Japandi Jewel
Warm timber details, soft limewash paints, biophilic design and an uninterrupted connection to the garden are the hallmarks of this renovated Victorian London home.
WORDS Orla Neligan
PHOTOGRAPHS Michael Sinclair
It's hard to picture a London street without the presence of Victorian houses shouldering up next to each other handsomely with their smart brickwork, tall ceilings and elegant period details.
But timeless as they may be, they often come up short in terms of contemporary living, with homeowners stretching the boundaries in a bid to create more light and space.
When architects Phil MacMahon and Genevieve McGill of Ondine London took on the home of actor Asa Butterfield (Sex Education), they used the cornerstone of their practice, encompassing biophilic design and natural light, to transform the otherwise generic and somewhat cold Victorian home.
"The house wasn't in bad condition," notes Genevieve, "you could have walked in and lived in it, but it was a bit soulless and lacked materiality."
Ondine London is known for designing spaces around how homeowners interact with them, finding ways to improve their lives.
"Asa is young and loves to travel; he likes having friends over and cooking.
We worked with him closely to understand how he wanted the spaces to make him feel and how we could make it sing with nods to Mexico and Asia, two places he loves."
There was no major construction, no walls to be demolished or moved; instead, the interior space was redesigned to create a sanctuary away from the hustle of his busy life, where rest and relaxation were prioritised.
The result is a pared-back aesthetic flooded with natural light and hallmarked by minimalist Japandi influences: warm woods.
These muted colour palettes move and change with the light and the addition of plants, textured surfaces and natural finishes that make them sing.
Genevieve and Phil, Irish architect duo of Ondine London
Read more and see more of Asa Butterfield's London home, and read Ondine London’s tips for creating biophilic design in your space in our NEW issue of House and Home magazine. On shelves, now.
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