Office S&M Transforms Dark Victorian Terrace with Color and Craft

Office S&M has completed Moon House, a renovation of a Victorian terrace in Kensington, London, for two East London art collectors. The 127-square-meter home addresses north-facing constraints through a light strategy and a burnt orange wall that folds through the staircase, connecting all floors. A tessellated glulam rooflight admits diffuse light while forming a first-floor terrace. A curved soffit channels skylight output down the stairwell. The palette was drawn from the owners' art collection. The commission model engaged independent East London makers for bespoke fixtures like cast sinks and Trone toilets. A terrazzo panel frames a silhouette of a mountain range from the couple's wedding location. A folded mirror in the kitchen reflects a luminous disc, the house's namesake. Bespoke joinery is placed in darker zones to preserve open lit areas. The courtyard garden, designed with Fox Fernley Landscape Office and Aarde Landscape, works on two levels. Office S&M was co-founded by Catrina Stewart and Hugh McEwen in 2013.