old garage turned into minimal family home in primrose hill's mews

Trewhela Williams designs minimalist Elizabeth Mews in london

Trewhela Williams has designed Elizabeth Mews, a minimalist home for a young family on a quiet cobbled mews in Primrose Hill, London. The project sees a garage conversion and ground floor refurbishment of a courtyard house. The brief was to transform the under-utilized and poorly insulated garage at the property’s front into an essential living space, enabling the young family to reside comfortably on a single level.

Positioned within the Belsize Park Conservation Area, renowned for its distinctive Victorian and Edwardian architecture, preserving the mews’ character was of utmost importance for any alterations facing the street. With this in mind, the designer transformed the old paneled garage door into an oak-finned composition, achieving a more open appearance in contrast to the guarded frontage of the existing doors on the street. The new design allows plenty of natural light to enter the interior without compromising privacy and solar shading.

all images by Lorenzo Zandri

A Playful and Delicate Transformation of a Primrose Hill Home

As passers-by stroll past the house, they can observe the fluttering fins, which give the illusion of solidity. As they move closer, the fins gently unfurl, resembling the turning of pages in a book. Trewhela Williams found inspiration in artist Donald Judd’s plywood sculptures, leading to a playful arrangement of planes, volumes, and edges. This approach introduced a sculptural simplicity, further enhanced by concealed restraint fixings, precisely aligned joints, a cohesive white oil finish, and frameless glazing details. The strategic placement of the glazing unit behind the central fins serves a dual purpose. It can be tilted to function as a window, facilitating cross-ventilation and enhancing the living space’s comfort. Additionally, it can pivot inwards, providing an opening for the family cat to wander outside and explore.

This design maintains the existing style of the mews while giving it a subtle and dignified update. The refreshed frontage adds visual interest, improves safety, and brightens up the neighborhood. The goal is for this project to inspire other neighbors to also convert their garages, gradually revitalizing the street’s ground-level appearance.

converting the former paneled garage door into an oak-finned composition

Elizabeth Mews’ minimalist and serene interior

The interior design focuses on a linear layout, natural light, and a minimalist aesthetic with carefully chosen materials and colors. The ground floor has undergone a meticulous reorganization, revolving around a stunning nine-meter-long galley kitchen that stretches the entire depth of the property. This spacious kitchen seamlessly flows into a dining area and a cozy snug seating space at the rear, while a central dividing wall not only serves as tall storage but also discreetly screens the entrance hall, WC, and staircase.

Adhering to a minimalist philosophy, the interior exudes a serene and cohesive atmosphere, showcasing a harmonious blend of tonal and textural nuances. Danish plaster gives the walls and ceiling a fabric-like surface, while a Mugla marble worktop connects the street and courtyard areas. The color scheme is carefully chosen, with rosy Douglas Fir planks, brushed copper accents, burgundy leaves on the Acer Palmatum Fireglow, and rose quartz cushions in the snug area, adding subtle touches of color.

the architects opened up the floorplan and street-facing frontage

A minimal frame pivot door stretches from floor to ceiling, offering a seamless transition between the interior and the serene courtyard. This door serves as a toplit chamber, drawing abundant daylight into the rear of the property and creating a bright and inviting atmosphere. The outdoor space is organized by simple geometric forms: a sleek planar bench and an elegant cylindrical pot.

‘The bespoke pot is handmade from Ecocrete (a recycled cementitious based material) in a bone white finish with lightly brushed strata and topped with white limestone chippings. The combination harmonizes with the large format concrete tiles lining the floor and natural clay plaster adorning the walls,’ explains the designer.

a playful choreography of planes, volumes, and edges