No:21
Knocking down a house and building another one takes guts – and that’s just what the Newton family has done
STYLING MARISHA TAYLOR
DINING AREA
Oversized lighting is scaled to suit the open-plan space while the gold finish complements the room’s dark brown wood tones.
Melt pendant lights in Gold, Tom Dixon at Heal’s.
Santino dining chairs, John Lewis &Partners. Walnut rectangular dining table, De La Espada at Heal’s
KITCHEN
‘We wanted to make the downstairs space feel as open as possible and each area to feel part of the whole,’ explains Tiffany.
Notte herringbone engineered oak flooring, Havwoods
STAIRCASE
‘We chose an elegant, simple design with an oak handrail and treads stained to match the floor,’ says Tiffany.
Bespoke staircase, Spiral. Industrial light tall bookcase, Woods Furniture
HALLWAY
‘A solid front gate allows us to have a glazed front door, where you can see all the way through to the garden without losing the feeling of privacy,’ explains Tiffany. Joinery either side of the doors to Tiffany’s office has been painted a deep red, adding depth to this space.
Melt ceiling light in Gold, Tom Dixon at Heal’s. Sybil console table, La Redoute. Joinery in Grenache, Paint & Paper Library
Tiffany Newton and her husband Chris bought a dilapidated house in southwest London after falling in love with its unusually large garden and made the decision to start afresh after appointing architect Rob Beer at Life Size Architecture. ‘The half-acre plot had an energy we couldn’t resist and our boys Havana and Harley began running around outside straight away,’ recalls Tiffany. ‘Our aim was to create a home with plenty of space for everyone without losing the intimacy of being together.’
Tiffany and Chris immediately warmed to Rob who had experience working with the local planners. They also liked the building team at Woodmans – recommended by Rob. As they went through the design process, it became clear that very little would be left of the original house so the couple decided it made sense to build from scratch with the added advantage of the project being VAT zero-rated.
‘Rob’s design for the property started out with the classic Georgian features I had wanted but Chris persuaded me to change the traditional multi-pane windows to expanses of floor-to-ceiling glass,’ explains Tiffany. ‘It was absolutely the right thing to do – our garden is our pride and joy.’
