GRAND REINVENTION

This stunning London terrace was once five separate studios

When Sayu Sinha first viewed his present home, his early impressions were far from favourable. ‘The property was divided into five self-contained studio units and it hadn’t been touched since the 1980s,’ says Sayu. ‘There was a sink in every room and there was even a dead pigeon in one room!’ Most potential buyers were put off by this, including Sayu’s wife Sharon, but she eventually came round to sharing Sayu’s opinion that the house had a lot of potential.

The couple lost no time in moving forward with the renovation. ‘We put in an application for planning permission as soon as possible,’ says Sayu. ‘We wanted to extend out at the rear of the house and into the side return, but as the property is located in a conservation area, we knew the design needed to be sympathetic to the original brickwork. The core focus was to create a communal area – somewhere we could be together with our daughter Avi, but still do our own thing when we want to.’

Sayu and Sharon enlisted the help of Next Chapter Design to rework the layout and fine-tune the interior architecture. Creating a high-tech home was also a top priority, so the couple then called on Intellicasa and Cato Creative. ‘They helped us develop a 3D rendering of the house,’ says Sayu. It helped us see how day-to-day life would look.’ The final design comprised an open-plan kitchen-diner at the back of the house and a formal area with a sitting room, dining area and home cinema at the front. ‘Surround sound and speakers above the seating area make it feel like a cinema,’ says Sayu. Upstairs, the couple were keen to create a luxurious, hotel-style look, so they knocked three rooms into one. ‘Having the en suite bathroom and dressing room creates such a sense of spaciousness,’ says Sayu.

The interior design was built around the couple’s tech requirements. ‘I wanted to ensure we had a single point of connectivity for the whole house,’ says Sayu. ‘The lighting and touch panels are in one room, which allows us to operate music, the front door, heating and lighting from one place. It’s all automated and energy-efficient.’

Sayu and Sharon were also keen to achieve a seamless mix of classic and modern style. ‘We kept original features like the bannisters and coving, but the kitchen is more urban with exposed brickwork and glazing,’ he says. ‘It feels more modern, the further into the house you get.’ The couple also opted for ultra-thin framing for the doors at the back. ‘The idea was that when you open the front door, you should be able to look all the way through the house to the garden, creating a sense of fluidity,’ says Sayu.

With the project complete, the couple are pleased at how the finished design has turned out. ‘It hasn’t been too difficult to integrate all the modern features while still retaining the character of the house,’ says Sayu. ‘We wanted to create a home that would improve our lives – and it has.’