Wimbledon House embraces the legacy of a four-storey Victorian townhouse, extending the home to integrate contemporary design while maintaining the vibrant character of Wimbledon Common. Balancing contemporary modern living with historical features, a revived building sits sensitively in a clean landscape.
Each design choice aligns a deeply held respect for heritage with the desires of the client, who sought a living space that brought people together over sport, leisure and entertainment. A harmonious language is shared across the property through material and palette, with each space taking formal cues from the main house. Homing a Hollaway chair and table — only the second of its kind — each detail has been carefully considered, from timber to tennis court.
The Main House reconfigures and respects the building’s heritage, with the essence and the symmetry of its exterior maintained. A contemporary feel reimagines the property’s historical character, as refitted sash windows, crafted from timber that echoes the original fittings, greet contemporary bay windows that nod to those of the adjacent property. Limestone cladding similarly responds to both the property’s historical precedent, and to the natural landscape it sits in.
Inside, new staircases and an extension capture the light, offering a modern sensibility of openness and expanding the space for a contemporary lifestyle. New technologies offer practicality and sustainability: heating and cooling functions are seamlessly integrated through an air source heat pump, internal walls are relined for energy efficiency, and soundproofing lends privacy to the welcoming atmosphere.
The top floor, dedicated to the master bedroom, overlooks the house, complete with bedroom, dressing area and en suite. The floor below exudes hospitality, as internal walls have been removed between reception floors, creating an open, social space. A ground floor extension shares this ambience, with kitchen, bar and wine cellar, complete with cooling features and air conditioning. Crittall-effect doors distinguish these features from a large living area, lending an air of intimacy to the room. A lower extension carries the same materials below the ground floor, with large sliding glass windows gently dissolving the distinction between home and garden.
The garden, level with the lower floors, offers a open lawn. Designed for days of leisure, the square lawn hosts a pool, flanked by three additional guest spaces. A Gym sits adjacent to the external pool: a small step away from the main house and its history, both in locale and aesthetic. More contemporary in approach, the Gym still responds to its environment, with the material language speaking to that of the main house and its surrounding garden. Hit and miss timber cladding provides a textured façade, curved walls respond to the trees above, and white-toned brick and limestone reflect the house’s exterior walls and cladding. With a pool sitting outside its walls to capture the best of the garden, the Gym homes a workout space, bathroom and shower, alongside plants that reflect the surrounding landscape.
Nearby, the Summer House offers additional space for entertaining and hosting, with dining space, kitchen and bathroom. Nestled back from direct view, the understated garden room’s façade and pergola unite in the use of the same warm timber used in the main house, providing a subtle and delicate framework that speaks to the nature it sits within.
To the rear of the tennis court sits the Tennis Pavilion, celebrating the communal joys of games, leisure and hosting. Responding to the immediate local context, curved walls mirror the surrounding trees, accompanied by glazing which can slide away, blurring the boundary between interior and exterior. Timber cladding, zinc framing and crisp white renders echo details seen across the property, ensuring smooth architectural continuity. Reaching outward, the Tennis Pavilion reflects the social nature of its owners, with careful details — underfloor mechanical heating and cooling powered through heat source pumps, for example — ensuring the comfort of every guest.
