An Award-Winning Apartment with a Modern Extension

Two architectural styles collide in this award-winning apartment in London. When you stand in front of the house, it looks like any other Victorian townhouse in England. And when you find yourself in the living room, this thought is confirmed.

But when you move to the back of the house, you enter a modern world with a kitchen extension that was designed by James Alder Architects. This ground-floor apartment that blends a traditional Victorian style with a modern extension won two RIBA Awards: the RIBA London Small Project of the Year Award and the RIBA London Award.

This apartment is a wonderful combination of sensitively restored Victorian elements in te living spaces and bedrooms and a raw material palette and large glass windows in the modern kitchen extension at the back of the house.

living room with light gray windows bay window fireplace and bookshelves

The apartment has a unique layout with the bedrooms at the front of the house and the living room and kitchen at the back. The double doors in the living room open up to the garden terrace that connects the old part of the house with the new addition.

living room with light gray walls and fireplace nordroom

The living room, with its neutral light gray walls and beautiful wooden floor, is centered around a restored Carrera marble fireplace. Both sides of the fireplaces are flanked by bookshelves.

light living room bay window victorian house nordroom

hallway victorian house black and white tiles nordroom

The apartment’s hallway is beautiful and spacious with a curved ceiling, gray walls, and a black and white checkered floor.

modern kitchen extension with blue cabinets and dining space nordroom

The inspiration for this kitchen extension came from Victorian greenhouses and ancillary garden buildings. The clean lines and exposed building materials give this room a modern and slightly industrial look.

modern kitchen extension blue cabinets exposed ceiling nordroom

modern kitchen extension exposed brick wall nordroom

Concrete steps and an exposed brick wall lead to the home office.

The sunken extension and large windows provide a great connection with the garden.

The terracotta tiles used in the kitchen extension are a nod to the red brickwork that you often see in Victorian buildings. These tiles and the design of the extension combine modern design with a historic architecture style.

blue kitchen cabinets and exposed brick wall nordroom

More clean lines in the home office with a simple wooden desk and built-in cabinets and drawers. The room is flooded with light thanks to the window above the desk and a skylight.

bedroom deep blue walls and bay window nordroom

The grand master bedroom is located at the front of the apartment and features walls painted in a deep forest green and a bay window with stained glass.