LEDBURY ROAD
An antique gem for the next generation
An antique shop with vaults below and a two storey flat above, historically the space had been used as a local butcher’s. The retail element of the building had to be retained and so the focus was all on the creation of one building as two flats, a two bedroom triplex and a huge lower ground floor studio apartment with separate private access. Cubic designed each room in the building with bespoke finishes that would be catch the eye, impressing upon the owners to leave the spaces and their walls as uncluttered as possible. A staggering cantilevered glass framed staircase linked the floors of the upper maisonette which also benefitted from black polished plaster and exposed brickwork walls, with curated joinery including studio designed metal framed perspex wardrobes.
Nowhere in Notting Hill has seen such a change of fortune as Ledbury Road. Once a local side street of greengrocers and local pubs, it’s now home to some of the smartest brands, the most important restaurants and the Capital’s coolest bars. Keen to retain the mixed use of the street, local planners dictated that the retail element of this investor’s property be retained, leaving a complex layout to reimagine as two apartments, one for occupation and one for rental.
Cubic’s architects looked to the past to envelope the retail space in the most traditional way with the retail property effectively sandwiched below and above the apartments. The ensuing triplex that resulted from this extensive and challenging build project has achieved a luxury of space with designated areas for sleeping, eating, sharing company and being alone. At the centre of the building an incredible cantilevered staircase links the floors setting the tone for the design elsewhere. Exposed brickwork adds a soft edge to an industrial inspired interior where construction materials have been used as fine finishes for sanitaryware and kitchen joinery, wall panels and counter tops and stair treads.
The same translation continues below stairs and the huge studio apartment that resulted from the development of the former cellars. Ceiling heights are emphasised with unusual wall finishes and decorative room dividing panels and clever hidden lighting.
Fully utilising the skills of every team at Cubic, Ledbury Road is an accomplishment in urban redevelopment.