West Hampstead terrace is given a make-over, complete with locally sourced micro cement flooring
No one envisages their dream home to be cramped or claustrophobic, and it can be disheartening when it seems like you are getting less space for your money. But while a home might be small in reality, there are plenty of ways to make the best of the limited space and trick the naked eye. This is where an architect comes in, who can help to create an illusion of larger spaces, even in a petite Victorian terrace.
This was a task achieved by Luigi Montefusco, founder of north London LBMVarchitects who pride themselves on their ability to combine Italian influenced design with the most advanced technology, to provide a combination of distinctive aesthetic elegance, utility and comfort.
Luigi’s role was to transform a run down West Hampstead based Victorian terrace, which was finally finished last week, into an open plan living space, complete with a rear extension and garden landscape.
LBMVarchitects believe they were successful in creating the illusion of larger spaces in what is in reality a fairly small house.
“It is a fantastic property but it is naturally a small, being a terraced house. The work that we carried out was intended to conjure a sense of big spaces as you get to the back of the house, so we have created an illusion of a bigger property with an extension. We also landscaped the garden in a way that there aren’t physical steps in front of you as you walk out. Instead, the garden has been designed with a slight slope to give more of a sense of space because there is an absence of physical boundaries. It gives the sense of something open,” he says.
LMBVarchitects are “extremely pleased” with the entire refurbishment of the property but say they are particularly proud in their use of locally sourced micro cement flooring, because of its robust nature.
“The most interesting material we used was micro cement flooring. Some people don’t like the idea of using this in a home, but it is very durable,” says Luigi.
“It’s waterproof and better than polished concrete in terms of a reaction to the surface from water, and it doesn’t stain so it’s good to use in kitchens and bathrooms in particular. We sourced the product (otherwise known as Topcret) from a company in West Hampstead. I was very impressed with it,” he adds.
Credited with creating a unique, open plan home complete with the latest high quality and innovative materials, Luigi is happy to have transformed the property from “run down” to “dream home” status, but the architect refuses to take all of the credit, insisting that his client had a major part to play when it came to selecting furniture.
“There was a lot of input from the client, she has very good taste in proposing different types of furniture, mostly with a vintage style with much of it second hand and from different periods like the 60’s. Each of the products selected really helped to transform the property internally and make things a bit more interesting than if we were to just buy brand new furniture,” Luigi says.
For more information about LBMVarchitects call 0207 483 3880 or visit lbmvarchitects.com
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