The "Unusual Decision" to Trade Floor Space for a Fern-Filled Atrium Makes This London Terrace Feel So Much Bigger

"We both come from places of outstanding nature," says Lina van den Berg, referring to her Colombian roots and the South African heritage of her husband, Wes. "So bringing greenery right into our home was a priority when we took on this Victorian renovation a couple of years ago."

It’s a decision that’s paid dividends: the last thing you’d expect to see when stepping across the threshold of this typical London redbrick is a palm and fern-laden courtyard nestled at the heart of the ground floor. It sets the tone for a modern home that’s defined by organic textures (think polished plaster, sisal and oak) and spherical shapes.

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Knowing that they wanted to harness the laid back vibes of faraway climes, the couple asked interior designer Jennifer Hamilton of The Vawdrey House to help them bring their vision to life. She had also worked on the home of Wes’s sister and her Californian husband and the open-plan, warm timbered look she had given it appealed to the couple. "The brief was somewhat unexpected though," smiles Jennifer. "They had just watched Parasite and were coveting the generous rear glass window that the film features. Quite a drastic departure from the existing lean-to, with its steep steps down into the garden."

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Undeterred, Jennifer conceived an ambitious design that incorporated a new glass-fronted lateral extension at the rear taking in the side return. A split-level roof satisfied the local planning department while also allowing for some clever creative touches, such as a wildflower finish on the shallowest side and the option to expose the building’s beams in the kitchen island mid-section. "It works well because the different levels add interest to the space," says Jennifer. "A one-level uniform extension would have looked cavernous."

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In the kitchen extension, floors were lowered to maximise volume and allow step-free access to the rear, where a deck has been installed on the diagonal to counter the visual effect of a long and narrow garden. The side return is anchored by that lush courtyard, bookended by a study on one side and the dining area on the other. "In the summer, sliding doors can be opened on both sides to allow for a through breeze," says Jennifer.

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The couple scrapped their original plan to turn the first floor into the main bedroom suite and, instead, they followed Jennifer’s lead turning it over to the three kids instead, and reworking the loft space to incorporate a double shower and a walk-in wardrobe area. "That was the game changer," says Jennifer. "As soon as we realised we could comfortably redesign the eaves, they were all in."

Touches like these are plentiful in this inventive reworking, which delivers on the details. At the rear, a glazed turquoise brick finish evokes Hector Guimard’s striking metro entrances in Paris, while paying homage to the area’s local Victorian shop fronts. "You get all the period details at the front of this house and something very different from the rear," says Jennifer.

That contrast might just explain why Wes and Lina’s home feels both soothing and life-enhancing in equal measure.