The remarkable renovation of a 1960s courtyard house in Gipsy Hill, south-east London
When the current owner, Niki Borowiecki, co-founder of SE5 Architects, first got the keys to this house, it was in something of a sorry state. As he documented on his renovation project’s Instagram account, the exterior was dreary, the interior dated and the central courtyard overgrown (there’s also a second smaller courtyard, but more on that later). He had a sizable project on his hands, but Niki – whose mother, Magda Borowiecka, was also an architect and a friend of Stjernstedt – was well-equipped to breathe new life into the building.
Taking inspiration from Architectural Association’s ninth paper, The Modern Courtyard House by Duncan Macintosh, Niki set about renovating his home and extending it to create an additional bedroom. He cleverly constructed the new part of the house using the same bricks as the original building, having identified the company that produced them in the 1960s. The rest of the material palette has subsequently been informed by the bricks’ grey tone: a pretty terrazzo, speckled with shades of charcoal, runs underfoot throughout, while Douglas fir, stained cedarwood and a dark-teal kitchen are all equally easy on the eyes.
Arguably one of the most appealing things about the house is the way the two courtyards illuminate the living spaces. The smaller of the pair is a peaceful pocket that sits behind the main living space and is a lovely backdrop to life here, with sweet-smelling star jasmine climbing up its back wall. The larger one, however, is even lovelier. Two of the three bedrooms, as well as the open-plan living and kitchen area, have been fitted with sliding glass doors that open out to the central space, creating a flawless flow between the inside and out. And the view is postcard pretty too: what was once wild with weeds is now filled with blooms including foxgloves and anemones, and has a crab apple tree at its core.
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