Metroland House is a 1950s Arts and Crafts style family house extensively renovated, extended and landscaped by Dominic McKenzie Architects.
It is located in Metroland, a term originally coined in 1915 to describe the leafy suburban area north-west of London served by the Metropolitan Line. The ‘Metroland dream’ was to combine traditional rural lifestyles with the hustle and bustle of the metropolis.
The design
Central to the remodelling of the existing property and garden is a new lofty, light-filled extension, which merges into the rear of the original building creating a new heart to the home containing the kitchen, dining room and a seating area.
The extension is surrounded on two sides by a large new reflecting pool referencing the water-related imagery in John Betjeman’s 1973 documentary ‘Metro-land’. Two rows of stepping stones connect the extension with the garden and small fountains within the pool create a tranquil ambience.
On entering the house, the hallway offers a clear sightline from the front door to the pool and garden. A new steel and glass feature staircase descending from above appears to float above the floor with concealed LED strips making it a spectacular light feature in the evening.
In the living room a new feature fireplace in Portland stone has been added and the rear glazing altered to show the stepping stones extending across the pool.
Further interior changes include a new snug living room replacing one of the two original garages; new ensuite bathrooms and built-in storage in the upstairs bedrooms; and a master bedroom subdivided into an enfilade of rooms.
Traditional clay products
The bold design of the rear extension has a contemporary freshness, which uses high-quality traditional clay building products for the external envelope in a way that balances both urban and rural influences.
The unusual use of Ketley’s 11mm Linium bricks adds intricate detailing that could not be achieved through conventional brickwork. They accentuate the horizontal lines within the design, adding a rustic and almost rough-hewn artisan quality referencing details on the original Arts and Crafts style house.
The extension roof, which follows the pitch of the original house roof, is clad in matching Staffordshire Red Dreadnought handmade plain tiles made in the same factory as the Linium bricks.
Their organic clay tones, produced the traditional way solely through control of the kiln temperature, rather than through modern artificial pigments and stains, give a natural appearance in harmony with the garden setting.
A low retaining garden wall, also clad in Linium bricks, mediates the levels of the two lawns and matches the rear extension, continuing the Arts and Crafts theme whilst providing for a tranquil place to sit.
The owner said: “The Linium bricks speak to a small detail in the original Arts and Crafts style house, providing a connection between the new and the old. They bring an artisanal element, combining the quality of the product with the bricklayer’s art to provide a perfect frame for expansive glass doors. They are becoming more beautiful with age.”
