Set on a site formerly hosting a tired 1970s structure, this Wimbledon home features contemporary grey brick, clean lines and cubic volumes. The project was executed by architecture studio McLaren Excell, which replaced the existing house on the plot with this confident new build, fit for 21st-century living.
Step inside this contemporary Wimbledon home
The team made sure the interior spaces were adaptable for entertaining and laid-back family life to accommodate the client's daily needs. As a result, this Wimbledon home carefully balances a crisp envelope and softer interior furnishings.
The house's exterior is a statement on its sleepy residential street; with an all-brick front façade, it acts like a fortress, yet its interior is open, spacious and designed to follow the sun's path throughout the day.
The client has a keen interest in materiality and in particular, brick houses. The architecture studio stayed true to this, with materials – brick, concrete, and timber – rooted in the home's sculptural form.
‘The house cannot be overlooked or easily understood at first glance and there’s something powerful about the proud position it takes up on the street,’ said Luke McLaren, co-founder of McLaren Excell. ‘It is bold and unapologetic, and a testament to our client’s vision for a unique work of architecture.
The bricks were specially chosen from Danish manufacturer Petersen, known for its subtle and chalky finish. Darker colours were chosen for the exterior, and lighter tones feature within, adding depth and a layered finish, offering a further duality to the design by creating optical illusions of volume and light.
Deep windows and concrete beams emphasise the solidity of the design and echo its urban setting. Venturing inside, the ground floor offers a living room, study, lounge and kitchen-dining room.
The residence houses five ensuite bedrooms, four of which extend off a communal area on the second floor. The third floor hosts the primary suite, which is complete with wrap-around terraces and a fireplace.
McLaren shared, 'The very nature of the house will stop people and encourage conversation. Intentionally enigmatic and inward-facing, the façade gives little away and yet within there exists a calm oasis – a eulogy to the beautiful materiality of brick and concrete, bathed in natural light.’
-
We open up the best concepts and future facing tech from MWC 2025Barcelona’s Mobile World Congress has become the phone industry’s major hotspot for launches and new technology. Here are six of the best conceptual designs from this year's event
-
Walk through an Indian villa near Mumbai, where time slows downIn this Indian villa, Architecture Brio weaves together water features, stunning gardens and graceful compositions to create a serene retreat near Mumbai
-
Abra’s A/W 2025 beauty look embraced the 1980s with furry wigs and ‘greige’ lipstickAbra’s A/W 2025 collection paid homage to New Romantics and the beauty routine of founder Abraham Ortuño Perez’s mother. Here, alongside hairstylist Charlie Le Mindu and make-up artist Cécile Paravina, he tells Wallpaper* more
-
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
-
New book takes you inside Frinton Park Estate: the Essex modernist housing scheme‘Frinton Park Estate’, a new book by photographer James Weston, delves into the history of a modernist housing scheme in Essex, England
-
Conran Building's refresh brings a beloved London landmark into the 21st centuryConran Building at 22 Shad Thames has been given a new lease of life by Squire & Partners, which has rethought the London classic, originally designed by Hopkins, for the 21st century
-
Inside Powerhouse: The redevelopment of Lots Road Power Station, which once fuelled the London UndergroundThe twin-turreted building has followed in the footsteps of Battersea Power Station, being transformed into luxury homes and retail units
