She Watches Over Me
A Small Studio
Lambeth, 2025
This renovation plays tribute to a family home's heritage, focusing on enhancing the rear. The once-cluttered kitchen is now an open, light-filled space. A courtyard extension, clad in charred timber, complements the updated ground floor, while soft green aluminium windows contrast with the deep black timber, creating garden views that reflect the homeowners' love of nature. Sustainable materials, exposed birch ply joists, and trumpet yellow paint bring vibrancy to the design. Topped with a green roof, the extension harmonizes with the garden. A painting by Adebayo Bolaji called ‘she watches over me’, honouring the homeowner’s grandmother, takes centre stage.
“When the plans finally arrived for the door we didn't like them - we had opted for slightly smaller than the maximum that Maxlight could make and the proportions look all wrong. We thought we'd made a terrible mistake and the clock was on to agree them to finish the project. We spoke to A Small Studio and said we thought we should revert to having a sliding door. But the team said - keep the faith, your vision of a large hinged door into your garden is much more interesting. So we changed the proportions and went for the largest. And it is fantastic! It is has impact and gravitas and I love how it really invites you to step out into the garden when you open it.”
