Forest Hill

Stripped of its period identity by former occupants, the ground floor of this 1960’s terrace in South London had been converted into a spacious but soulless open-plan area. Uncommon Projects were tasked with restoring personality to the space, reconfiguring the layout to create separate zones while maintaining a feeling of flow.

Working with the clients to determine the optimum location for the kitchen area, the team established that the ideal position would be in the centre. This unconventional but rational positioning enabled them to enlarge the kitchen, introduce floor-to-ceiling storage in the living room, and open up the space around the front door. Now open to the kitchen, the dining area overlooks a front courtyard garden, whereas the living room – now at the back of the house – is a separate but connected space looking out to the rear garden. This compartmentalised layout maintains the air of spaciousness and fluidity associated with open-plan design, but gives each zone a distinct function and feeling, allowing members of the household to engage in their own activities, sociable but separate.

The owners were keen to respect the property’s 1960’s origins, and while they themselves restored the parquet flooring and floor-to-ceiling balustrades on the open staircase, Uncommon Projects worked to complement key period features with an appropriate material palette. Oak-veneer birch plywood on the cabinets and living room storage is paired with black laminate doors and drawers, as well as a cork veneer on the sliding doors. This creates an ordered, graphic look that anchors the kitchen within the space and pays homage to the 1960’s style without feeling self-consciously retro.