Case studyKensington · W8

Kensington townhouse, renovated in private

A full renovation and a side return kitchen in Kensington. The client asked us not to photograph the finished house.

Where
Kensington, W8
The home
A period townhouse on three floors
The work
Full renovation, side return and a wine cellar
Value band
£1m to £2.5m
Status
Completed
Interior design
Mariana Orsini
Joinery
Cochrane Bespoke
Photographs
Withheld at the client’s request
Living room shown as designed, with two curved sofas, panelled walls and a steel stair. A visualisation.
Kensington · The living room, shown as designedVisualisation, not a photograph

i The brief

A period house, taken back to the brick.

The brief was a full renovation, to a super prime finish.

The house is a Kensington townhouse on three floors.

At the back, a side return extension makes room for a new kitchen.

Below the new floor, we built a spiral wine cellar.

Every room was designed by our interiors team before work began.

The client asked for one thing above all. Privacy.

ii Before

The house as we found it.

Taken on our first visits, in June 2024.

Old carpets, tired paint and a dated bathroom.

The old staircase and hall, with brown carpet and yellow walls.
Kensington · The old stair and hallBefore the work, photograph
A front room stripped back, bare boards and old lining on the walls.
Kensington · A front room, strippedBefore the work, photograph
The landing during the strip out, old banisters and torn floor.
Kensington · The landing, mid strip outBefore the work, photograph
The old bathroom, blue tiles and a dated WC.
Kensington · The old bathroomBefore the work, photograph
A bedroom emptied of its fittings, with bare floorboards.
Kensington · A bedroom, emptiedBefore the work, photograph
A green painted bedroom with bare boards, before the work.
Kensington · The green bedroomBefore the work, photograph

iii On site

Back to the brick, then rebuilt.

The house was stripped to its walls.

New steels and floor structures went in, then the side return.

Our own team was on site every day.

The house taken back to its brick walls, with new joists above.
Kensington · Back to the brickDuring the work, photograph
New timber and steel floor structure against the old brick walls.
Kensington · New floor structureDuring the work, photograph
Looking down through the stripped house, new floor structure going in.
Kensington · Looking down through the houseDuring the work, photograph
Our team digging out at the back of the house.
Kensington · Digging out at the backDuring the work, photograph
Steel mesh laid for the new floor slab in the side return.
Kensington · Mesh for the new slabDuring the work, photograph
The circular opening formed for the spiral wine cellar, in the new ground floor.
Kensington · The opening for the wine cellarDuring the work, photograph
One of our team fixing timber studwork in the side return.
Kensington · Studwork in the side returnDuring the work, photograph
The glazed roof of the side return, fitted and sealed.
Kensington · The glazed side return roofDuring the work, photograph

The client asked us not to photograph the finished house. So this is how it was designed.

iv The drawings

Every room drawn first.

Mariana Orsini drew every room before anything was bought.

Plans, perspectives and a schedule that names every fitting.

Furnished plans of three floors, with herringbone oak floors throughout.
Kensington · The plans, three floorsInterior design drawings, not a photograph
Perspective drawing of the living room, its sofas, panelling and stair.
Kensington · The living roomInterior design drawings, not a photograph
Four perspective drawings of the principal bedroom.
Kensington · The principal bedroomInterior design drawings, not a photograph
Four perspective drawings of the principal ensuite.
Kensington · The principal ensuiteInterior design drawings, not a photograph

The finished rooms, as designed.

Kensington · The four rooms, shown as designedVisualisation from the interior design drawings. Not a photograph.

v The rooms

Shown as designed.

The living room, the study, the principal bedroom and the ensuite.

Made from Mariana’s drawings, never from photographs of the house.

Living room shown as designed, with two curved sofas, panelled walls and a steel stair. A visualisation.
Kensington · The living roomVisualisation, not a photograph
Study shown as designed, with dark lit shelving, a sculptural desk and a navy chair. A visualisation.
Kensington · The studyVisualisation, not a photograph
Principal bedroom shown as designed, a woven headboard between green marble panels. A visualisation.
Kensington · The principal bedroomVisualisation, not a photograph
Principal ensuite shown as designed, marble walls and a freestanding bath. A visualisation.
Kensington · The principal ensuiteVisualisation, not a photograph

vi The team

Who built it.

Led the project
Nick Jeffries, founder
Interior design
Mariana Orsini
Design, cost and construction
NU Projects, under one contract
Joinery
Cochrane Bespoke

The scope Full renovation Side return extension Spiral wine cellar Interior design Bespoke joinery Structural works Project management

Services on this jobConstructionInterior design

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