seeing the light
Extensive remodelling combined with contemporary touches have turned Ali and Mike Kynoch’s Edwardian house into a bright and spacious home
After a top-to-toe reworking of this north London house, the future is bright
Ali and Mike Kynoch went to view their end-ofterrace house in north London knowing that it already fulfilled two criteria – that it was in a leafy setting and close to their work. But it also had to have the potential to be a family home for themselves and their daughters, Marni, now four, and Freya, two.
‘It wasn’t as deep as the rest of the houses in the terrace,’ says Ali, an interior designer, ‘ but we knew we could enlarge it at the rear, and that this would also have a positive change on the dynamic of the house, with everything radiating out from a centrally situated hall.’ And that included downwards, as part of the plan was to excavate into the foundations and create a basement level. ‘That’s the joy of a project like this, it captures the imagination,’ says Mike.
After buying the property, it was clear that with all the building and groundwork involved, it would be impossible to move in for quite some time, so for the first 18 months, the family lived in rented accommodation. Apart from allowing the Kynochs to see their ideas taking shape, being close at hand held other benefits: ‘Our girls used to love the excitement of big trucks arriving with 30-metre steels,’ says Mike.
By the time they were able to move in, the majority of the structural work was complete – there was a three-storey rear extension and a new staircase, plus nearly every doorway had been repositioned. ‘Only parts of the house were habitable,’ says Mike, ‘ but gradually it reached the point where we could turn to the decor, which is where Ali came into her own.’
‘My idea of a perfect home is a sequence of carefully planned spaces that are infused with beautiful lighting, textures and colours that tone and harmonise the mood,’ explains Ali. ‘I like to be able to stand in a room, look in any direction and see something special, something that makes
design advice‘ Colour and lighting are always a good starting point when creating a design scheme. Both can have the effect of drawing you towards a room and beckoning you to enter’
you smile inside and out.’ Nowhere is this more evident than in the space Ali regards as her favourite – the kitchen-diner. Here, a full-length skylight offers heavenly views, while looking towards the front of the house reveals the cool beauty of the family room and, in the opposite direction, the tasteful calm of the dining area.
A particular element of interest is the way each space has its own distinct form of illumination. ‘Lighting injects soul into a space and is a key aspect of great design,’ says Ali, talking from her experience as a co-founder of Freymar Designs. ‘ We’re passionate about it and consider it at every level, from the floor to the ceiling.’
According to Mike, it isn’t just light that is at the heart of this home – he believes colour and texture are also important for connecting with the spaces. ‘If we want to wake up and feel energised by our surroundings, they have to reflect our own personalities,’ he says. He could have the main bedroom in mind, for this is the stuff of dreams, with its elegantly co-ordinated colour scheme, tactile fabrics and profusion of natural light. Another notable feature is the open-plan en suite, where an abundance of blue and a shuttered mirror provide a hint of the Mediterranean.
Now, surveying their striking home, the couple say the project came to together quite naturally – the biggest challenge was from an unexpected source. ‘After several tons of waterproof concrete had been poured to reinforce the walls, I was informed that the only membrane heavy duty enough to satisfy the warranty was that used in the construction of the Channel Tunnel,’ says Ali. ‘It makes finding the right shade of paint suddenly seem less daunting.’