Cottage, Kennington

David's home from 1993 until 2009, this humble two storey Georgian terraced house is quite a rare sight in London today, as few survived the post war slum clearance programmes. The house had no heating or bathroom, with the only loo accessible through the back garden! After a memorable and cold winter the comforts of modern life were finally installed.

Typical of more modest houses of this era the rooms were very small and the internal partitions were merely timber panelling - the thickness of a door. Some of these were retained but those at ground floor were removed to maximize the limited space, with

the front door opening directly into an open plan living area. The stair to the first floor bedrooms leads up from this space also, so dedicated circulation and corridor space is almost entirely eliminated.

Interest and texture is created by strong forms and colours in the furniture and wall art, with a neutral palette for the building surfaces themselves.

The rear garden is quite long though narrow. To increase its apparent size it was divided across its length by a fish pond the full width of the garden set with stepping stones. The boundary fences and bamboo screen are stained a dark matt grey to emphasise the colours and forms of the vegetation.

Cottage, Kennington

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