Baring Street

"A conversion and extension of a Victorian townhouse into a contemporary light filled family home"

■ Client

↣ Baring Street

■ Type

■ Location

↣ Islington, London

Located within the Arlington Square Conservation Area, our Baring Street project explores the delicate balance between 19th-century Islington character and the fluid demands of contemporary family life. Originally a dated rental property, we were commissioned by an author and their growing family to transform a constrained Victorian terrace into a prestigious, light-filled sanctuary.

To overcome the limitations of the original layout, we stripped the building back to its original structure. By dropping the ground floor level and vaulting the roofline on the first floor, we introduced a sense of volume and airiness rarely found in traditional terraced housing. The rear of the property was entirely reimagined through a new extension, housing a light-filled, sunken social living space that serves as the heart of the home.

Drawing inspiration from the historic brickwork of the neighborhood, the design introduces a modern architectural language that respects its heritage. Strategically carved openings create vertical light wells that pull natural light deep into the floor plan, illuminating the transition between floors and highlighting the seamless flow of the ground floor. Here, the kitchen, dining, and living areas merge in an open-plan layout to optimise functionality for a modern family, while new glazing and a bespoke entrance boundary signal a contemporary identity that honors the street’s historic rhythm.

Through a series of bold structural shifts and a deep respect for Islington’s history, the property has been redefined as a sanctuary of space, light, and quiet sophistication.