House-hunting in London is not for the faint-hearted, nor is the prospect of living in a cemetery. Luckily, Nick Horowitz and Sophia Tran-Thomson are a tenacious pair. The couple had been seeking a home that they could put their own stamp on, but the post Covid London property market was tough and they were repeatedly outbid on houses with green space.
Eventually, they came across a Grade II-listed, gothic-style Victorian lodge within a historic 24-acre woodland cemetery near Queen’s Park. ‘When we first visited the area, it felt as though everyone here had either a pram or a dog,’ recalls Nick. ‘Luckily, we had both.’ On walking through the graveyard’s gates, the city seemed to drop away, while the lodge, with its wide garden hugged by high hedges, had a sense of total seclusion.
Its tenants had lived there for years and were generous with their stories on living within the walls of a cemetery. Meeting them proved significant, Nick recalls: ‘We weren’t the highest bid; instead, the tenants’ recommendation carried weight with an owner mindful of the property’s next chapter.’
The building had been everything from a vicarage to a registrar’s lodge and, while it had been cared for, time had taken its toll. The layout no longer made sense, and some of its original character had been softened or lost. Even so, Nick and Sophia knew it was something special and that, with some attention, it could become extraordinary.
Introduced to Studio Hallett Ike by art adviser Louisa Sprinz and interior designer Diana Farberov, the couple were impressed by the architecture and interior-design practice’s skill at balancing the old and new. ‘Letting those elements speak for themselves, as opposed to trying to force anything, makes for more interesting interventions,’ says co-founder Jonty Hallett. ‘Maybe it’s not everyone’s thing,’ he notes of this unique commission, ‘but it’s certainly atmospheric. You can see why they fell in love with it.’
His clients dreamt of infusing the lodge with Moroccan and Californian references and opening it up to give the social parts of the house a greater sense of connection.
What's everyone reading?
The internal layout was an inefficient rabbit warren of rooms, so they realigned everything onto a central axis, allowing for a ‘see-throughness’ from the front door through to the back garden. ‘It gives a feeling of space as soon as you enter,’ Jonty says. A new double-height extension contains a living room, kitchen and dining area on the ground floor, with the couple’s bedroom, an en suite and a room for their son above.
Downstairs, playing with flooring levels and ceiling heights allowed for an easy flow between the old and new parts of the house, as well as subtly delineating space. ‘It’s a more structured arrangement, with a semi-open-plan nature,’ Jonty says.
An arch motif nods to the building’s gothic language and the sought-after Moroccan influence, while repeated finishes on walls, floor and joinery create a sense of continuity. ‘Spaces feel like they’ve sat together for a long time,’ he adds. The tonal palette makes a perfect backdrop for colourful objects picked up on the couple’s travels.
Sophia cherishes waking up to sunlight filtering through the lancet windows and the sound of birdsong. ‘It feels surreal,’ she says. ‘Our own tranquil sanctuary in the heart of bustling London.’ Nick writes at a gothic oak Overseers desk in the guest bedroom in the early afternoon. ‘It’s a small, calm space, in the best way – it feels unchanged,’ he says. ‘I’m drawn to rooms that carry a sense of continuity, that feel as though they’ve existed long before you arrived.’
He recalls Sophia’s first reaction to the lodge: ‘It must be haunted – a house this unusual felt almost too good to be true.’ If there are any ghosts flitting through this warm family home, though, they are gentle ones. studiohallettike.co.uk, @vicarage.house.london
