A taste of Manhattan

Perched at the top of their listed Victorian terrace, Harry and Joe's new loft was inspired by iconic New York architecture

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Harry and Joe bought their locally listed Victorian property in south-east London some three decades ago. "The house was built in 1898, so we knew we'd eventually need to replace the roof,' says Harry. 'We thought we might as well take the opportunity to add a loft space at the same time.

After doing some research into local design practices, the couple met with Neil Gaskin of Sketch Architects to discuss their ideas. ‘We had a vision and knew what we were looking for,’ says Joe. ‘We were inspired by New York loft apartments and wanted to capture the views across London.’

Neil allocated Daniel Lewis to work with the couple on the project. ‘We always dealt with the same person, which made things easier,’ says Joe. ‘We struck up a very good working relationship with him and really felt that he wanted the best for us. Because of that, the design process was very collaborative.’ The team at Sketch came up with an innovative idea; to fill the space between the home’s two distinctive roof pitches to create a large new loft. An open-plan living area, work space, versatile bedroom and bathroom would all be arranged throughout the new floorplan. ‘To finish the rear of the loft, we chose a large, angled window, rather than a typical boxy dormer, which we were keen to avoid,’ explains Harry.

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