Blurton Road, an east London house extension project by local studio Emil Eve Architects, reimagines a Victorian home into a modern interpretation of a midcentury dwelling. The commission aimed not only to improve the functionality and wellbeing qualities of the domestic space for the clients – a young family with small children – but also to infuse the historic shell with the owners' love for modernist architecture and design.
One of the architects’ primary aims was to open up the Victorian interior to create generous, light-filled spaces that respond to contemporary needs.
The goal was to create ‘places to relax, play and socialise all around the house', explains the team, led by studio founders Emma and Ross Perkin.
Warm and tactile dark timber was used throughout for anything from window frames to bespoke furniture and fittings. Among them, a tall custom-made bookcase that spans the height and length of the main staircase becomes a central feature in the new space.
The staircase itself, made from white powder-coated steel with fumed oak treads, connects physically and visually the kitchen, which is situated in the extension and looks out to a green garden, and the upper floor – where a mezzanine with a glazed screen wall leads visitors on to the living room.
The material palette, which was composed with a calming environment in mind, also includes white Corian countertops and sustainable rubber flooring by The Rubber Flooring Company.
The extension's volume, clad in brick in varying tones to match the character of the existing historical property as well as the wider residential context of the neighbourhood, features more modern, geometric shapes and large openings and bifold doors that connect the interior powerfully to the leafy outside space. Meanwhile, updates in insulation mean the project also improved substantially the original home's sustainability performance – bringing style and function to the 21st century.
-
An architect’s own home offers a refined and leafy retreat from its East London surroundingsStudioshaw has completed a courtyard house in amongst a cluster of traditional terraced houses, harnessing the sun and plenty of greenery to bolster privacy and warmth
-
Finlandia Hall bistro blends culinary indulgence with reborn modernismFinlandia Hall bistro opens in Helsinki, adding a foodie dimension to the Finnish modernist architecture marvel by Alvar Aalto
-
Reimagining remembrance: Urn Studios introduces artistic urns to the UKBridging the gap between art and memory, Urn Studios offers contemporary, handcrafted funeral urns designed to be proudly displayed
-
An architect’s own home offers a refined and leafy retreat from its East London surroundingsStudioshaw has completed a courtyard house in amongst a cluster of traditional terraced houses, harnessing the sun and plenty of greenery to bolster privacy and warmth
-
The museum of the future: how architects are redefining cultural landmarksWhat does the museum of the future look like? As art evolves, so do the spaces that house it – pushing architects to rethink form and function
-
'Bold and unapologetic', this contemporary Wimbledon home replaces a 1970s house on siteThis grey-brick Wimbledon home by McLaren Excell is a pairing of brick and concrete, designed to be mysterious
-
The little-known story of Welsh modernism'Cabin Crew', a new book published this spring by The Modernist, brings the spotlight to Cardiff-based practice Hird & Brooks
-
This modern Cotswolds home draws on its ancient woodland contextThis contemporary Cotswolds home, designed by NCA Architecture with interiors by Echlin, is a slice of the Mediterranean in the English countryside
-
A Danish twist, compact architecture, and engineering magic: the Don’t Move, Improve 2025 winners are hereDon’t Move, Improve 2025 announces its winners, revealing the residential projects that are rethinking London living
-
This Hampstead house renovation in London transcends styles and periodsThe renovation of a Hampstead house in London by Belgian architect Hans Verstuyft bridges the classic and the contemporary
-
London’s Sloane Street has been transformed into a ‘green boulevard’Iconic shopping destination Sloane Street has had a facelift, now boasting wider pavements, enhanced seating and lighting, and a massive planting scheme
