Paul Archer Design

The owners of Highbury House wanted it to be a place for welcoming friends and wider family members. Transforming into a house all about connection, the form now follows sliding partitions, doors, and screens allowing spaces to shift between quiet and privacy, to an area that facilitates socialising and entertainment.

Cohesiveness has been achieved by weaving in bespoke joinery and finishes throughout the entire house. Both traditional framed wall panels and fluted panels have been used to add a textured modern twist, with antique brass trims and handles enhancing the joinery. Restoring the features keeps the original character routed in the home transformation. Original stained-glass windows have been expertly refurbished, mouldings reinstated, and sitting comfortably alongside the modern fireplace.

A striking glass infill connects the ground floor to the extended basement, creating a double-height void over a sleek new staircase leading from the kitchen, dining, and living room, down to a central conversation pit in the basement. Glass partitions in the gym allow light to flood in, while a cinema room with velvet-lined walls provides a cosy retreat. The open connection between the kitchen and basement ensures the family room feels integrated with the rest of the house, with daylight enhancing the welcoming atmosphere of both floors.

Hidden behind a sliding door on the top floor of Highbury House, a carefully crafted spiral staircase leads up to the restful loft space. One challenge was to create a neat connection to a new loft space, designed as a hangout or quiet space. The answer came in the shape of a spiral stair, using timber veneer with a recessed handrail the experience of using this stair is nothing but joyous.