Chelsea · SW3

Chelsea townhouse, opened up and fitted out

A 4,500 sq ft townhouse with a new basement under its whole footprint.

Nick Jeffries on Bloomberg, 2015: London’s Last Super-Basement

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Open plan living, dining and kitchen under a long rooflight.
Chelsea · Open plan livingCompleted work, photograph
4,500 sq ftSize
£1m to £2.5mValue band
2015Completed

The workTownhouse

What we did.

  • Basement under the full footprint
  • Structural works
  • Architectural design
  • Interior design
  • Bespoke joinery
  • Full fit-out
  • Project management

A private client owned a tired Chelsea townhouse. There was no room to build up or out.

So we went down. A 1,200 sq ft basement now runs under the full footprint. It holds a mirrored gym.

Structural works and the architectural design came first. A full design and build refurbishment followed above. The house runs to 4,500 sq ft across all floors.

Bespoke joinery by Cochrane Bespoke runs through the house. The work took about 50 weeks on site, finishing in 2015.

ServicesDesign and buildBasementsInterior designArchitectureBespoke joineryConstruction project management

Joinery by Cochrane Bespoke

Dining banquette below a cluster of glass pendant lights.
Chelsea · Dining banquette below a cluster of glass pendant lightsCompleted work, photograph
Living room with a television set into panelled joinery.
Chelsea · Living room with a television set into panelled joineryCompleted work, photograph
Sitting room with bright pop art above a low sofa.
Chelsea · Sitting room with bright pop art above a low sofaCompleted work, photograph
Bathroom with a dark vanity and book matched marble walls.
Chelsea · Bathroom with a dark vanity and book matched marble wallsCompleted work, photograph
Stairwell hung with three framed photographs of spiral staircases.
Chelsea · Stairwell hung with three framed photographs of spiral staircasesCompleted work, photograph
Detail of a stone stair with a frameless glass balustrade.
Chelsea · Detail of a stone stair with a frameless glass balustradeCompleted work, photograph
Basement gym with mirrored walls between lit pilasters, a spin bike and a rowing machine.
Chelsea · Basement gym with mirrored walls between lit pilastersCompleted work, photograph

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Completed work, photograph
Living room shown as designed, with two curved sofas, panelled walls and a steel stair. A visualisation.

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Visualisation

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From the journal242 notes, free to read

How work like this gets done.

  1. 2 min read

    Why your lighting plan changes at first fix

    Switch drops collide with grilles. Pendant heights miss the raft. How to protect your lighting design.

  2. 3 min read

    MEP coordination before first fix

    How a clean soffit becomes a field of penetrations. Why MEP coordination happens before first fix, and what changes when it does not.

  3. 3 min read

    Renovating a London apartment: lease first

    A London apartment renovation starts with the lease and the building’s rules. What to check before the layout, the price and the programme.

Every note on the work

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