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A Narrow Townhouse in London Full of Playful Details

Recently completed by AOC Architecture, the Bonhôte House is home to a film producer, a boutique owner, and their children in the Stoke Newington area of North London. The four story townhouse needed an overhaul from its original 19th century style that made it dark and unwelcoming, as well as being stripped by the previous owners when they moved out.

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Part of the floor was removed to create a double-height gallery space between the basement and ground levels at the front of the house. Filling part of the space is a staircase featuring decorative details, like the golden railing on both sides.

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With the space opened up, the basement level now receives tons of natural light.

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Notice the decorative molding around the house? It’s not just crown molding, it’s custom molding featuring the facial profiles of the family members (see below).

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So clever, right?

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The floor removal also made way for expansive wall space to display large pieces of contemporary art and the family’s vintage bicycle collection.

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Internal windows help separate the spaces while also letting light pass through.

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Underneath the staircase, they built a slumped concrete sofa on the living room side which flows into the kitchen side as extra counter space.

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Photos by Tim Soar.

Caroline Williamson is Editor-in-Chief of Design Milk. She has a BFA in photography from SCAD and can usually be found searching for vintage wares, doing New York Times crossword puzzles in pen, or reworking playlists on Spotify.