EDIT FOOTER COLOUR CODE HERE
Waterloo Cottage
Southwark / London
Completed 2025
Project duration 24 months
Conservation Area within Southwark Local Authority
When empty nesters wanted to reclaim their beautiful listed cottage from years of being a kids' crash pad, we refurbished this lovely listed house into a city bolt-hole that works for weekend escapes – complete with touches for their two beloved country dogs.
The Brief
We were asked to restore and refurbish this existing listed cottage, re-configuring the ground floor spaces to provide a larger kitchen space that connected well with the dining room. The plan of the house is extremely compact, with a central staircase with panelled rooms either side. The panelling to the entrance hall was reinstated where it had been removed, providing a sitting room and dining room at ground floor level. A garden facing snug is for the dogs and their beds, as well as a sitting space overlooking the garden. We designed a sliding dog gate to disappear into the kitchen cabinetry when it is not needed - providing some welcome separation when there are guests around.
We moved the kitchen into the larger, garden-facing room and created seamless joinery that makes these compact spaces feel more connected. The dining room flows into the kitchen with a hidden breakfast cupboard between the spaces. We used colour around the spaces to frame views and emphasize the artwork which is mostly painted by the owner.
Hidden sliding dog gates, stable doors, and a dedicated dog bedroom mean the dogs are as comfortable as their owners. Designing for family members often extends to animals and we enjoy thinking about their needs just as much as the humans of the household.
Concept Sketches
Concept Sketch
Initial sketch section of proposal
Project Summary
Pre Planning
As the house is listed we submitted a pre planning application ahead of our listed building application to gauge the feedback of the council. Interestingly, the existing extension was not original, but was still consider by the council as of historic merit despite its mid 20th Century dating.
House for an Artist
The walls are lined with the owners own paintings which bring colour to every wall of the house. In the garden we used an existing garden outhouse to house a London studio - complete with original sink for washing brushes.
Panelling Ventilation
The holes in the original panelling above the doors was the historic means of providing ventilation between the rooms.