The X-Factor Townhouse

A surprising addition to a classic townhouse, this fully glazed conservatory has not only added valuable extra space, it has made what space is available very open plan.

What could have been a cramped kitchen now looks large and capable of housing a significant sized dining table and, thanks to the considerate eye of the design team, though a modern addition, the conservatory as a whole does not appear jarring. Meeting a subtle slice of white render, which effectively ties the exterior and interior finish of the house together, the black framed extension simply looks elegant and as though it truly belongs there. A master stroke!

This whole front entrance looks elegant and perfectly restored with the taupe door, symmetrical lights and wrought iron bannisters all combining to produce a high end and auspicious frontage. The yellow bricks, concrete stairs and crisp white render are perfect partners and when you throw a stunning etched glass door number into the mix too, this is an entrance that's hard to beat.

The team at Gregory Phillips have been careful to give as much consideration to the exterior as the interior and the levels of dedication and commitment are apparent everywhere you look, so let's go inside and see what has been done there.

Nothing says dreamy like stairs built from beautifully marbled wood that are lit to absolute perfection, so we are taken aback by how lovely this stairwell looks!

White render, mirroring the outside, has been used to create a stark, clean and crisp space uninterrupted by extraneous decoration, while the vast amounts of wood simply ooze natural warmth and elegance. We love that the bannister has been constructed from the same material as the stairs, creating a boxed in and secure zone that comforts as you climb. Wonderful!

Now to a different set of stairs but still within the same building, if you can believe it! This set of steps is inherently industrial in style, not to mention quirky and bizarre, and leads up to a second floor that is bright and sparse. 

The choice to use carpet in this section of the house works as a secondary way to differentiate between the styles at play, with only the white walls linking everything together. If two incarnations of the same thing can be so widely different in one house, we wonder what we will see next…

Enter the conservatory and you are met by an astonishing amount of natural light that appears even brighter than it is thanks to the continued use of white on the walls and now, a polished concrete floor. By keeping everything so reflective, every facet of illumination is multiplied thus making the space increase in size exponentially.

A classic wooden kitchen nods to the age of the property and acquiesces that not everything can be stark and modern when the façade has remained true to its heritage but we think the house welcomes an extra dose of warmth and this set up happily complements the wooden staircase that we saw earlier.

When white has been used in every other room of the house and you are set on selecting a pristine white bathroom suite, what colour do you use on the walls? It's simple, you choose the next best thing: grey. 

The wall and floor tiles featured here put grey marble to great use and strangely, when combined with the curved bathtub and trough sink, it looks even brighter and more clean than plain white! Kept simple so as to not overshadow the minimalist feel that is prevalent throughout the whole property, this room feels cool, calm and perfectly fit for purpose, which doesn't surprise us in the least!

For more townhouse inspiration take a look at this Ideabook: The Dream British Townhouse.