Sensitive Edwardian House Renovation in Barnes

Mailen Design was invited to redesign a semi-detached Edwardian house nestled within a leafy conservation area in the heart of Barnes, transforming it into a home that could better support the way its owners live and the experiences they value most.

From the outset, the brief for Barnes Green was ambitious: retain the character and charm of the original building, whilst reconfiguring its interior to bring in more light, improve flow, and establish a stronger connection to the garden. In addition to a complete reworking of the internal layout, the scheme introduced a new basement extension with rear lightwell and a two-storey garden outbuilding—housing a gym, sauna and cinema room—designed as part of a wider vision for wellbeing, flexibility and retreat.

The process was detailed and collaborative, shaped by a series of evolving design routes. Each iteration explored a different balance between heritage and modernity, guided by the daily rhythms of a family deeply attuned to space, calm and connection. The result is a generous and cohesive scheme that makes the most of the building’s proportions whilst offering something distinctly contemporary in feel.

SPATIAL TRANSFORMATION

A key ambition of the design for Barnes Green was to dissolve the home’s original compartmentalised layout and replace it with a language of openness and flow. The interior was stripped back to its bare structure, allowing us to completely reconfigure the plan and introduce a new spatial clarity—rooms that could shift in use, expand or contract, and remain visually connected without losing their intimacy.

On the newly open plan ground floor, a series of full-height sliding partitions allows for continuous movement around a central core. These panels, which also house discreet storage, create the flexibility to close off or open up spaces as needed—supporting the ebb and flow of family life and fluctuating needs for space and privacy with a calm and coherent interior.

Bringing both clarity and lightness to the heart of the home is a generous new rooflight positioned above the main stairwell. Carefully detailed to maximise daylight, it draws natural light deep into the home, cascading down all three levels.

A HOME FOR WELLNESS AND FAMILY LIFE

In the basement level of the main house, a dedicated cinema room provides a quiet, immersive space for the family to gather and unwind. Designed to be both cocooning and connected, it features a bespoke rear lightwell that introduces soft daylight into the space whilst preserving privacy and acoustic insulation. Carefully composed to feel intimate rather than enclosed, the room continues the home’s language of calm, tactile spaces shaped around experience.

At the far end of the garden, a timber-clad pavilion offers a secluded sanctuary for movement, reflection and rest. Conceived as a space for yoga, meditation or quiet pause, the ground floor of this garden addition is set gently into the landscape, with floor-to-ceiling glazing that slides back into oak-faced screens. When open, it invites the outside in, dissolving the boundary between interior and garden. When closed, it remains a warm, contemplative retreat—anchored by natural materials and attuned to its surroundings.

Below, the lower level of the pavilion accommodates a bespoke gym and infrared sauna. A discreet courtyard introduces light, ventilation and a sense of openness, grounding the space in its garden setting and creating a quiet interstitial moment between activity and rest.

PRIVATE RETREATS AND ELEVATED LIVING

The upper levels of Barnes Green were shaped through a close dialogue with the family’s vision for how they want to live. Existing bedrooms on each floor were reconfigured and combined to create two expansive, light-filled suites that support daily rituals, offer quiet moments of pause, and foster connection as well as retreat. Each room is designed to feel generous yet grounded—filled with light, comfort and calm.

On the first floor, the parents’ suite brings a sense of quiet seclusion. Twin dressing rooms face the street, pairing symmetry with practical storage, whilst separate en-suite bathrooms provide privacy and a touch of everyday luxury. At the rear, the principal bedroom opens onto the garden through new full-height sash windows, extended downwards to incorporate Juliet balconies that gently dissolve the divide between inside and out.

The second floor was conceived as a self-contained sanctuary for the family’s daughter. A large, garden-facing bedroom forms the heart of the suite, offering uninterrupted views into the trees beyond. A generous walk-through dressing area leads into an en-suite bathroom with a walk-in shower, whilst a freestanding bath is positioned within the bedroom to offer a quiet moment of stillness and daily ritual intimately connected to the landscape.

RESPECTING CONTEXT, ENHANCING CHARACTER

Working within a conservation area demands both sensitivity and precision—qualities we bring to every project of this kind. Heritage buildings hold more than just architectural value; they carry emotional weight and cultural significance within their neighbourhoods. Our role is to unlock new ways of living in these homes, carefully transforming them to support contemporary life whilst preserving what makes them meaningful.

At Barnes Green, all principal interventions are focused to the rear, ensuring that the street-facing façade remains intact and visually aligned with its Edwardian neighbours. Behind the house, however, a series of carefully judged alterations quietly shift the architecture into the present: expanded glazing, refined access to the garden, and subtle landscaping that improves flow and use without overstepping boundaries.

Materially, the proposal remains grounded in craft and coherence. Oak, glass and brick are brought together in a measured, tactile palette—one that echoes the character of the original house without resorting to imitation. This is where our experience in conservation areas becomes most visible: working creatively within tight parameters, and finding space for contemporary ideas to thrive within a protected context.

DESIGN-LED RENOVATION FOR MODERN LIVING

Barnes Green represents the kind of residential architecture we believe in: intelligent, responsive and attuned to the lives of those who live within it. It demonstrates the potential of high-end house renovation when approached through the lens of collaboration, craft, and deep contextual understanding.

Whether it’s reconfiguring the interior of a historic property, introducing a basement extension, or working within the parameters of a conservation area, we bring both rigour and imagination to the process. Our aim is always to design homes that are not only beautiful but deeply liveable—spaces that evolve with their occupants and make daily life richer, calmer and more connected.

For private clients seeking a considered, contemporary approach to domestic architecture, Barnes Green speaks to what is possible: a house reimagined not simply for now, but for the future.