Arts & Crafts Home, W5
This 1920s Arts & Crafts home is being transformed into a vibrant and hard-working sanctuary for a growing family. Our design focuses on a complete spatial reconfiguration to create a seamless flow between a professional homeschooling suite, informal cinema, and open-plan living areas. Currently in the build phase, the project celebrates the property’s heritage through bespoke period joinery and a reimagined landscape, including a garden "forest school" outbuilding.
Project Type: 1920s Arts & Crafts Refurbishment
Location: W5, West London
Stage: In-Build (Rip-out Commenced)
Scope of Work:
Ground Floor Reconfiguration
First Floor Refreshment
Bespoke Joinery
Outbuilding & Garden Studio
Comprehensive Landscaping
Our Role:
Concept Design
Planning Applications / Permissions
Architectural Design and Design Detailing
Interior Spatial Design
Bespoke Joinery (Design & Manufacture)
Build Project Management
Contract Administration
The Brief
This 1920s property was recently purchased as a long-term home for a growing family. With two young children and another on the way, the brief was unique: the house needed to serve not just as a sanctuary and a space for entertainment, but as a stimulating environment for homeschooling.
Our challenge was to honour the original Arts & Crafts style of the house while creating a "hard-working" home that remains joyful and light. The vision includes a dedicated learning suite, an informal cinema room, and a garden outhouse that functions as both a gym and a "forest school" for the children. Every square metre is being designed to support a lifestyle where education, play, and family life coexist seamlessly.
Concept Designs
Our redesign began with a complete spatial overhaul of the ground floor. We focused on removing and altering internal partitions to create a more intuitive flow, specifically around the kitchen, pantry, and utility areas.
Central to the plan is the homeschooling wing, which we have divided into a formal classroom area and a secondary, more creative space. We also secured planning permission to transform the existing garage exterior, replacing it with a modern glass Crittall-style façade. To round out the interior concepts, we designed an informal family film room, utilizing bespoke joinery to create a cosy, immersive cinema experience.
On the upper levels, our approach shifted to a light refreshment. As the first and second floors had been recently modernised, we focused our attention on high-impact modifications, including the alteration of a second-floor dormer and the creation of a first-floor cinema/music room.
With the concept established, we have moved into the technical phase, producing the detailed elevations and 3D visuals required for formal submissions. This stage involves close structural liaison, where we integrate external engineering designs into our architectural master set to ensure the new open-plan layouts are structurally sound.
We are currently in the technical planning phase for the garden outbuilding, ensuring the "forest school" and gym elements of the brief are fully realised.
Having successfully appointed the building contractor, we are now working closely with them to compile the final Schedule of Works so building work can commence.
Technical Design & Planning Agility
Build Phase
The project has officially moved on-site, with the rip-out phase now underway. As we manage the building works, our focus is on the intricate details that will bring the Arts & Crafts aesthetic back to life. We are currently designing a suite of specialist built-in joinery and custom 1920s-style doors that reflect the heritage of the property.
As a small studio, we take great pride in projects like Elm Avenue, where we can truly immerse ourselves in a family's specific way of living. With the build expected to complete by the end of 2026, we are looking forward to delivering a home that is as much a sanctuary for the parents as it is a world of discovery for the children.