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Architect Rupert Scott and interior designer Leo Wood are no strangers to renovation projects through their careers. When the couple bought an old MOT garage in South East London, with a view to developing the site, they had no intention of making the new house their own. But what started as a development opportunity turned into the chance to create the perfect family retreat for them and their two daughters.
After completing the conversion of a derelict gin distillery in East London – a place the couple formerly called home – Rupert and Leo were ready to tackle another project. “We found this site between Honor Oak and East Dulwich,” says Leo. “It featured three rundown Victorian coach houses, which were later used as a car garage. It was hidden behind a row of mews houses, at the end of a trackway.” With limitless potential, the couple bought the property at auction in August 2017. “We gave the former owner a year to vacate, which allowed us time to liaise with our neighbours and finalise the design,” says Leo.
As the founder of Open Practice Architecture, Rupert was well placed to take on design responsibilities. His plan? To tuck a modern, L-shaped home into the left-hand corner of the site. Utilising a palette of iroko timber and reclaimed London stock bricks, the new house would be set back from the road and situated around a courtyard garden. Sliding glass doors and large windows would connect the interior, both physically and visually, to the garden. “To help mitigate any planning issues, Rupert chose to stick to the original footprint of the garage,” says Leo. “We designed the home to the exact height and volume.”
Before the plans were handed to Lewisham Council, Rupert and Leo met with their neighbours, to share their intentions. “Because it’s a plot surrounded by lots of other houses, it was important that everyone around us was okay with the project,” says Leo. “We had to arrange a right of way easement with our neighbours on one side and organise various land swaps with others, to gain an extra square metre of space in our garden.”
Rupert, the founder of Open Practice Architecture, developed the design, which involved a tucking a modern, L-shaped home into the left-hand corner of the site
Finally, the design could be submitted for planning approval. “We had a lot of conversations with Lewisham Council,” says Leo. “They were very open to innovation, so the whole process was straightforward.” The couple applied to the local authority for a change of use, from a light industrial building to a residential home. “It took 18 months of planning and organising to get everything in place, ready to start the build,” says Leo.
Rather than going through the tender process, the couple hired a contractor they had previously worked with, Evoke Projects. Rupert took on project management duties and Leo assisted with admin, before tackling the property’s interior design. The family remained in the gin distillery for the duration of the build and sold a redundant flat of Leo’s to generate the funds.
The work began in March 2019 and was completed in three phases. The first task was to demolish the existing structure, although the rear and side walls of the garage were retained. “The new house sits on a full concrete slab foundation and was built from a steel frame,” says Leo. “So, in a sense, it supports the existing and new walls, rather than the other way round.” Finished with reclaimed bricks, the walls were packed with 150mm of PIR insulation. The structure was topped with a warm roof build-up, topped in zinc.
Built from steel frame and wrapped in London stock bricks and iroko timber cladding, the home benefits from modern glazing from MGI and custom-made timber windows – complete with shutters – by Simon Birtwistle Design
In January 2020, just before Covid hit, the contractors downed tools. “We had to sell a property to raise more money for the internal work,” says Leo. “We were meant to be paused for four months, but it ended up being a year.” However, the delay gave Rupert and Leo the chance to buy the 25m² site next door. “It featured a lean-to shed,” says Leo says. “We decided to turn it into an annexe, connected to the house but with its own entrance.” The Pandemic also made the couple reevaluate their living situation. “We weren’t planning on living in the house, but Covid happened and life changed. We loved living in East London, but it was very hectic. This gave us the chance for a quieter, more private lifestyle.”
The double-height atrium has a large picture window upstairs, which floods the interior with natural light. A custom iroko staircase with open treads leads up to the first floor
The second phase of the build began in 2023 to complete the interior of the property. The lean-to was demolished and a new addition was built from an independent steel frame. The entire structure was clad with timber; iroko externally and ash internally. “We switched contractor for the annexe, which was completed in 2024,” says Leo. “The contractor went bust halfway through the project. That was the most stressful part of the entire process.” Luckily, Rupert saw it coming and held off paying some invoices. Thankfully, the firm’s foreman stayed on and finished the job.
