Working closely with XUL Architects, we undertook full refurbishment on this 19th Century former stable and coach house, which was redesigned to create a large, bright, family home in the heart of Belsize Park. Having previously been split into two properties it was a challenging project to combine the dwellings into a coherent family home as window and floor heights were inconsistent throughout, creating difficult layers and unusable spaces. The design by XUL was reconfigured to create a courtyard and a walk-on strip of glass along the back wall to flood natural light down into the living area. The staircase worked as a light shaft allowing natural light to pour from a top skylight and into previously dark corners across all floors. Warm tones of dark wood and black paint along with injections of colour and pattern for decoration, created a contemporary design for a 19th-century mews house.