15º Off-White House

Exploring how a conventional dwelling can be dramatically opened up and adapted for the lifestyle of a young family, this remodelled house in Holland Park expresses and consolidates Paul McAneary Architects formal, material and organisational preoccupations.

The traditional cellular floor plans of London’s historic housing stock do not reflect the changing tenor of modern family life, from rigid social and physical compartmentalisation to a more informal and outgoing dynamic.

Here, internal partition walls are removed to create a seamless, fluid sweep of space from the entrance to the garden. A specially designed faceted ceiling channels natural light into the long, deep plan. Reflected off cool white surfaces, light washes through the house, transforming and animating space.

The staircase connecting the new open plan ground floor with the two upper storeys is a dramatic tour de force of structure and materials. Enclosed by wafer thin glass balustrades and seemingly dropped, like the staircase leading to an aircraft from a cut in the ceiling, it has an exquisite, crafted precision. Focusing intently on a set piece element is typical of Paul McAneary Architects approach and here it assumes a special resonance, like a piece of sculpture poised within the calm, white space.

In the absence of partition walls, the stair acts to demarcate functions, for instance defining the living and kitchen areas from the dining space. Ample storage in bespoke units is both practical and elegant, keeping rooms free of clutter and enhancing the feeling of light, luxurious spaciousness. [By Catherine Slessor*]

Contract Value £150k
Location Holland Park, London
Client Private
Date 2007 – 2008
Area 145m²
Design Team Paul McAneary Architects
Design Service From design concept to detailed design to the end of construction, interior design, lighting design, glazing design, survey, planning, 3D visualisation
Main Contractor Typhoon
Supplier Farrow & Ball, Mint, Ikea, The Plank Co, Concept-Tiles
Press 2011 Objekt Magazine, December 2011, Maria Jose F. Prados, ‘Rehabilitacion en blanco de Paul McAneary Architects, Interiores Minimalistas, 3 February 2011, Katy Dunn, ’Smart Storage Solutions’, Grand Designs Magazine, January 2011 2010 ‘Keeping it Simple’, Designer Magazine, December 2010, Jamie Derringer, ‘15° Off-White House in the UK by Paul McAneary Architects’, Design Milk, 12 December 2010, Alessia Pincini, ‘Paul McAneary Architects’, abitare.it, 26 October 2010, ’15º Off White House;, WAN Interiors, 17 September 2010 2009 Claudia Baille, ‘Small Space Style’, Living Etc, February 2009, Andy Buck, ‘Step by Step’, Grand Designs, February 2009