Russian For Fish: Beresford Road

It is rare to find a client who puts total trust in a creative vision. It’s even rarer when the project is their home.

London-based architecture practice Russian For Fish got lucky. Having seen the practice’s reinvention of an apartment in City View House, the clients turned to Russian for Fish with the challenge of revitalising their Victorian end-of-terrace in north London.

In its original state the flat was a tale of split personalities. While the upper-ground floor was light and spacious, boasting original features and high ceilings, the lower-ground was a gloomy den of narrow corridors and low ceilings.

Russian For Fish started by reconfiguring the lower-ground floor; cleverly utilising previously unused space without undertaking any structural alterations. The reconfigured floor now boasts a utility room and a shower room, each fitted with brushed stainless steel and marble tiling. Polished concrete flooring runs throughout the lower ground.

The subtle tone of the polished concrete, coupled with off-white walls gives the space a feeling of light and warmth.

The client’s unwavering belief in Russian For Fish’s eventual vision is probably best evidenced in the flat’s unashamedly luminous yellow kitchen. The wall units are yellow, the splashback is yellow and the ceiling is yellow. The same yellow continues up the stairwell.

“It’s been a wonderful interior to work on and full respect to a very brave client, who really embraced the idea and let us run with it,” says Pereen d’Avoine, founder of Russian For Fish. 

The kitchen is a bold statement that wouldn’t suit every client. That’s the very beauty of it.