1871 HOUSE
Blackheath, London
2023 - 2025
In 2023, our clients bought a large semi-detached house, part of a group of substantial locally Listed Victorian houses located in the Blackheath Conservation Area.
Built around 1871, the house has two storeys plus a basement and attic and is set back from the wide tree-lined street with a large front garden. to te rear is also a large garden.
The Royal Greenwich Local Heritage List description reads:
“2 1⁄2-storey late-Victorian houses of circa 1871 with hipped gabled roofs, red brick arches to eaves and decorated frieze to eaves and decorated panels over gable windows. Later dormer windows, other windows much changed. In same style and by same designer, John Whichcord Junior, as Nos. 3-11 opposite.
The existing house has been extended over the years, with a single storey side garage, lean-to WC, and conservatory added. Additionally, as noted in the listing, the fenestration has changed and dormer windows have been added to both the front and rear of the house.”
The ground floor of the house had beautifully proportioned and detailed, large formal rooms, accessed off a central hallway. There was a small kitchen and no storage space or room for services.
Our client's brief included a large kitchen, a service entrance, ample cloakroom storage, a ground-floor loo, and access to the garden via a boot room.
Our aim was to meet the brief, while leaving intact all the well-preserved formal rooms of the house.
The side garage and small WC extensions were removed and replaced with a new service wing. Removing a chimney breast and creating a wide opening into the new extension substantially increased the size of the kitchen, adding a whole wall of full-height storage. On the opposite side, an opening was formed, connecting the kitchen to the substantial double dining/lounge room. The new layout creates impressive long "enfilade" views through the house, allowing for a much better kitchen arrangement and services with minimal change to the building.
Contractor: XXX
Engineer: Stand Engineers
Photographs by Studio Sam Causer