Vicarage Gate
A five-storey townhouse on Vicarage Gate in Kensington that had spent years as offices. The client wanted it back in residential use. We stripped out the office partitions, took the walls back to brick and converted the building into three apartments: a three-bedroom duplex over the basement and ground floor, a two-bedroom flat on the first floor, and a three-bedroom duplex over the second floor and attic.
Managed from start to finish
We ran every stage on site: strip-out, timbers checked and renewed where needed, new insulated and soundproofed floors, insulated and plastered walls, a full new electrical installation, gas underfloor heating and a new roof. Cornices were renewed to the original design, the doors, architraves and timber sash windows replaced, and the lobby mosaic renewed.
Fit-out and finishes
Each apartment has walnut floors, marble-tiled bathrooms, a handmade kitchen with Corian worktops, a Linn sound system and video entry. We also made and installed a bespoke iron spiral staircase, cleaned and repointed the front, and turned the rear garden into a tiered communal deck. Decoration throughout is Farrow & Ball.
The build
Living spaces and kitchens
Vicarage Gate during the works, with the house under scaffold while the roof was renewed and the front cleaned and repointed.
On site. Exterior
The communal entrance hall, with a lantern pendant and the stair rising behind an iron balustrade.
Entrance hall. Communal
An open-plan lounge and kitchen framed by columns, with a bay window at the far end.
Open-plan living. Apartment
A handmade kitchen with a breakfast bar, built-in ovens and Corian worktops.
Kitchen. Apartment
A dining room with walnut floors, chandeliers and tall sash windows.
Dining room. Apartment
A lounge with a fireplace, and the cornice and ceiling rose renewed to the original design.
Lounge. Apartment
An apartment hallway with walnut floors, wall lights and a pendant.
Hallway. Apartment
The build
Bedrooms and bathrooms
A principal bedroom with a fitted walnut wardrobe and an en-suite shower room.
Principal bedroom. Apartment
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A double bedroom with a timber sash window and wall lights.
Bedroom. Apartment
A bedroom with a crystal pendant and mirrored wardrobe doors.
Bedroom. Apartment
A large room in the top-floor duplex, lit by a rooflight, with space for both bedroom and sitting areas.
Top floor. Duplex
A bathroom with a walk-in shower and a freestanding bath.
Bathroom. Apartment
A freestanding bath under a tall sash window, with marble tiling.
Bathroom. Apartment
A marble shower room with a frameless glass enclosure.
Shower room. Apartment
A shower room with stone-effect wall tiles and a vessel basin on a timber stand.
Shower room. Apartment
A bespoke spiral staircase
We had a spiral staircase made to order in iron, with timber treads, and installed it as part of the fit-out. Like the handmade kitchens in each apartment, it was made for this house rather than bought off the shelf.
Details
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Client: Private
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Property: Five-storey townhouse, now three apartments
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Duration: 9 months
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Location: Kensington, London W8
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Contract: Build only
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Budget: Undisclosed
Talk it through in confidence
If you'd rather discuss your project privately, we offer a free 30-minute Teams meeting. You can talk through what you have in mind, what's possible on your site, and how we'd approach it. Where it would help, we can also arrange a free site visit. Everything you share stays confidential, and we're happy to sign an NDA before we start.