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Interior Design Feature:

Inside a North London Home Built Around Art and Family

Inside a North London Home Built Around Art and Family

Overview

Designed by MW Architects for Mr. and Mrs. Smith, this newly built family home in North London replaces a former Victorian property with a carefully orchestrated, four-storey house formed through material clarity and spatial flow. “We wanted a home that feels cohesive yet flexible, where the family can gather, retreat, and live comfortably every day,” Mel explains.

Developer

MW Architects

Type

Family Residence

Location

North London

Services

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Presented by

Mel

A modern interior with a sleek black spiral staircase under round pendant lights. Nearby, a room with a shelf displaying photos adds a personal touch.
A large circular mirror with a wooden frame reflects a modern spiral staircase and hanging glass orb lights. The space feels sleek and contemporary.

Arrival and the Central Stair

Inside, the ground-floor hallway establishes the architectural language of the house. A bespoke metal helical stair rises from the ground floor and transitions into a spiral stair above, built on site and welded into place before being clad in timber. “The front of the house didn’t end up exactly how anybody wanted as a result of the planning system,” Mel notes, “but with the foliage, it’s working really well.” Suspended through the full height of the space are hand-blown bowl lights by Giopato & Coombes, which drop from the second floor ceiling and recur throughout the house as a unifying feature.

Spacious kitchen with modern design, featuring marble countertops, spherical pendant lights, and large windows showcasing a serene garden view.

Kitchen as Social Hub

The kitchen is conceived as a multifunctional family space rather than a standalone room. A double-island layout separates cooking and preparation, with one island dedicated to the gas hob and aligned directly with the outdoor kitchen beyond. The second island focuses on prep, with twin sinks and concealed storage. Paonazzo marble surfaces run throughout, paired with dark grey joinery that reinforces the home’s restrained, monochrome palette. “We wanted this space to feel like the heart of the home,” Mel notes, “where daily life and entertaining can happen side by side.”

Modern kitchen with a marble backsplash, black gas stove beneath a sleek hood, and minimalist decor, creating a clean and sophisticated ambiance.

House-wide automation by Crestron controls lighting, climate, blinds, media, and security, while a ground source heat pump supports the home’s environmental performance. Informal seating allows family members to gather while cooking, with views extending across the garden.

Modern dining room with a large wooden table, black chairs, and floating white globe lights. Dark walls feature bold red abstract art, creating a sophisticated ambiance.

Dining and Living Spaces

A formal dining room sits adjacent to the kitchen and is permanently arranged for entertaining. The flooring shifts from polished concrete to dark grey herringbone parquet, a finish that continues across the upper floors. Built-in joinery supports hosting, while carefully positioned lighting highlights the owners’ art collection. “Art is central to the owners’ life,” Mel says, “so careful lighting and shelving were essential to showcase their collection.” Curtains allow the space to be acoustically separated from the hallway when needed.

Modern living room with a sleek grey sectional sofa, glass coffee table, and artistic decor. Large windows reveal a lush garden, creating an airy, stylish ambiance.

At the rear, the main living room opens fully to the south-facing garden. A book-matched marble fireplace anchors the interior and is mirrored outside by a brick outdoor fireplace. Clear glass pendants by Gopato and Kums reveal the delicacy of the hand-blown forms. A darker-toned bar area creates a more intimate setting for pre-dinner drinks, while adjacent shelving showcases the owners’ collected objects and artwork.

Modern backyard with a lush green lawn, surrounded by sleek gray pavers. Features contemporary outdoor furniture and a stylish, low black fence.

Garden and Outdoor Living

The landscape extends the interior sequence outward. Directly off the kitchen is an outdoor kitchen with an island, barbecue, sink, and extensive storage, sheltered beneath a steel lattice canopy planted with dense foliage. This connects to an outdoor dining area, a sunken seating space outside the dining room, and a raised lounge aligned with the main living room. “We wanted the outdoor spaces to feel like extensions of the home,” Mel says, “so that dining, cooking, and relaxing can flow seamlessly.”

Modern black brick building with large windows set in a green lawn. Tall leafless trees and red brick Victorian buildings stand in the background.

A planted metal lattice walkway leads across the lawn to a freestanding outbuilding. Conceived as a wellness pavilion, it houses a gym, yoga space, hot tub, shower facilities, and a sauna. Large roof lights, birch ply, hand-burnt timber, and cedar finishes create a tactile, light-filled environment used by the whole family throughout the year.

A cozy home office with dim lighting featuring a modern L-shaped desk, computer, framed sports jerseys, bookshelves, and decorative art pieces.
Curved glass roof with yellow autumn leaves scattered on it, viewed from inside. The outside trees are seen faintly, creating a serene, reflective atmosphere.

