Slot House phase 2
Further to the successful refurbishment and reimagining of the lower three floors in 2015, nimtim were asked to revisit the top floors of the house to create more space as the client’s family grew. They knew from experience that nimtim had the ability to think creatively and pragmatically.
Nimtim carved out 3 bedrooms, an open study and new staircase leading up to a quiet guest room in the attic, away from the noise of everyday family life. nimtim returned to key principles that they used for the earlier phase of work : doing the most with the least and changing only what needed to be changed. To this end no further massing was added to the current house, instead attention was turned to the circulation.
The existing loft room was only accessible via a spiral staircase off one of the bedrooms. It was poorly lit, impractical and awkward. nimtim considered the two floors as a whole and introduced an open double height stair with a study below, the height allowing the narrow study to feel more spacious. A sense of verticality is emphasised by the pendent lighting and an existing roof light in the loft gives natural light to the study area below.
Black American Walnut was used extensively throughout and links back to phase 1 where it was used for the lower ground stair and joinery. nimtim designed a bespoke staircase with integrated storage to the study area and a continuous black walnut handrail which floats above the solid balustrade, twisting around to become the handrail for the loft space.
The three children’s themed bedrooms are all accessed from the new central space. Each has a different colour scheme and wallpaper. Storage has been maximised, where possible reclaiming existing spaces; within the ‘jungle room’ a secret small door leads to a hidden robe space under the stair half-landing.
“We found nimtim to be incredibly thoughtful and perceptive in how they understood what we thought the house needed, and incredibly creative in how they solved the house and unlocked its potential”
Slot House was longlisted for the NLA, Son't Move, Improve! awards 2019.