Holte kitchen features open shelving, a bespoke pantry and a stainless-steel island. The American white oak veneer cabinetry boasts bespoke recessed pull handles for a streamlined finish
The couple faced plenty of other challenges, too. “We ordered reclaimed bricks for the exterior, but when they turned up the colour was too yellow,” says Leo. “We had to pay someone to put a wash on the bricks to tone them down.” An additional stressor, Rupert and Leo had expected the property to be finished six months before it was. “We’d enrolled our children in a local school, meaning we had a whole term of 40-minute commutes,” says Leo.
CLOSER LOOK Working with microcementRupert and Leo are both lovers of clean lines and minimalism when it comes to design. Keen to avoid decorating their new bathrooms with tiles, Leo instead opted to line them in microcement. “This is a thin cement and resin-based coating that can be used on walls, floors, worktops or any surface where you want to achieve a concrete effect,” explains Leo. Hardwearing and waterproof, this alternative surface creates a sleek, uniform finish. “I wanted our bathrooms to feel really calm and as much as I love sourcing tiles, I felt like – with all the texture and grout lines – they would be too busy for the warm and calm mood I wanted to create,” says Leo.
“Installing microcement is not easy or cheap, as it needs to be done by a proper installer and applied on a suitable substrate. If it is applied wrongly, or you have issues down the line, then the whole wall needs to be redone.” Leo sourced Microtopping from Ideal Work, in a white finish. “Although it’s somewhat invisible, you get a lovely texture close up and it has a nice cool stone feel to the touch,” she adds. |
After seven years and three build phases, Rupert and Leo’s stunning contemporary new home was finished. Situated at the end of a gravel driveway, tucked away behind a set of gates, the residence is bold and beautiful. Defined by extensive glazing, accents of iroko and London stock bricks, the house is modern and yet perfectly in-keeping with its setting.
The house benefits from an annexe, which includes a living area downstairs with ensuite bedroom above. This part of the property features the same ash surfacing across the floors, walls, ceiling and staircase
A cobbled garden path leads to a large wooden pivot door that opens into a bright, double-height atrium. A generous rooflights above floods the entryway and staircase with light. To the right, a cosy living room; to the left, a spacious dine-in kitchen. The minimalist, open staircase leads up to the first floor, where three bedrooms and two bathrooms can be found.
The annexe, which can only be accessed from the ground floor or the courtyard garden, is an integral part of the overall design. The timber-lined space houses a living area downstairs with a staircase leading up to an ensuite bedroom above. “The annexe is definitely the most interesting part of the house,” says Leo. “It feels very detached from the rest of the building and the materiality is beautiful. You could be in an Alpine lodge.”
The boldest and most exciting part of the home is perhaps the annexe bedroom. Lined entirely in sheets of ash, the space feels overtly Alpine and benefits from a concealed window shutter, crafted by master carpenter Simon Birtwistle
As for the home’s interior design, Leo opted for a simple yet modern and stripped back palette of materials and colours. “When we decided to live in the new home, we became more particular about the materials selection,” says Leo. “I wanted to create a neutral palette and bring in colour with furnishings and other elements. We tried to add warmth through wood.”
The couple’s favourite part of the house is their bedroom. “The window looks over the garden and the aspect is so lovely,” says Leo. “The view changes throughout the year, so there’s this feeling that the house is very peaceful. We’re in London, but we could also be in the countryside.” Leo admits that she appreciates the house the most when she’s walking back to it from an excursion. “It’s completely hidden away, so you wouldn’t know we were here,” she says. “When I come home and see the house, I realise we built something really cool. I loved all the small moments along the journey, but it’s the before and after that’s most exciting; remembering what the site was and seeing what we have now.”
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