Basement Spaces

Below ground, the basement accommodates work and leisure. A study sits beneath the driveway, illuminated by a semi-circular roof light that mirrors the curved desk below. The joinery and layout replicate Mr. Smith’s previous study, with selected elements, including a light by Artimide, brought into the new house.

A temperature-controlled wine cellar sits centrally, opposite a large playroom designed for older children and teenagers. Exposed concrete ceilings, integrated projection, concealed plant room access, and a discreet bar and DJ area allow the space to adapt from everyday use to larger gatherings.

Modern bedroom with a monochrome palette. Features a sleek black and white striped accent wall, a cozy bed with white linens, and elegant glass globe pendants.
Luxurious bedroom with a modern design. Features a large bed with fur throw, bubble light fixtures, dark wood accents, and chevron-patterned floor.

The Principal Suite

The first floor is largely occupied by the principal suite, which spans the full width of the house overlooking the garden. Measuring approximately 65 square metres, it comprises a bedroom, dressing room, and bathroom arranged in sequence. The bedroom is centred on a bespoke timber and linen headboard, softly backlit, with a Juliet balcony opening toward the garden and outbuilding beyond.

The dressing room introduces a central island inspired by kitchen design, allowing storage to be consolidated within the generous space. Bespoke joinery conceals services, maintaining visual calm throughout.

Elegant bathroom with a central freestanding tub, marble sinks, and large windows showcasing lush greenery. Modern, serene ambiance.
Modern bathroom with striking black and white marble walls. The left wall is black with white veins, the right is white with black swirls. Minimalist and elegant.

The bathroom is defined by large slabs of book-matched marble arranged perpendicular to the south-facing windows. His-and-hers basins flank a walk-through shower, with a freestanding bath positioned by the window to complete one of the home’s most architectural rooms.

A cozy bedroom featuring a plush navy bed with white linens, flanked by modern wall lamps. A minimalist blue wardrobe and open door add elegance.
A modern bathroom with a freestanding white bathtub under a skylight, gray marble walls, dual sinks with mirrors, and soft lighting, creating a serene ambiance.
A lavender bookshelf filled with books, toys, and decorative items. The room feels cozy and organized, with a mirror and lamp nearby, conveying a warm, inviting ambiance.
A cozy bedroom features a pink tufted bed with white linens, a pink chair, and sloped ceiling. Walls display framed sports artwork and photos.

Family Floors Above

Children’s bedrooms on the upper floors retain continuity in layout while introducing personalised joinery colours and simpler finishes. Girls’ bathrooms feature lilac-toned marble details, while the boys’ bathroom adopts darker porcelain tiles and a freestanding bath beneath a skylight. A flexible playroom on the top floor provides space for homework, gaming, and downtime.

A modern, two-story brick house with large black-framed windows and a dark central entrance. Lush green plants and trees adorn the front, adding a serene, inviting feel.

Throughout the house, MW Architects have balanced strong architectural moves with spaces designed for everyday living. “Every corner, every material, every light was considered,” Mel reflects, “to create a home that evolves with the family over time.” From the sculptural stair and cascading lights to the layered garden and wellness pavilion, the house is composed as a series of interconnected environments that support family life with clarity, warmth, and restraint.

MW Architects Logo

MW Architects is a London-based studio specialising in refined, materially driven residential architecture. Known for a calm, detail-led approach, the practice designs homes that balance strong architectural intent with long-term liveability, tailoring each project closely to its clients, context, and way of life.

Studio Address
The Tea Factory
110 Endwell Road
London SE4 2LX

Contact
T: +44 (0)20 7407 6767
E: architect@mwarchitects.co.uk

Website
www.mwarchitects.co.uk

Gallery

The Finer Details.

Modern bathroom with a freestanding white tub by large windows, green foliage visible outside. Features black marble sinks, herringbone floor, and wall art.
Modern living room with dark herringbone flooring, gray sectional sofa, glass coffee table, and chandelier. Glass doors open to a lush garden, creating a spacious and elegant ambiance.
Modern interior with a striking black spiral staircase illuminated by large, spherical pendant lights. The room has a sleek, minimalist design.
Modern bedroom with a sleek black-and-white headboard featuring vertical stripes, a bed with crisp white linens, and artistic globe pendant lights above.
A modern dining room with a large wooden table surrounded by black chairs. Above hangs a cluster of spherical pendant lights. Dark walls feature a vibrant red abstract artwork. A cabinet holds decorative vases, enhancing the sophisticated ambiance.

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