When architect Grant Straghan of Dedraft set out to remodel the 1930s London home he shares with his wife, Catherine, and their daughters, Betsy and Tilde, he sought to refine the layout while introducing texture, geometric forms, and a muted material palette with bursts of color.

“We were looking to increase square footage on almost every level of our three-story home, but were intent on maintaining the ground floor’s deep, low-slung proportions,” Grant says. “It was about creating open, naturally lit, well-articulated spaces that enable flexible living.”

The remodel—which took almost five months and began just a week before London’s first Covid-19 lockdown—yielded the family’s dream home, but at first the process felt more like a nightmare. “The timing couldn’t have been worse,” Grant says. “There were delays, shortages, and restricted purchasing.”

£400

Planning

£1,250

Building Control

£32,110

Structural

£2,250

Party Wall

£500

Freeholder Consent

£7,650

Prelims

£5,100

Demolition

£2,010

Drainage

£8,801

Roof

£2,255

Insulation

£12,230

General Building Works

£2,832

External Works

£26,135

Windows & Doors

£2,872

Internal Screens

£1,050

Blinds & Curtains

£3,332

Ironwork

£22,277

Joinery

£8,510

Wall Finishes

£8,820

Floor Finishes

£5,879

External Cladding

£7,497

Electrical

£11,167

Plumbing

£3,870

Decor

£7,750

Rental During Construction

£1,100

Removals

£430

Storage

£35,885

Total VAT

Grand Total: £223,962

The Douglas fir beams he’d ordered took (what felt like) an eternity to arrive, and the plaster he’d intended to use as a wall-and-ceiling finish was in scarce supply. “Because there was a shortage of gypsum plaster, we used lime plaster almost exclusively throughout the house,” Grant says.

Though the lime plaster was not his first choice, it may have been the best option. The material’s soft texture absorbs sunlight, giving the interiors a subtle yet captivating glow.

The long-delayed Douglas fir beams, which Grant used for the ceiling of the kitchen/dining room, worked out in the end as well. “They sent what they had, and some were more gnarly than what we’d wanted,” Grant says. “But this added more warmth in the kitchen, which is sunlit through five glazed openings.”

Located in a rear extension, the kitchen/dining area was a top priority for the remodel. “The composition for this space was key,” Grant says. “Our aim was to develop a coherent expression that features strong concrete elements, defined and deep-inset openings, and a simple yet bold palette of materials with distinct textural variation.”

Clad in blue-green encaustic cement tiles, the extension has a sculptural quality when viewed from the rear yard. Grant partially framed the large glass doors with smooth bands of concrete, which tie in to the poured-in-place concrete bench—a place to sit on the terrace and enjoy morning coffee. “The bold, blue-green tiles have faded slightly with sun exposure, giving a soft, dusty aesthetic that changes with the seasons,” Grant says. “The color and texture contrast with the London stock brick that clads the rest of the house.”

A winding stairway crafted from Douglas fir plywood leads from the ground floor to the middle level, with two bedrooms and a study, and the attic, which Grant converted to a primary suite. An oculus at the top of the staircase allows sunlight to wash over the wooden railing and treads. “The balustrade folds to produce a naturally warm and ‘cocooning’ entry into the main bedroom,” Grant explains.

Inspired by David Hockney’s painting A Bigger Splash (1967), Grant outfitted Betsy and Tilde’s bathroom with dark- and light-pink wall tile. “The girls chose pink, but the tones reference the Hockney painting,” the architect says. “The square theme continues throughout.”

Grant also looked to the works of architects Alvar Aalto and Peter Aldington while planning his home. “I was inspired by the domestic warmth of Aalto’s design for his home and studio, and Aldington’s Turn End, which eschews complex or visually jarring details” he says. “The chalky, lime plaster–finished walls and ceiling catch and soak up natural light, giving texture and depth. This house juxtaposes a muted backdrop with geometric forms, using color, tactility, and a play on proportions to underpin the composed whole.”

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Project Credits:

Architecture: Dedraft / @dedraftlondon

Construction: BWP Ltd.

Photography: Nick Dearden

Structural Design: SD Structures

Exterior Tile Cladding: Mosaic Factory

Windows & Doors: ARTBud

Fibre Concrete Cladding: Oko Skin and Fibre C via Purafacades

Rooflights: Sterling Build

Roof Window: The Rooflight Company

Roofing: Liquid Applied Solutions

Oak Setts: All Green Group

Concrete Paving: Schellevis via London Stone

Lime Plaster: Lime Green

Kitchen: Halcyon Interiors

Kitchen Worktop: My Kitchen Worktop

Ironmongery: Olivari via Williams Ironmongery

Douglas Fir Flooring: French Forest Floors

Ash Industrial Parquet Flooring: Horning

Terracotta Floor Tiles: Norfolk Pamments

Cast Iron Floor Tiles: Retrouvius

Internal Tiles: Ceramica Cumella, Porter Bathrooms, Claybrooks

Sanitaryware: CP Hart

Radiators: Cast Iron Radiators

Steel Shower Screen: John Horton Metalwork

Tiles: Claybrook

Shower Screen Glass: SGG Mastersoft via Hourglass

Lighting: Hand + Eye Studio, vintage PH 4/3 Louis Poulsen, Charlotte Perriand, Wastberg, Artek A201, and Tradition, Marset, Twenty Twenty One, Schneid Studio, Menu, AstroSGG Mastersoft via Hourglass

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Budget Breakdown: An Architect’s £224K Remodel Makes a Splash With Pastel Tile