Natural extension

Paula Brailovsky Ruiz and Przemek Dudka took a run-down townhouse and turned it into the ultimate family home using eco-friendly materials

- Paula Brailovsky Ruiz and Przemek Dudka took a run-down townhouse and turned it into the ultimate family home using eco-friendly materials

Paula Brailovsky Ruiz and Przemek Dudka have lived in Islington, north London, for almost 20 years.

The couple renovated their first home in the area but after having children, they realised the property wasn't really practical for their day-to-day lives.

So the pair began looking for a new property locally, with a view to expanding their family and creating an interior that was both fun and safe for their current and future children. 'We walked past this street every day and it featured such beautiful homes,' says Paula. 'We saw there was a run-down house for sale and fell in love with the exterior and location. Even though it sits within a conservation area, the neighbouring buildings had all been extended, so we felt confident we could get planning permission to do the same.'

With plenty of interior space, the Georgian terrace already had a basement and a mansard loft, but it had a disjointed interior, including a ground-floor bathroom, and needed a total overhaul. So before the couple had even put in an offer, they invited architect Ben Powell to take a look. 'We worked with Ben on our previous home and knew we wanted him to design this one, too,' says Paula. 'It was a simple decision for us.'

DREAM DESIGN

After meeting at the home and running through ideas, Ben got to work designing the renovation and extension. 'The plans were finished before we'd completed on the house,' says Paula. 'This meant that once we'd exchanged, we could apply for planning permission straight away.' Planning was achieved in just nine weeks, seven days after the couple got the keys. 'It was a bit of a risk, but we knew that the chances of the sale falling through were small.'