From start to finish whenever you have a question, we always take the time to explain everything clearly to ensure you have complete understanding of what decisions are being taken and why, giving you total peace of mind.
How would you describe your style?
Great design comes in many styles. With over 140+ beautiful property renovations designed and completed, you can see from our design portfolio of residential properties we have renovated we’are great at ultra contemporary, modern design and minimalist schemes. However, we are also equally at home designing and enhancing period properties, highlighting their charms and characteristic features.
As residential architects, we pride ourselves on our ability to listen to your ideas and to make them come alive in the way you want. We interpret your ideas, then consult with you to ensure we are all in agreement – we never impose our ideas and strive to achieve your brief. Whatever the style, we place great emphasis on layout and storage, designed for comfortable, effortless living.
How will you design what I want to suit my lifestyle?
Good design is straightforward. Great design is hard work. Outstanding design should look effortless. This takes years of experience, listening to what you want and a true understanding of how you want to live in and use your property.
We pride ourselves on our ability to listen to your ideas and make them come alive in a way you may not have thought possible. We interpret and consult with you and strive to design beyond your expectations. We never impose our style and offer insight and expertise where appropriate. Whatever your style, whether it be a period property, a mansion block apartment or terraced house, we place great emphasis on creating outstanding and timeless interiors, designed for modern, luxurious living that you and your guests will love for many years to come.
Do you only work in Kensington & Chelsea and Westminster, as your portfolio suggests?
High quality residential refurbishment requires continuous close supervision. As such we renovate property in areas with minimum travel time, close to the office just off the King’s Road in Chelsea. We are happy to undertake larger projects further afield, such as in Richmond, Fulham, Clapham or Battersea.
I have an interior designer I want to use. Is that an issue?
We frequently work with interior designers chosen by our clients and have renovated homes with some of London’s (and the world’s) most celebrated interior designers including Paolo Moschino of Nicholas Haslam.
Just in case you weren’t aware, we also have our own Interior Design team just off the Kings’ Road. Our interior designers ensure your desires and tastes are incorporated into your design. We have hundreds of samples of various stones, woods, materials, fabrics and wallpaper, as well as room “design schemes” you can use to develop your own design from our portfolio.
With one point of contact for your entire project who truly understands what you are trying to achieve as well as the space we are drawing, this interior design service saves considerable time and is greatly appreciated by our discerning clients.
How long will it take?
The following guidelines offer a helpful indication of approximate timings. We set expectations early on in the process and respect timelines we have signed up to, fulfilling our design obligations efficiently and without hesitation. There are a lot of decisions to be taken, sometimes coming one after the other. We recommend building in a little time over key decisions critical to your project so your project remains on track. From the outset, we will have given you a strong idea of what can be achieved with your newly configured interior. We will take time to explain everything clearly to give you the confidence, understanding and peace of mind needed to make the right decision for you.
If planning approval is required, it takes around two weeks to draw up detailed plans to satisfy local planning authorities. Planning approval takes at least another eight weeks, during which time we start on aspects of the contract that are not dependent on planning approval. Having taken care of the design side, the project will enter the construction phase.
A flat in a mansion block takes around four months to refurbish.
A complete house renovation takes around five to eight months.
A house renovation with a basement excavation, takes eight to ten months.
All of the above are with the caveat of outstanding project management and no unforeseen delays to the project.
How can we be sure that the work will be carried out properly?
You’re in good company. We have an excellent reputation and we are more than keen to keep it! For additional peace of mind, every stage of the project has to be checked by an independent Quantity Surveyor before payment is released, so you are continually reassured that the work has been carried out to the required standard. Our work has featured in Vogue, GQ, Tatler, Homes & Property, Elle Decoration and Evening Standard.
Do you have a minimum and maximum size of project?
Every property renovation we take on requires the same close supervision, whether large or small. This results in a certain amount of fixed overhead so it simply does not make sense for the team to work on any job whose work value is below £30,000 for design fees. Our largest single contract value to date is approximately £300,000, to remodel a block of flats, adding a lift and a 2 storey penthouse. We have the design capacity, local expertise, manpower and resources to undertake any one project of up to £500,000 for the design fees alone.
How much will it cost?
Clearly, cost depends on several factors such as the scale of the project, the type of property, its size and especially the level of specification or finish you are looking for and the time scales involved. Having discussed your aspirations and identified your tastes, we draw a preliminary layout and can immediately give you an accurate estimate of how much your project will cost. If you prefer to start from a fixed budget, we can give you options available for that cost. Residential architects usually work on a design fee percentage in the region of 8-12% of the project construction cost (as per RIBA recommendations) The design fee can vary dependant on the size, nature, specification and scope of the design project being undertaken.
There is a strong relationship between Time, Quality and Cost… usually something has to give and we would always recommend allowing more time for a project over reducing cost or quality. Over the long term, quality always wins the day. For the entire design, planning process, project management and construction phases, an educated estimate for renovations in West London are:
- To refurbish a simple mansion block apartment, costs tend to be between £1700 – £2500 per m², depending on the size of the apartment. Smaller apartments work out at a greater cost per m² because the cost of the specific large items (like a kitchen) are no longer spread over such a large area.
- For house renovation, budgets can range from £2,400 – £3,000 per m² as we need to take the roof, gardens, railings etc into account. A house will generally have more areas of cost to take into consideration than would appear at first glance.
- Basements generally work out at £6000 – £7000 per m². Around 60% of the cost lies in excavation and the creation of a shell and a structure. The remaining 40% accounted for by finishing, including lighting, flooring, heating etc. As with apartments, economy of scale applies, so a bigger basement will lower the cost per m².
Can you provide us with references?
Of course – we are always more than happy to offer you whatever references you would like, from suppliers to previous clients. As well as viewing our portfolio on this site, clients are invited to visit previous properties we have designed that are similar to their projects (provided the property owner agrees). We have several client testimonials and examples of previous designs published in titles such as Tatler, Vogue, GQ, Evening Standard, Elle Decoration and House & Garden.
