How one interior designer doubled the size of a tired flat by digging deep
A one-bedroom ground floor flat in a subdivided house in Brondesbury Park has been transformed into a two-bedroom maisonette with a sunken terrace and raised garden following a basement dig.
By excavating into the basement The Mint List interior design studio were able to double the property’s footprint to approximately 1,800sq ft in a project that took over a year to complete.
Carved into the basement level is a huge open-plan living area with loads of natural light pouring in and a velvet-clad ‘conversation pit’ – a sunken area for socialising once popular in the 1950s and 1960s.
The Mid-Century vibes don’t stop there with pale oak flooring throughout and custom-joinery in natural materials and finishes that nod to the glamorous era including the island and cabinetry in the kitchen behind the seating area and the concealed bar for clandestine cocktail hours.
On the same level, there’s a dedicated larder that leads out into the tiered garden, a utility room to hide the ‘working’ elements of the home, a hallway and guest loo.
Upstairs on the ground floor is another hallway that leads to a guest bedroom with an ensuite and the principal bedroom featuring a bespoke storage unit on a wall housing a TV on one side and an antique mirror on the other facing the dressing area.
Practically, it creates a separation between one space and the other without having to build a physical wall.
The bedroom is boutique-hotel inspired with soft-green rendered walls, natural tiles and lots of organic textures, while the dressing room features glazed cupboards with fluted doors and clever built-in storage that makes the most of a every square-inch.
Its dedicated ensuite has green rendered walls, dusty-pink tiles, mosaic flooring, brass accents and lush plants.
“The brief was to transform a multi-occupancy building with a communal hallway into a premium Queen’s Park property with a private entrance,” says Camilla Kelly, founder and creative director of The Mint List.
“The look and feel of this generously-sized, two-storey home was heavily-inspired by the client’s background in the music industry, while also having that classic mid-century feel we’ve become known for.
“The design of the basement floor – which virtually doubled the footprint of the property – was led by the client’s love for entertaining, sharing music and stories with friends.”