Shaun Pulfrey the inventor of the ‘tangle teaser’ has single handedly changed the hairbrush. His current designs and inventions aim to build a brand around this globally successful product. Shaun wanted a new home to base himself in the heart of London and bought a pretty (circa 1840) house in Clapham Old town.

The pretty semi detached villa had a dark lower ground floor which was damp and pokey and the North-South orientation gave challenging daylighting conditions in the garden.

Shaun had been impressed by HEO’s work next door completed 5 years previously (see the Turret Grove project). His brief was to think boldly, to reinvent the house as a creative home for him with an emphasis on the social spaces including the garden and their relationships.

The outside ‘room’ formed by excavating the lower level into the garden established upper and lower ground of equal importance. The high quality finishes and flowing spaces give a sense of grandeur and luxury to the suite of rooms. The double height composition of bay, and screen clad in oak unifies the levels and enhances the relationship of both with the exterior transforming the house.

Structural Engineer: Bolton Priestley Ltd
Photographs: Jefferson Smith

bedrooms bathrooms

  The top floor of the house is completely refurbished creating a new shower with separate bath in the long thin side extension. All bedrooms have new bespoke fitted furniture designed by HEO and a small luxury cloakroom was slotted in on the upper g...

exterior

The rear of the house is dominated by the oak clad bay which forms the centre piece for the design. This is part of a composition of steps and walkways which spiral around the sunken courtyard to create a promenade route from upper to lower ground via...

circulation

  Moving the lower flights of the staircase to the side of the house in the narrow side extension was crucial to the success of the project as it allowed the rear of the house to be opened up to the garden. The lower and upper grounds are now linked ...

kitchen dining

  The lower ground is given over to the show-piece kitchen and dining area defined by a change in floor level with an illuminated step. The kitchen is a combination of neutral units to the front wall and very striking Zebrano faced full height...

living

The upper ground is dedicated to a large reception room, which had been remodeled with the centre wall removed to align the bay with the front window. Services are cleverly concealed in the side walls and contemporary shutters added to the existing Georgian...