Notting Hill’s homes

Notting Hill is one of London’s most distinctive neighbourhoods, with pastel-painted stucco terraces, large semi-detached villas, garden squares and cobbled mews. Much of it was laid out in the mid-nineteenth century as the Ladbroke estate, with communal gardens enclosed by the backs of the houses, a pattern that still shapes how many homes here relate to their gardens.

Many houses have since been divided into flats and maisonettes, and the mews behind them have become homes in their own right. That variety means no two projects are alike: a lateral apartment, a garden maisonette and a mews house each bring their own constraints and opportunities.

The projects we take on

In Notting Hill we are often asked to reorganise awkward layouts left by earlier conversions, open lower ground floors to the garden, rebuild tired rear extensions, or bring a maisonette’s two floors together with a new staircase. Our Notting Hill Maisonette, for example, was reorganised around a new bay-window kitchen and staircase, with joinery made in our workshop.

Mews houses bring different challenges: limited light, small footprints and strict controls on their outward appearance. We design to make the most of every square metre while respecting the character of the mews.

Planning and conservation

Most of Notting Hill falls within the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, and much of it sits within conservation areas, including the Ladbroke conservation area. Changes to front elevations, roofs, rear extensions and garden boundaries are closely assessed. We prepare planning applications and listed building consents with the borough’s guidance in mind, and manage the conversations with planning and conservation officers for you.

Because so many Notting Hill homes are flats within shared buildings, alterations often also need a licence to alter from the freeholder. We prepare the drawings and information they need and keep the licence moving alongside the planning process.

Interiors and joinery

Our interior design approach responds to the architecture of each property and the preferences of those who live within it. Our interior designers specify finishes, lighting and furniture to suit, and our joinery workshop makes kitchens, wardrobes, bookcases and storage to fit each room exactly, which matters in houses where no wall is quite square. We also design for how a home will change over time, with flexible rooms that can serve as a study, guest room or nursery as needs evolve.

One team, one point of contact

Architecture, interiors, project management and bespoke joinery sit within one practice, so a single team carries your project from the first visit to handover. During construction we act as project manager and contract administrator, overseeing the contractor, the costs and the quality of the work.

Gardens and lower ground floors

Lower ground floors in Notting Hill are often dark and divided into small rooms. Opening them to the garden with a well-proportioned rear extension, or rearranging rooms around the light, can transform how a house is used. Where a home backs onto a communal garden, we design the rear elevation with particular care, as it is seen by many neighbours as well as the borough.

Buying in Notting Hill

If you are about to buy, we can visit with you before exchange to assess the condition of the property, the approvals any changes would need and the likely scope of work, so you have a clearer understanding of the property’s opportunities and constraints.

Getting started

If you are planning to renovate, or are about to buy, in Notting Hill, a short conversation and a visit to the property are the best place to start. We can talk through what the property is likely to need, the approvals involved and a realistic programme.