were incorporated throughout the property in wall niches and under the main stairs.
All parts of the project, except the roof, which was in reasonable condition, were refurbished. The exterior brickwork, previously covered with pebbledash, was cleaned, and the joints were re-pointed with lime mortar.
Fabric improvements included insulating the roof at ceiling level and insulating the ground floor areas. Double-glazed, traditional timber sash windows replaced the original PVC ones, and acoustic insulation was added on the first floor.