Nick Humphries purchased his Edwardian terrace house in Wimbledon almost two decades ago, but it wasn’t until 2020 that he decided to update it. "I had the opportunity to do work to it, but at the time of buying I had no idea what I wanted to do," he says.
The previous owners had carried out some basic improvements, converting the loft into a bedroom and extending the kitchen at the rear. "Living in the house gave me time to think about what I didn’t like," says Nick. "There were lots of niggling things I wanted to change."
For starters, the kitchen featured an old-fashioned Rayburn – a cast-iron range cooker that doubled as a heat source. "It was a menace. In summer, I couldn’t use it because it made the house so hot. In winter, if it didn’t work, I had no heating and no way of cooking dinner."
So after discovering that his next-door neighbours were about to undergo their own renovation, Nick decided to bite the bullet and tackle one himself. "While I didn’t need more space, I thought maybe I should be the one who invests in the house," he says. "I realised I could double the size of the kitchen, remove all the things that I found irritating and modernise the interior. The idea flowed from there."
Project details
- Location Wimbledon, south-west London
- House Edwardian terrace
- Project Refurbishment, rear extension and loft conversion
- Renovation cost £2,750sqm
- Build time 18 months
- Architect Robert Rhodes Architecture + Interiors
Finding inspiration
With that decision made, Nick’s next step was to find an architectural firm to take on the project and online research led him to Robert Rhodes Architecture + Interiors. "On their website, they stated that their aim was to keep the spirit of a building when renovating, and I really liked that," he says.
Nick’s brief to Robert Rhodes was simple: he wanted to transform the dark, cluttered home into a calm, adaptable and light-filled sanctuary. Drawing inspiration from Japanese and Scandinavian design, Robert’s remodel centres around a bright, spacious and serene rear and side-return kitchen extension.
"We reused the existing, smaller side-return extension and doubled the footprint of the kitchen, pushing the main functions of the space out from under the low ceiling of the bathroom above," he says. "In that space, we made a compact utility room with a WC and laundry, which can be tucked away behind a pocket door. This improves both separation and flow between the distinct characters of the front and rear rooms of the house."
To maximise the connection to the outside space as much as possible, Robert chose a fully glazed roof for the side return, as well as full-width black metal-framed doors to replace the home’s previously small rear windows and doors. "Together, these features have helped to create an open and airy atmosphere, while ensuring that the home doesn’t overheat," says Robert.
By opening up an existing doorway, the new kitchen is better connected to the dining room, allowing natural light to flow between the spaces and establishing a strong link to the garden.
Upstairs, Robert reworked and extended the existing loft to accommodate a home office, a bedroom and a bathroom. A raked, dual-aspect window draws in daylight while offering uninterrupted views. Externally, the loft was wrapped in oxide-red zinc shingles, to complement the existing clay tiles of the neighbouring roofs. Inside, oak-framed windows, oak flooring and custom-made oak joinery provide continuity and harmony with the lower floors.
Planning and prep
Once the plans were set, they were submitted to the local council to be signed off. "The planning happened during Covid, so that was a challenge in itself," says Robert. "Communication with the council was slow, but the shared existential crisis meant everyone was empathetic to the difficulties we were all facing."
Within 11 weeks, the project was given the green light. Following the tender process, PVA Developments was hired for the construction work and Robert took on project management duties as Nick moved into a nearby flat.
The first task was demolishing the existing side-return extension. The ground level was lowered by 300mm to make way for a new hot water underfloor heating system, which had to be installed in a continuous concrete raft. The new extension was then constructed from timber frame and reclaimed London stock bricks. The existing loft was also removed and a new one constructed from timber frame.
"We faced no unexpected issues during the build," says Robert. "We knew the building well and created a very detailed set of construction drawings to mitigate any issues."
The most stressful part of the entire process involved the old Rayburn. "It weighed a ton," says Nick. "It’s not something anyone could remove, because it was connected to gas and electricity. We had to find a specialist and ended up hiring a company based in Somerset."
The only day they could do the job was when Nick was travelling in South America. "It was stressing me out a lot," he says. "I have no idea how they did it, but they finally got it out."
"Given that this was not a total house renovation, great care was taken not to disturb the front reception rooms, the first-floor bedrooms and the existing loft bedroom. The work focused on the back part of the house, but with some improvements and upgrades throughout," says Robert.
"The new ground floor extension has been arranged to enable the kitchen and dining room to work as both a quiet refuge and a lively gathering place. Exploring themes of slow living and wellbeing, we focused on ensuring that the home enjoyed lots of natural light and a strong connection to the garden."
Comfort and joy
Due to Brexit, and supply issues following the start of the war in Ukraine, the project took six months longer than planned. But after 18 months, Nick’s once-dark, compartmentalised property was transformed into a bright, spacious, harmonious family home.
Roomy, filled with light and wonderfully simple, the new kitchen benefits from ample storage and worktop space, as well as a dining zone that sits in front of the glazed doors that connect the extension to the back garden.
The newly improved loft now boasts a gorgeous bedroom, en suite and home office. Two rooflights – one in the bedroom and one in the bathroom – draw abundant natural light into the loft.
The home’s new elements were designed to exceed U-value requirements for thermal efficiency, while the materials were carefully curated to minimise the home’s carbon footprint and wider environmental impact. The exposed stock brick wall in the kitchen was restored and repurposed from the earlier extension, then extended to fit the new footprint using reclaimed bricks from another local building site.
Nick says that his favourite part of the project was witnessing the house coming together. "Seeing the property open to the elements was a little sad," he recalls. "But when I could see it taking shape and was able to visualise myself living there, it was really exciting."
As for tackling another project, Nick says, "I always try to improve the living environment wherever I am, but I’m in no rush to repeat this process!"
Enjoyed this tour? Get more inspiration from this extended Victorian lodge in Hertfordshire or this oak-frame self build with zero electricity bills.
