Hopetoun Terrace, Paddington

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Located on the eastern side of one of Paddington’s most popular residential streets, the project involved an extensive re-furbishment and attic conversion of an existing Victorian terrace. 

 

Alterations and a rear extension had been undertaken on the property over the preceding years but the original small and dark rooms remained. 

 

Major design interventions included the removal of the cross walls between the front lounge and dining room and the rear kitchen and living spaces to create one large open plan ground floor living, kitchen and dining space. 

 

The small breezeway was removed to allow the space to flow and maximise light penetration into the ground level by placing a large fixed skylight above. The staircase was re-configured from its original north-south orientation separating the lounge and dining room to run east-west along the southern party wall and an attic bedroom was added with a new rear dormer window. 

 

Fabricated from steel with a painted finish, the design of the open steel and oak treads along with glass balustrading to the upper levels helps to filter light down from a new skylight at attic level. 

 

The client was a keen cyclist so joinery was designed to accomodate storage for some of his collection. A further steel stair provides access to the void space below the house, for additional bike and ancillary storage, concealed below a flush floor hatch.

 

A palette of white painted steel, oak veneer and white painted joinery along with natural oak flooring was chosen to provide a clean contemporary feel to the interiors while careful replacement and repair of of existing cornicing and fireplaces was undertaken to retain and emphasise the heritage features of the home.

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Builder: Building Partners 

Structural Engineer: Alba & Associates

Hydraulic Engineer: ITM Design

Heritage: Zoltan Kovacs Architect