fortyfour
fardaa
Islington, 2025
Fortyfour is a refurbishment and extension of a tiny, eye-catching Victorian house located between terraces in Islington. Long known locally as ‘The Blue House’, the painted façade contrasts with the bare, varied brickwork of its flanks, and sits in contrasts with the grand Victorian St Thomas’ Church opposite. The house was poorly configured, lacked insulation, had failing windows and only one bedroom: the building adaptation was designed to address these failings whilst enhancing the strange charisma of the little building. The interiors build on this character, with somewhat uncanny details and finishes blurring perception of space, proximity and surface.
“This was a very personal project for us as a couple. I trusted Edward's abilities as an architect but had many concerns about the space and was initially opposed to buying and investing in the house, which I felt would feel too cramped and somewhat oppressive to live in. Now, I can't imagine living anywhere else and love it - the design, detailing and finish suits us perfectly and as a creative producer I now love working from home, seeing the light change during the day and enjoying the peaceful and comfortable atmosphere. We are so glad that we could stay in an area that we have called home for many years now, maintaining friendships and community connections that would have been lost had we moved to find a suitable home.”
