The Retreat

"We found JMA had the vision to enable us to be far more ambitious. With our home renovation than when we first started. Julian's eye for light, colour, texture and space planning have resulted in the light, airy open plan house we were hoping to achieve."

■ Client

↣ The Retreat

■ Type

■ Location

↣ Harrow, London

Located in the leafy suburbs of Harrow, "The Retreat" was a residence with a profound personal history. Our client grew up in this house and subsequently inherited the property from his parents. While the home was filled with family memories, it had become dated and required significant modernisation. Now returned to the care of the original family, the property was reimagined for a new generation. Our commission was to respect these unique memories and the house’s innate sense of calm, while undertaking a comprehensive refurbishment to adapt the four-bedroom residence for contemporary family life incorporating highly sustainable interventions, clean lines, and an improved sense of natural light and flow.

Our design approach centered on transforming the dwelling into a stylish, elegant sanctuary that balanced modern functionality with a restful, quiet ambiance. To achieve this, we stripped back the dated interiors, focusing on enhancing the natural movement through the home and bringing light deep into its heart. By prioritising expansive views of the garden, we created a seamless connection between the interior living spaces and the landscape, establishing an environment that was both beautiful and practical.

The layout was meticulously reconfigured to serve the diverse needs of the family. This included the integration of dedicated, flexible workspaces, a ground-floor office for a wellness practice and a first-floor office alongside bespoke adjustments to the private quarters to ensure comfort for all. We also considered the property’s outbuildings and wider landscaping to provide a cohesive, well-integrated proposal that extended the quality of the interior design to the grounds.

Through a series of thoughtful structural and spatial interventions, we redefined "The Retreat" as a sophisticated family home that honored its past while embracing the fluid demands of a modern lifestyle.