1930s House in North London Upgraded with a Loft Conversion & Glazed Extension

Breaking the mould

Irene’s idea was to give the house a strong central axis, with a new contemporary timber staircase (turned 180° from its original orientation) that forms a striking design statement. Thanks to the staircase’s open treads, there are clear sightlines into the new kitchen-diner from the front door.

The broken-plan layout ensures a good internal flow while allowing the individual zones to serve their own purpose

While the ground floor extension is essentially open plan, the kitchen and dining spaces are separated by a rain garden – a pocket of outside space that cuts into the central portion of the addition. The Japanese-inspired feature is fully glazed and filled with bamboo and other plants. “It sections off what could have been quite a cavernous space and brings nature right inside,” says Mike.

Continuing the theme of a broken-plan layout, the extension sits a couple of steps below the original house, so it feels connected but separate. The living room (in the old part of the building) and the new dining area are separated by a waist-height opening – like an internal window, but with bifold timber shutters instead of glazing, which can close the spaces off when needed.

Bespoke storage runs around one corner, providing vital storage for the children’s toys

The joinery’s simple grid pattern echoes that of the glulam beams that form the ceiling

Finally, a practical utility room and WC have been carved out of the area in between the kitchen and the old formal dining room: Irene borrowed some space from the latter to make this work, and the now slightly smaller room is used as Karuna’s cosy study.

In the converted loft, that same idea of breaking up open-plan space with a central axis is repeated. The staircase emerges in the middle of the room, with a dressing area and bathroom on one side and the sleeping area on the other. A run of three large, zinc-clad dormer windows faces the garden – one in the bedroom, one in the bathroom and another in the middle, sitting above the central stairwell.

The loft conversion features integrated storage to ensure the limited space can be maximised and left clutter-free

The loft conversion was completed under permitted development, but the ground floor extension required planning permission. “The house is wide, but not deep, and we had quite a lot of wrangles with the planners,” says Mike. The local authority sets a 4m limit on a full-width extensions in the neighbourhood (which is a conservation area), but such a one-size-fits-all rule didn’t make much sense for this particular house, especially as there was so much garden to play with. Eventually, Irene persuaded them that, in this case, a 5m extension would be acceptable, and the plans were passed.

Fixing the budget

The tender process and drawing up a contract took a while. Irene’s husband, Kaz Norozian, works as a project manager and helped with this stage, meticulously drawing up a detailed, watertight contract. It came in very useful once the work began, as it meant everyone knew where they stood with regards to the fixed-price agreement with the builders. “I did question whether that was really what they wanted to do,” says Mike. “From the point they did the tender to their first day on site was the best part of a year, by which time costs [for materials, equipment etc] had risen.”

The couple wanted contemporary units to complement the extension’s architecture, and opted for a white Schmidt kitchen with timber accents to pick up on the wood tones of the coffered ceiling

Opting for a fixed price can be a benefit for many projects, and certainly saved the Woods a significant sum. But there were understandably conversations surrounding works that had become more expensive in the intervening period, such as the underpinning – which also turned out to be more complex than expected.

“The contract made it very clear what everyone was required to deliver, and meant that we stuck to our budget. The only thing we agreed to pay more for was the glazing, which came in at around an extra £10,000.” Most importantly for the finished result, Mike was happy with the firm’s quality of workmanship, which shines through.

The old staircase faced the other way and didn’t create a nice flow; with its open oak treads, the new version opens up views and allows light to penetrate from front to back

The family moved in with Karuna’s mother while the work was going on (Karuna was expecting their second child by this point). With no experience of taking on such a large building project, the couple relied on Irene to check that everything was progressing according to plan on site, and that no corners were being cut by the builders. “She would come in and hold their feet to the fire a bit, making sure that they were using the right materials, and that everything was as she’d specified,” says Mike.

The island worktop is cantilevered at one end, to accommodate high bar stools

Mike also singles out the joiner, Rafal Olifierko of GoFix Carpentry – who was procured via Irene, separate to the main contractor – for special mention. Rafal created the oak staircase that runs up the house and items of built-in joinery, such as the bifold screen between the living and dining rooms. “He was amazing – a complete perfectionist,” says Mike. “He’d say he’d be here for two or three hours, and still be here 10 hours later taking care of the tiny details. He was not expensive, either.”

Life-changing experience

The house’s first floor did not escape work, as its ceilings were slightly lowered to accommodate a more generous head height in the loft above. Mike and Karuna decided to refurbish the family bathroom on this floor, too, to reflect the quality finish elsewhere.

They kept their old gas boiler, which was fairly new, but replaced radiators and added a hot water tank to cope with the extra capacity of the loft bathroom. Insulating plasterboard was added to the internal walls in the older part of the house to improve the thermal performance, while electrics were upgraded throughout.

The children, now two and five, have an amazing space to play and grow. Whether the kids are spreading out with their toys in the dining room or camping out in the garden, Mike and Karuna can pretty much keep an eye on them at all times. “It’s so, so practical,” says Mike of the layout. “It really just works.”

As for Irene, “she’s become a friend – she came to Karuna’s birthday party last year. As someone who has always been interested in architecture but had no knowledge of it, she indulged me,” says Mike. “The project has been a defining experience in my life – I was so involved all the way through, and at times it felt like we’d put a lot on the line. It was a real emotional roller-coaster. But this house is what I’d always dreamed of, and I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of it.”