Completing a property refurbishment is often one of the most outstanding moments in someone’s life, but the goal of doing so can be even more important. So it was in this case.
Our clients, a professional young family, desired their Grade listed penthouse renovation to be finished before a new family member was born. Their property was an old church conversion that had undergone a unique renovation with challenging structural works.
In a street that is often visited by music legends and their admirers, this luxury penthouse refurbishment was given a neutral spiritual meaning.
Working on Grade Listed buildings can be challenging, but we are experienced in working in difficult environments. We plan such projects well in advance and follow limitations guidance provided by English Heritage.
After a complete strip-out, our first job was to structurally support the existing concrete slabs in two adjoining towers.
We then diamond drilled the slab of concrete to create access to both of the towers.
Beyond the walnut and oak staircase, two additional penthouse rooms were refurbished in the two adjoining church towers, which were luxurious enough to function as either a home office or a bedroom for a Beatle.
We installed two circular staircases to save space within the home. The entrance to each of the luxurious tower spaces includes a hydraulic trap door at the top of the stairwell, which acts as a floor when closed.
Another crucial element was the installation of a mezzanine – an additional floor level – underneath the existing dome roof, in the center of the apartment.
Space is a luxury, and we created an additional floor level that now hosts the master bedroom.
The unique staircase that leads to the bedroom has a combination of walnut and whitewashed oak, rendering it incredibly beautiful.
We carefully designed the highest quality cabinets, which were attached to the walls in alignment with safety and historic regulations.
The high-end walnut cabinets provided new storage spaces between the walkways of the penthouse, with luxurious smooth finishes and sliding doors.
Bespoke furniture continued through to the penthouse kitchen, most notably an island bench that included a wine fridge, sink and stainless steel clad worktop to maximize lifestyle potential.
A carefully installed frameless glazing gives a nod to openness as one looks down onto the main living area.
Although the cover of the Beatles’ album named after this road stirred the rumour that Paul McCartney was dead, this luxury penthouse refurbishment was in celebration of new life. The pressure was on to refurbish the church in time for this new arrival.
Facing unexpected building delays is common for any building of a historic nature with difficult access, but we managed to overcome them by striking a balance between our experience and the pressure.
Given this church in St John’s Wood stood through the Beatles’ album launch and witnessed the EMI Recording Studios evolve into Abbey Road Studios, it was essential that any refurbishment of the building could match the unrivaled prestige of its location.
A word from our Clients:
Our build definitely would not have turned out as amazing as it had without them, as they did much more than just build. They helped design and used a lot of common sense when they were under time pressure and didn’t have guidance from us.
We had quite a bit of work done, with a mezzanine being installed, the bathrooms rebuilt, kitchen renovated, access to 2 office/spare rooms built and much more. They constructed and installed inbuilt wardrobes and storage as well as designed the inbuilt desks for the offices, and the trapdoor access to the offices.
We will be using them again when the time arises, and would definitely recommend them to anyone who is looking for a builder with an eye for quality and design.
