CANNON PLACE

Year: 2005
Contract value: £ 880,000

The property, located on a narrow street close to Hampstead Village and the Heath, was comprised originally of three flats. The client was, from the outset, interested in an uncompromising contemporary design. His brief was to make the house into a modern home, full of light and to ensure that there was a “ wow” factor on the raised ground and lower ground floor. The brief was also to transform the back of the house by extending it and forming a spatial connection between the house and the garden, with new, low-key landscaping to complement the overall design The main external architectural intervention is to the back of the building, in the form of a new extension at lower ground floor, the roof of which, partially covered in structural glass, becomes the terrace which is reached from raised ground floor. The rear extension has its own patio at lower level with a tall granite wall, part of which forms a waterfall from the garden above. Internally, the spaces were redesigned extensively. The new lower ground floor was excavated further to allow even higher ceilings. It encompasses the kitchen, eating area and family living room. Where as the raised ground, at entry level, contains the formal living and dining room, completely open t o each other and with a new cantilevered staircase connecting the two floors. Of particular interest is the cantilevered staircase which is made up of a folded steel sheet connected to a steel beam within the wall. The steel plates are then clad in walnut timber, with a glass balustrade connected to the side. Another important element in the room is a leather-covered side unit, which curves around at the top and continues across the ceiling. The unit contains a dumb waiter from the kitchen below, a bar, TV set, storage and incorporates lighting at the top. On the floor above is the master bedroom suite, with bathroom, walk-in-wardrobe and study. The bathroom, clad in Crema Marfil stone, has a walk-in shower. A large glass screen separates the shower from the vanity unit behind. The glass partition has a strip of mirror within in front of the vanity unit. On the floors above there are 3 further bedrooms with their bathrooms and a further study.