Pale House
Site History and Context
No. 40 Grosvenor Road is a Victorian residence dating from the 19th century, located on the south side of a quiet residential street in the London Borough of Hounslow. Arranged over two storeys, the house is traditionally constructed and benefits from a south-east facing garden, with a north–south orientation that draws natural light through the interior and establishes a strong connection to its outdoor setting.
The property enjoys excellent transport links, with Brentford Station within walking distance, providing regular South Western Railway services into central London.
The house was acquired by our clients and had remained largely unaltered since the 1980s, aside from a modest single-storey rear extension. This addition created a constrained interior and an underutilised side courtyard. The brief was to reconfigure the property to create a generous open-plan living space, maximise daylight penetration, and enhance the connection to the garden. The proposal involved removing the existing rear extension, introducing a sensitive side infill, and extending to the rear, thereby expanding the internal living area while increasing the size and usability of the garden.
Design Response
This project sees the extension and remodelling of a Victorian terraced house in Chiswick, thoughtfully reconfigured to support the requirements of a young family.
A rear and side extension form a generous kitchen and dining space, with a central island as its focal point a place to gather, cook, and connect.
A long run of joinery ties old and new together, offering storage, shelving, and a quiet backdrop to daily life. Above, a glazed roof over the side return draws soft, natural light deep into the plan.
Full height sliding doors open onto a new terrace, gently blurring the boundary between house and garden.
The palette is restrained yet textured with the use of handmade brick, cast concrete, aluminium, and oak sit comfortably alongside the original fabric, lending clarity and warmth to the new interventions.
