Desig House: Real Homes: An extended Edwardian House with Bright Modern Interiors

The addition of a large basement extension to this west London house has freed up space on the upper floors for bright and capacious rooms, and a more fluid layout ideal for family living

Conjuring large, light-filled spaces from London's modest period houses is not architecture's newest trick. So approaching this semi-detached Edwardian house in Ladbroke Grove, I am fully prepared for something more than is promised by its pretty, red-brick façade. Nonetheless, once inside, I am astonished by the sheer scale of the interior. 'It is a real iceberg house,' says Natalie Benes of Stiff + Trevillion, the architects who returned the house from two flats into a single dwelling, extended the rear and added a basement. 'We have almost doubled the living space without changing the character of the house from the street.'

Much is owed to the capacious basement, the largest of the floors, which comprises a family room and imaginative playroom (complete with swing and slide), plus a utility room and nanny flat. 'It is the real triumph of the house - it doesn't feel subterranean,' says Claire Spencer-Churchill, who shares the house with her husband Dominic and their two children Martha, four, and Ivor, two. Claire admits that the possibility of spending a large part of their budget on a 'dark dungeon that no one wanted to use' did worry her. As did the idea of a cold, white box. 'My dad, Jamie Troughton, is an amazing architect, but his style is very minimalist. Growing up, our sitting room was a big, white room with Renzo Piano lights and two white sofas - very cool, but very stark.'

An elegant suspended timber staircase with iron balustrades helps to integrate the basement into the house and improve the flow between floors. 'It feels open and part of the ground floor, but also quite sculptural and visually light,' explains Natalie. With so many of the family's needs met by the new basement, Stiff + Trevillion could devote a substantial part of the ground floor to the kitchen. 'Our garden backs onto the gardens of Martha's school, so we have a lovely view of greenery. It is a cliché, but we wanted to bring the outside in,' notes Claire. Hence the Crittall doors and the exposed brick wall.

The rest of the ground floor is devoted to a two-part sitting room: one formal, for enter- taining or reading by the fire; the other for relaxing in front of the television. Entering the house, the sitting rooms are on the left; to the right are the original stairs to the first floor and a hallway leading to the kitchen, with views all the way to the garden. The informal sitting room also has access to the kitchen, which gives the entire floor a pleasing circular flow. Martha and Ivor's bedrooms and a bathroom are on the first floor, with the main bedroom and bathroom and a spare room above.

Credit for the look of the house is shared with __design duo Bunny Turner and Emma Pocock. As Natalie puts it, 'We designed the bones of the building and Turner Pocock gave them flesh.' Happily, they were involved early in the process, reviewing the floor plans and advising on modifications and joinery. The decoration is a cool blend of contemporary yet comfortable furnishings, bold fabrics in jewel-like colours with strong geometric patterns, enriched with the company's signature attention to detail. 'We can't let a sofa go without adding a contrasting piping, or a drinks cabinet without lining the inside with wallpaper. It adds interest and looks considered without feeling too put together,' says Bunny. There is also a sense of fun. 'We are never too serious, and this had to be a practical family house.'

Originally, Claire intended to do the decoration herself. 'Rather naively, I thought it would be enjoyable. To begin, I went to a Graham & Green warehouse sale somewhere on the A40. It was a complete bun fight and I felt totally overwhelmed. I came back with one armchair that now lives in the playroom and said to Dom, "We are going to need help."' The couple could have turned to Dominic's mother, __design doyenne Jane Churchill, but opted instead for friends Bunny and Emma. 'At that stage, Mum and Claire did not know each other that well and I did not want Claire to feel she had to go along with Mum's suggestions,' says Dominic. 'It was our first family home and I wanted it to be just about us.'

When asked whether she and Bunny felt intimidated, Emma's response is: 'Dom understands the value of interior design - and what other man would be happy with a pink bedroom?' 'Everyone was quite surprised that I jumped on the pink,' says Dominic. Claire also regards his confidence and hands-on approach to the house as a bonus. 'Dom would insist on extra meetings regarding the laundry room. He understands the importance of making rooms work in a way I'd never considered. As a result, I never felt any pressure.'

That's not to say the decisions were one-sided; Claire also has a discerning eye honed from her work in fashion. 'Dom and Claire shared objectives for the decoration and they have similar taste,' says Bunny. 'They didn't want the house to be conventional and were willing to make brave choices. They were very open to new ideas.' And what does the man who learnt at the knee of the great Jane Churchill think? 'Bunny and Emma have done an exceptional job and we'll stay here for years,' he says. Phew.

Stiff + Trevillion: 020-8960 5550 | Turner Pocock: 020-3463 2390