Kitchen Redesign
The original galley layout was opened into the reception room to create an integrated kitchen-dining space with stone worktops, fully integrated appliances, and a brass-detailed island unit.
Kensington Apartment Refurbishment
Pembroke Gardens, Kensington W8
A considered full refurbishment of a period mansion flat on one of Kensington’s most sought-after garden squares, restoring original plasterwork and timber floors while introducing a bespoke kitchen, marble-lined bathrooms, and a calm, warm material palette throughout.
Programme 8 months
Budget Band £380k – £480k
Borough RBKC
Outcome Turnkey apartment
Project Overview
A quiet transformation behind a classic Kensington façade
The brief was to take a tired but generously proportioned mansion flat and deliver a home that felt resolved, restful, and properly finished — without losing the period character that drew the client to the building in the first place.
Pembroke Gardens sits in the heart of Kensington’s residential core, a short walk from Holland Park and the High Street. The apartment occupies the first floor of a well-maintained Victorian building with generous ceiling heights, deep sash windows, and original cornicing that had survived previous refurbishments largely intact.
The design approach focused on subtraction as much as addition. Dated fitted wardrobes, a cramped galley kitchen, and a partitioned bathroom were all removed to reveal the apartment’s natural proportions. In their place: a bespoke open-plan kitchen with integrated seating, full-height bedroom joinery in fumed oak, a principal bathroom lined in Calacatta marble, and a consistent palette of warm whites, soft greys, and brushed brass hardware that runs through every room.
Beneath the finishes, the apartment received a full services upgrade: new wiring, replumbed heating, improved ventilation, and recessed LED lighting throughout. The result is a home that feels both traditional and contemporary — warm and inviting, but with nothing superfluous.
Pembroke Gardens Kensington W8 apartment refurbishment — restored reception room with bespoke joinery and herringbone flooring
Scope Delivered
What the refurbishment actually changed
Bathroom Upgrade
The principal bathroom was rebuilt with Calacatta marble walls, a freestanding stone bath, walk-in rain shower, and brushed brass brassware, with improved waterproofing and underfloor heating.
Joinery & Storage
Custom full-height wardrobes in fumed oak replaced dated fitted units, with integrated LED lighting, soft-close drawers, and a coherent design language running from bedroom through hallway.
Services & Fabric
Complete rewiring, replumbing, new radiators, improved extract ventilation, refinished timber floors, and restored original cornicing and ceiling roses throughout.
Programme
How the project moved from brief to handover
Stage 1
Survey and design
Full measured survey, sample boards, and design workshops to agree layout changes, finish selections, and integration details before any work began.
Stage 2
Strip-out and enabling
Careful removal of dated finishes, old kitchen, bathroom fittings, and redundant services, exposing the original floor structure and plasterwork for assessment.
Stage 3
First-fix services
New electrical circuits, plumbing routes, heating pipework, and ventilation ducting were installed and tested before any finished surfaces went in.
Stage 4
Kitchen and joinery install
Bespoke kitchen cabinetry, island unit, bedroom wardrobes, and hallway storage were fitted, aligned, and adjusted on site.
Stage 5
Wet rooms and decoration
Bathroom stonework, sanitaryware, brassware, tiling, full decoration, and floor finishing completed the apartment.
Stage 6
Snagging and handover
Final commissioning, lighting scene programming, protection removal, and client walkthrough to complete the project.
Delivery Challenges
Challenge
Challenge
Challenge
Outcome
The details that mattered most on site
Preserving original plasterwork
The ornate Victorian ceiling roses and deep cornicing needed careful protection during strip-out and services work, with localised repairs rather than wholesale replacement.
Kitchen integration in a period room
Opening the kitchen into the main reception required discreet structural support, careful threshold detailing, and a joinery language that respected the original room proportions.
Coordinating within a managed building
Works were subject to freeholder licence conditions including permitted working hours, communal area protection, and noise management throughout the programme.
A calm, coherent apartment
The completed home feels both contemporary and grounded — generous rooms, warm materials, intelligent storage, and a level of finish that will age well and hold its value.
Related Projects
Comparable Central London apartment work
Planning an apartment refurbishment in Kensington?
We deliver full refurbishments for period apartments across Kensington, Holland Park, and South Kensington — with the same attention to detail, material quality, and sequencing shown here.
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