COME TOGETHER
The renovation of this listed top-floor maisonette involved careful co-operation between neighbours, conservation officers and freeholder
‘I love the journey up through this grand building, then the element of surprise when the flat opens out into such a bright space’
‘With a listed property you have to be prepared to accept that some of your grand ideas might have to be scaled back’
Renovating a top-floor flat is never an easy proposition, especially one at the top of a narrow winding staircase. ‘We had to take the windows off and hoist from the street to get some of the furniture in,’ says Nick Horvath, the architectural director of Momo & Co (momoandco.design), who worked alongside his client Sam Higginson to overhaul the London property.
‘Sam found the flat and saw it as a great investment opportunity as it was so dilapidated, having been lived in by the same man for most of his life,’ says Nick. ‘It had been vacant for a long time and felt very unloved but on the fourth and fifth floors of a corner building, it had the most amazing views and felt very unique.’
Having bought the property, Sam then had to negotiate a series of other challenges before attempting to realise his shared vision with Nick. ‘We were very keen to keep relations with the downstairs neighbours pleasant, so lots of notes were passed around apologising for the builders using the only staircase,’ says Sam. ‘Ultimately, I paid to have the communal entry hall and front door re-carpeted and repainted to thank the neighbours for their patience.’
Slightly more complicated were the restrictions placed upon the renovation due to its status as a listed building. ‘We had lots of grand ideas to start with that got dialled back,’ says Nick. ‘For example, we weren’t allowed to take any walls out except in the open-plan living area where we had to leave elements of the old wall to pay tribute to the original architecture.
‘Our heritage consultant was very passionate about the history of the building,’ he continues. ‘She could tell the floorboards were original from the shape of the nail heads used.’ Balancing alongside the neighbours and heritage consultant was the freeholder of the building. ‘There was a leaseholder hierarchy and we were bottom of the chain, which made communication tricky,’ says Nick.
At the top of the building, the flat would have historically been the servants’ quarters. ‘You can notice this in the height of the ceilings and the plainer detailing,’ says Nick. While Nick chose the light fittings, cabinetry and flooring, Sam contributed the furnishings, opting for classic pieces to strike a luxurious mood.
Reminiscent of the industrious servants who ran the original household, the blood, sweat and tears of this project have faded into the past, leaving only a serene rooftop sanctuary.