Case Study
Cricklewood Renovation
Cricklewood was a well-built but dated home with good bones hidden behind a chopped-up plan and heavy, dark finishes. The family loved the location and the lot — they just couldn't feel the house. Our job was to find the home that was already there.
Scope
- Whole-home renovation
- Space planning
- Material selection
- Lighting design
- Scope
- Whole-home renovation
- Built
- Originally 1990s
- Timeline
- 11 months
- Focus
- Flow, light & material
01
The Challenge
A maze of small, closed rooms made the house feel far smaller than its footprint. Natural light died at the hallways, and a decade of competing finishes left no through-line. The owners didn't want to move; they wanted to fall back in love with the home they had.
02
The Approach
We re-planned the core of the house, removing walls to connect the kitchen, dining, and living into one light-filled stretch. Sightlines were opened to the backyard, and a quieter, unified material story was introduced so the eye could finally rest. The architecture leads now; the décor simply supports it.
03
Materials & Details
Hand-troweled plaster, white oak floors, honed marble, and unlacquered brass replaced the builder-grade finishes. The palette is intentionally restrained and warm — a calm backdrop that lets the family's collected art and travel pieces carry the personality.
04
The Outcome
The same square footage now lives twice as large. Light moves through the whole main floor, the family gathers in spaces that finally work, and the house feels both current and timeless — the home they always knew was in there.
“We walk in now and exhale. It's the same house, and somehow it's completely ours.”
Next project
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