One part of the house where modernity could run free was the basement, which contains a gym, a bedroom and a spa. ‘In the same way that we didn’t want to create a typical extension above, we didn’t want the basement to be just about maximising square footage,’ explains Philip. Even here, the airiness of upstairs continues, thanks to generous ceiling heights and a light well that runs the length of the space, connecting it to the garden via an external staircase.
As well as the architecture, P Joseph was responsible for the interiors, which introduce a subtle modernity to the historic fabric. ‘Amelia and I were into quite a classic look, but Phil suggested stripping back,’ says Antony. Out went the cornices and skirtings in the original part of the house, leaving a pared-down backdrop that is counterbalanced by the more decorative sash windows and original chimneypieces. It provides an elegant setting for their furniture, which leans towards 20th-century classics by the likes of Charles Pfister, Hans Wegner and Isamu Noguchi.
This has a view of the lower-ground-floor TV room and the sitting room above, where Artilleriet’s ‘Etcetera’ lounge chair in sand beige cotton velour can be seen.
Michael Sinclair
In the new parts of the house, Philip observes, the bespoke joinery and furniture are meant to be ‘an extension of the architecture’. Working with furniture maker Jeremy Pitts, he designed pieces such as a freestanding pantry unit and a kitchen table inspired by the chunkiness and simplicity of Luis Barragán’s furniture. These ‘anchor pieces’, as Philip describes them, work effortlessly in the background to stage the couple’s art collection, which was sourced with the help of Lizzie Dixey of The Art Register.
‘We have an idea at work that we call “the delight factor”. It’s the marriage of functionality and aesthetics,’ explains Antony. Looking around at his home, which now so deftly synthesises old and new, utility and beauty, elegance and robustness, you get the sense this is a design philosophy that runs in the family.
P Joseph: p-joseph.com