Low Energy House – A renovation with sustainability in mind

Rather than heading to a cool Nordic capital, this week’s home tour comes from a little closer to home. We are in fact heading to Muswell Hill in North London to look around the recently refurbished ‘Low Energy House’.

This contemporary retake of a traditional Edwardian terrace is in fact the home of Director of Architecture for London, Ben Ridley. As a passionate Passivhaus practitioner, he has created a place that not only looks fantastic, but through improved insulation, triple-glazing and improved airtightness now functions to the highest energy-efficiency standards too.

Taking eighteen months to complete, the entire original structure was dramatically stripped back before being significantly enlarged, thanks to a rear extension and cosy loft conversion.

Now the four-bedroom home, celebrates and preserves both its architectural heritage as well as the latest in 21^st century building technology, and aims to be an exemplar for sustainable refurbishment of a typical terraced home.

Internally Ben opted for a complementary palette of understated natural materials such as pale grey limestone, oak timber, and lime plaster which together, give Low Energy House a warm, relaxed, and intimate feeling.

Nordic design fans will see this approach has also been referenced in the Dinesen flooring and VOLA fixtures and fittings along with a number of stand-out furniture choices. From the group of CH26 dining chairs by Hans J. Wegner for Carl Hansen & Son sat around the dining table, through to a CH22 Lounge Chair neatly nestled in a bedroom bay window.

There is also a selection of more modern-day Scandinavian pieces too such as Thomas Bentzen’s DLM side table and a selection of Dot cushions from Hay, along with a striking String Light Cone pendant lamp from Flos, which is perfectly framed by the floor-to-ceiling window that looks out on to the lush fern filled garden beyond.