THISS Studio has transformed the ground floor of an interwar terraced house in Clapton, East London, reimagining a compact kitchen and dark living room to introduce volume, light and fresh personality. The transformation was made possible with a thoughtful rear extension conceived as an exquisite piece of joinery topped with a sweeping aluminium canopy.
Although in need of updating, clients Jack Munro and Domino MacNaughton saw the property’s potential – a large sun-drenched garden and close proximity to a park – and purchased the home in 2021. Originally from Boston, Domino’s love of Thanksgiving and hosting family and friends inspired the decision to add a large rear extension to open up the kitchen to allow for a renewed dining space with more capacity for loved ones.
Jack, a product designer and co-founder of design studio Mule, initially considered taking on the project himself, instead commissioning THISS Studio to bring their expertise with existing structures to the works. The clients initially envisioned a full width rear extension to maximise space and create a social, convivial kitchen and dining space. THISS Studio instead spotted the opportunity for a smaller, considered extension of just three meters, which reduced build scale and created allocation within the budget for the use of exceptional, consciously sourced materials. The compact extension also enhances the relationship between the house and the garden, fitting more appropriately into its context.
Project architect, Dan Pope, approached the project as an opportunity to create a bespoke piece of joinery, resulting in a highly crafted take on what could have been routine construction.
The timber frame is a masterclass in joinery, crafted in sapele hardwood which was sustainably sourced with assistance from the main contractor, Fiona Sail of Sail & Sons. Beneath a large skylight, sapele joinery floats overhead in a lattice, spanning the wall from one side and framing bespoke, double glazed windows and doors along the rear elevation which allow the garden to serve as a backdrop. A built-in bench seat runs beneath to provide a sunny reading and dining spot. Creating a striking contrast with the warm tones of the sapele wood, dark slate tiles ground the room and have been leveled with a paved area at the front of the garden to create the sense of one large space for hosting and entertaining.
The addition of a servery window on the existing rear elevation allows for the seamless transition of food and drink between the kitchen and outdoors. THISS collaborated closely with Jack and Domino on the kitchen choices in particular, resulting in Italian terrazzo worktops and splashbacks sourced by the studio and procured personally by Jack, and cabinetry painted in peach and teal to echo Domino’s personal style. Finishes, electrics and heating throughout the ground floor were also all updated.
THISS Studio has prioritized natural, renewable or recyclable materials throughout the project. In collaboration with Foster structures, the studio designed a piled foundation as a more lightweight approach, reducing concrete consumption. An FSC-certified sapele wood was selected to support longevity while the choice of aluminum for the canopy surface stems from its sustainability credentials, offering infinite recyclability. An existing plum tree was protected and retained as the heart of the garden, carefully wrapped and watered throughout construction.
Photography by Jae W V Kim.
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