Atelier Baulier extends London home using "frugal and honest" materials

An approach of "frugality and honesty" informed the minimally-finished plywood and plaster surfaces of Twin Pitches, the renovation and extension to a home in London by local studio Atelier Baulier.

Located in the west London borough of Ealing, the original Edwardian home suffered from poor environmental performance and insufficient space for its owners, who tasked the studio with creating a "forever home" for their family of four.

Stripping back and re-insulating the home's fabric, Atelier Baulier looked to only replace what was entirely necessary, leaving the plaster airtightness layer and the roofing boards of a new rear extension exposed internally to create warm, tactile spaces.

"We wanted to set a new standard for natural materials and sustainability for this retrofit. It is not just about what is visible, but it's also about what is underground and hidden behind finishes," the studio's founder Aurore Baulier told Dezeen.

"We questioned the materials and build-ups at every stage of the design, from the use of screw piles instead of concrete foundations to plastic-free paints and oils. Then we made the most of them."

"The extension roof sarking board is also the ceiling finish, the internal lime plaster is the airtightness layer and is left unpainted as it looks great that way. It's about using the right materials with frugality and honesty," she added.

Alongside the renewal of the existing home, Atelier Baulier expanded into the loft to create an extra bedroom and added a 22.5-square-metre rear extension containing a kitchen and sun room.

This rear extension is topped by a double-pitched sawtooth roof – giving the project its name of Twin Pitches – the timber structure of which has been left exposed and stained internally with linseed oil.

In the kitchen, these plywood ceiling boards are complemented by the white-painted brick walls of the original home, as well as pale pink cabinets and counters with stainless steel tops and terrazzo splashbacks.

A dark green-stained dividing wall and bookshelf reference an original tiled fireplace found in one of the bedrooms, which was relocated to the living room and given a new yellow-painted surround.

The same stained plywood treatment was used for the high ceiling of the attic bedroom, for which the construction of a more carbon-intensive steel structure was avoided through the introduction of a large timber column at its centre.

Around the base of the rear extension's pale rendered exterior, a band of green tiles references the original Edwardian tile work next to the home's front door, which has been painted yellow along with the home's fireplaces and central staircase.

"The curated palette of finishes is a reflection of our intention to create a calm and comfortable yet lively house," Baulier told Dezeen.

"The clients were very much on board with our bold colour scheme, and the colour of the front door was actually discussed in our briefing meeting."

"That yellow was brought to the top lit central stairwell, having a John Soane's inspired moment," she added.

Other home extensions in London recently featured on Dezeen include Basalt House by EBBA, which also celebrated tactile, natural materials, and Sobremesa, which Studio McW turned into a "space primed for hosting".

The photography is by Jim Stephenson.

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