The house that what’s app built

We were delighted to work alongside Peter Lynn, co-founder of residential architectural and interiors practice Malin + Lynn, on this this elegant project nestled in the heart of leafy Parsons Green. You may recognise it from our portfolio here as we were commissioned for the open plan kitchen, dining and soft seating space along with a lovely walk in pantry.

Our clients purchased this traditional Lion House with a view to creating a long term family home with a focus on light, texture, and timeless design. A full renovation ensued including a 90sqm+ basement excavation/extension, ground floor side extension and pod extension to second floor level. We loved working with Peter on this project, his attention to the smallest details, precision and wonderful proactive, positive attitude made this an HM project to remember. We caught up with him to talk through some of the details he agonised over, how he worked through the typical London constraints and his thoughts on open plan vs broken plan…

HM: In this area of SW London, many houses share a similar architectural DNA. What, for you, separates a renovation that simply improves a house from one that fundamentally redefines how it is lived in?

PL: It’s essentially the clients themselves and their family setup/everyday life. A project like Lion House, where the clients have four children, two pets, busy jobs professionally and lives socially, it’s about understanding how the house needs to work for them as a whole. People coming in and out of the house at different times of the day, guests and visitors almost weekly – it’s working out the fundamental ergonomics and ensuring this is carried out in the design. Can the house be occupied for multiple purposes on different floors all at one time, I think with Lion House I can safely say yes! That is where it is redefined and fully bespoke to the end-user(s). 

The Lion House Project feels as though it has been quietly unlocked rather than dramatically transformed. Was there a key architectural move that changed everything?

Again, I think it’s fully understanding and learning about the clients. Projects of this scale you spend the best part of 2 years working very closely, speaking every day (“the house that WhatsApp built“) to the client. It’s in this building relationship you evolve as a collective, but also the house and design evolve with you. Naturally, there are site constraints that pop up, but it’s all part of the process: careful, considered, and collaborative decision making is what gently unlocks the scheme as opposed to a dramatic transformation. You can definitely feel the love and passion in a project that has been really thought through. 

We observed your focus on the way the space flows through the house early on in the design phase. How much of that is discipline in planning versus instinct developed over years of working in these kinds of properties?

I have been working in Fulham since 2012 and have designed a wide range of different “Fulham Terraced Houses”. Yes, there is merit in understanding spatial design, but nothing builds experience and knowing what works and what doesn’t (when timing is often tight and deadlines need to be met) than hours and hours spent doing projects of a similar nature. This definitely does not mean a “copy and paste” scenario – the beauty of what we do is that every project is different. It is, however, understanding views/neighbouring properties, planning restrictions, maximising light, total width available in the terrace, etc. All of these things come with years and years of experience, and it means we can adapt to a client’s brief without spending dead time with “trial and error” schemes; we know what works and what doesn’t. 

At what point in a renovation do you decide what not to change? Were there elements of Lion House you felt strongly should remain untouched?

Like all of the Victorian London Terraces, there are some “non-negotiables” for us. We love traditional detailing, cornicing, architraves, panelling, and skirting. It’s these elements that truly amplify these homes. For us, it’s about reinstating features like this that give an important nod to the architectural heritage of the property but doing so in a way that feels fitting and up to date with 21^st-century living. There was next to nothing “untouched” on the Lion House, but both the clients and us were aligned to reinstate everything we could to make it feel authentic. 

Many clients ask for open-plan living, yet the most successful homes often retain a sense of threshold and sequence. Do you agree and if so, did you approach that balance in this project?

As mentioned above, we are finding more and more clients are moving away from the open-plan living of the last decade/two. Busy families mean busy households, and it’s turned full circle now, where clients are wishing to have some separation from one another. The key is ensuring a connection between individual spaces, so they do not feel completely isolated, disconnected and lacking natural flow. This is done by openings, whether it is glazed or fully open. Joinery and carefully placed wall partitions can seamlessly create separate spaces, but views and sightlines between them are retained, providing much-needed connection and the feeling of space.

Light is often hard-won in London homes. Beyond the obvious interventions, were there more subtle strategies you used to borrow or amplify light?

We typically find front entrance hallways are the main areas that can feel dark and oppressive. This is the opposite of what you want when you welcome guests or simply step in the door after a long day at work yourself. Creating clever and seamless glass openings (whether full height or simply a window as shown in Lion House), it allows the natural light from the front Reception Room to penetrate into the hallway, opening up the space and giving you an instant feeling of width and vista. We tend to centre these openings on the fireplace in the Reception Room to create a focal point and real wow factor.

There’s a sense of calm restraint throughout the house. How do you edit a scheme architecturally so that it feels easy and natural rather than overworked and contrived?

Again, I would say this is down to the strategic placement of openings, how these openings function – are they pocket doors, swing doors on a 180-degree hinge? It’s ensuring connectivity and seamless transition as one moves through the house, floor-to-floor, room-to-room. Materiality is key to creating a calm space. We tend to keep our material palettes reasonably minimal – here we worked with the fabulous Emma Milne who led the finishes palette, who also shared this outlook. Working with a handful of colours and rotating their usage throughout the house is a way to keep the scheme grounded but also ensure continuity throughout – a question we get asked a lot by clients! 

Renovating in this part of London often involves working within tight physical and logistical constraints. How do those realities shape your design decisions in ways that might not be immediately visible?

Absolutely – typically these houses have limited width, limited garden space and neighbours on every elevation, so it’s about trying to provide the feeling of space and light, whilst also maintaining privacy. With all of these constraints in mind, it’s about working on ways to open up the building (externally) through windows, doors and rooflights whilst ensuring the house doesn’t end up feeling like a bit of a goldfish bowl. We start by analysing the site, openings on neighbouring windows and go from there. The use of clever window treatments and softening techniques with fabrics also helps to blur the boundaries between interior and exterior spaces. For us, working alongside trusted, skilled and exceptional contractors, consultants and tradesmen allows us to truly explore and experiment on every project, pushing the boundary of what is possible each time.   

Craftsmanship plays a central role in your work. From an architectural perspective, where do you think detailing matters most and where can it be simplified?

We always say it’s about celebrating the “hero spaces” in a property. Budgets are always at the forefront of any project, especially at this scale, where things can easily spiral. It’s about understanding what spaces we want to celebrate (hero) and those who don’t necessarily need that level of detail or attention. It can, however, be down to the smallest detail – matching sockets/switches with internal door and window ironmongery for example, creates a simple harmony that can be easily overlooked. However, when executed well adds a level of detail and consideration that is palpable upon completion.

You can view Malin + Lynn’s full project portfolio here.

Image credits: Malin + Lynn