Victorian Townhouse In London With A Charred-Wood Extension

Rider Stirland Architects has remodeled the interiors of a Victorian terraced house in south London by adding a small rear extension clad in blackened wood and London stock bricks. Aptly named Charred House, the project was carried out for a family of five to help make more efficient use of their home and improve views of the garden.

To achieve this, Rider Stirland Architects replaced an existing but ineffective two-storey extension with an understated 9-square-metre addition, allowing the introduction of an open-plan kitchen, dining and sitting room. The asymmetric shape of the Charred House extension includes two closet wing extensions on the neighboring houses. However, it was kept small in size in order to maintain usable outdoor space, as the extension steps out into the home’s small back garden.

Durable charred larch is used as the primary cladding material to set the extension apart from the existing house, but it is teamed with portions of London stock brick to help tie it in with the street. To add “a touch of personality”, the wood and brick are complemented by flashings made from powder-coated aluminum and gold-colored stainless steel.

Inside, Charred House’s reconfigured ground floor is now open in plan, with a kitchen at its heart and a sitting and dining room at the rear. Upstairs, the first floor part of the extension forms a new family study, which is fitted out with two equal-sized desks, shelf space and windows. Material choices throughout Charred House have been chosen for warmth and tactility. This includes parquet flooring and the bespoke plywood joinery that maximizes storage downstairs. Standout finishes include the dark black kitchen cabinetry, which is contrasted with a pink-colored splashback and a white kitchen island with a large gold-colored tap. The oriel window incorporates a long seat that is lined with bright fabric with a green-plant print, which the clients say gives them the feeling of floating right among the flowers. Get inspired by the pics of this amazing house below!