Paolo Cossu Architects’ Farleigh Road renovation includes a chunky staircase.

An extra-wide oak staircase doubles as furniture in this renovation of a Victorian terrace in east London by Paolo Cossu Architects.

The Farleigh Road project entailed remodelling a four-story house that had previously been divided into two separate properties to create a spacious family home.

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Previously, the lower level was used as a basement apartment with exclusive access to the garden. As part of the renovation, this floor will be transformed into a kitchen, dining room, snug, and home office.

London-based Paolo Cossu Architects designed an extra-wide staircase that provides space for residents to sit, converse, and read to connect this floor to the rest of the house.

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“The double-width staircase was carefully developed with our clients to allow for improved flow between the upper and lower ground floors, as well as access to the previously inaccessible garden,” architect James Kitson explained.

“We wanted to create a multi-functional space that spans multiple levels and is connected to a larger permeable living space,”

The design team devised a clever way to combine two distinct tread types to make the staircase functional as both an access route and a seating area.

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The central volume is oversized, giving the impression of a set of bleachers, with additional wooden blocks defining a walking path along only one side.

The treads are aligned with the matching oak bookcases covering the adjacent wall, emphasising the new connection between the upper and lower ground floor rooms.

“As is often the case, much of our clients’ family life revolves around the kitchen,” Kitson explained.

“As the staircase serves as the kitchen’s entrance,” he continued,

“It creates a vertical corridor connecting the family’s hub of activity to the upper floors, allowing for the display of artwork, a home for their book collection, and a space to sit, relax, read, and connect.”

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The oak provides a welcoming counterpoint to the kitchen’s otherwise monochrome aesthetic, including a pale terrazzo floor, blackened oak cabinets, and white walls.

The south-facing room is well-lit by a trio of skylights concealed above exposed ceiling joists, sliding glass doors leading to the garden, and a high-level picture window.

“We wanted to be clear about what was old and what was new, ensuring that the house retained its original character,” Kitson added.

The new layout allows for separating living and dining rooms on the upper ground floor at street level. Meanwhile, the first and second stories retain their original configuration of four bedrooms.

The space beneath the new staircase has been converted into a small utility room, while the area beneath the home’s main staircase has been transformed into a small bathroom.

Other recent London house extension projects include Mount View, which features pale pink tiles, and A Cloistered House, which centres living spaces around courtyards.

Written By Tannu Sharma | Subscribe To Our Telegram Channel To Get Latest Updates And Don’t Forget To Follow Our Social Media Handles Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn | Twitter. To Get the Latest Updates From Arco Unico