Location: London, UK

Interior Designer: Sandra Flashman Studio

Construction: Alex Deco Design

Photography: Anna Stathaki

Located where Daniel Dafoe once lived, the residence is steeped in local history, where the brickwork was likely made from clay dug from Dafoe’s garden. Church Street Residence is a modern interpretation of a Victorian Townhouse, which highlights traditional features in a modern context. Typical of a Victorian Townhouse, the building has a narrow footprint with rooms that feel small and closed off. The clients wanted a home that felt open and comfortable, retaining much of the original architecture whilst being understated and luxurious with sumptuous details.

Taking inspiration from its history, Sandra Flashman Studio updated the central staircase and created a feature that wound through all the levels of residence and ended with a skylight above it. The staircase is beautifully crafted with iron balustrades and solid wood bannisters and clad with a sumptuous smoked wood flooring that is used throughout the space.

The loft was opened up with additional skylights, to create a lounge space with low level furniture and underfloor heating. The interior brickwork was restored to give a sense of it’s original architecture and a warm texture, resulting in a loft-like lounge which opens out onto a terrace overlooking the London skyline.

Using some minor architectural interventions, Sandra Flashman Studio were able to create a space that feels unified and open. The 2nd floor master suite and loft space maximise the usage of light to create the feeling of a much bigger space. The smoked oak finish throughout reminds you of its Victorian heritage, yet the openness and clean profiles of the interior architecture and details feel modern. It has unique details that create moments of glamour, yet is on the whole calm and inviting as a home.