Graphic House

Office S&M

Hackney, 2023

Shortlisted

Longlisted

Graphic House is an Edwardian home in Hackney that has been transformed by Office S&M to reflect the tastes of its graphic designer owners. The new design draws upon the client’s belief in the power of graphics and love of Art Deco forms, with distinct shapes used to connect spaces and bright colours to enhance every room.

A variety of colours have been used to help define key moments throughout the house and tell a story about the building’s purpose and history. For instance, a minty green tone is used as a graphic tool to highlight all the new-built elements on the ground floor, while where existing walls have been restored, the pink plaster has been left bare, indicating the house’s past and revealing the maker’s hand, as well as bringing warmth and softness to the space.

Every space in Graphic House has been tailored around wellbeing and a desire to create healthier and happier spaces for the family to live, play, cook and rest in. Office S&M reconfigured the interiors to bring in more light and create a sense of playfulness. The round kitchen window for example, as well as providing more light, also acts as a time marker, like the oculus in the dome of the Pantheon in Rome. The circle of sunlight will track across the space, recording the passing of time and the seasons. When the circle first appears, it announces the beginning of spring, and its disappearance marks the start of winter.

“If there were more stars we'd give them! We are delighted with the result, which has transformed our space into a happy, usable, fun place to live. We are so happy we found them, that they chose to work for us, and that we get to live in the result for years to come. :)”

Back