Inside Architects’ Own Minimal Wooden Home In London

[@themodernhouse_films]

We hope you enjoyed hearing about Spruce House and Studio, and the thoughtful design process behind it. If you also have a modern home to sell, get in touch to find out how we can maximise it's value: themodernhouse.media/eyr

[@thinkplanetearth2946]

I like the minimal design, the general aesthetic, and the materials used. I also love the garden area and how they've situated both the home and their work studio to have views of the garden. For me personally, I would need some pops of color here and there as it feels a bit monochromatic. Maybe some art pieces on the wall, and or furniture with a bit of color.

[@andreaandrea6716]

Art!!!

[@petemavus2948]

​@@andreaandrea6716 The appropriate Art for such a wonderful vision.

[@andreaandrea6716]

@@petemavus2948 And it's really personal, or SHOULD be, for the people living in a space that THEY created. Right? There is so much thought that goes into creating a living environment... that their choice of Art is even more important than if they had simply BOUGHT a house already done.

[@petemavus2948]

@@andreaandrea6716 Yes definitely. Unfortunately some covet and are just as happy to have a "staged" look that is status quo. In keeping with the keeping is their goal.

[@anewcareerinanewtown]

Nice idea with the mesh panels and stairs allowing light to flow through.

[@charliemontgomery4756]

I think I can see what they are trying to do but personally books and art and photography (mine, my children's and other peoples), beautiful textiles and vintage furniture are what create a space that I love and feel comfortable in. This just looks really cold and sterile to me, but if they love it that's all that matters, because they are the ones living in it.

[@andreaandrea6716]

Yes!!!! I so agree! Houses without Art & Books feel naked and poverty stricken to me.

[@tilerman]

Hope they put the kettle back in the cupboard when they finished making their frapochino, out of sight until they need to get it out again in half hours time. You know, to complete 'the look'.

[@mariusebauer]

What a beautiful space. You guys have the best KZbin channel. Thanks for creating these wonderful showcases and conversations with the owners/ architects.

[@slothsarecool]

check out The Local Project, Australian architects are soooo much better

[@retrospective77]

@@slothsarecool Their editing might be, but their home selection has been iffy over the last few months.

[@Pilgrim06]

Spiritual. Ethereal. Loved the succession of vertical poles along the windows, from certain angles they remind me of the solemnity of Ancient Greek temples. A meditative expression, a monastic enclosure guarding the balance between light and shadow, the richness of such scarcity, the thunder of silence….one needs an inner wisdom to live in such a space, inner wisdom needs such a space to stay alive. Congratulations.

[@petemavus2948]

Glad someone gets it.

[@ewmagency]

Really stunning attention to detail and use of materials!

[@7ofthem]

There’s modern and minimal and then there’s living in a soulless shed . Completely cold , a bit emperors new clothes for me

[@Nyx773]

🤣

[@Nicolaspurr]

Am I the only one with an urge to splash some coloured paint somewhere here? Or put up a picture?

[@katsee8699]

Count me in! :D

[@Nyx773]

Plus, a colorful rug would really tie the room together dude.

[@petemavus2948]

So predictable.

[@kayelyward8714]

There is this part of me that loves the look of a minimalist home because there are do few distractions and there is a sense of calmness but I know my home will have colorful walls much more in terms of decorations.

[@petemavus2948]

@@kayelyward8714 It like birds, every one 'nests' differently. What's most important to me is that a home is filled with love otherwise it's all just consumerism and props like a Realtors 'Staging' for the status quo. ✌️

[@susanbartman2267]

A few large colorful paintings strategically place would soften to overall feel.

[@andreaandrea6716]

Yes, yes and YES!!!

[@eagain1918]

Eye-catching space, I prefer the traditional exterior of the half black half bricked house next to theirs. The interior is cool, though too much wood, not enough light and too clinical feeling for me. I can see a lot of minimalists loving it.

[@andreaandrea6716]

Gorgeous house. Stunning design. Now PERSONALIZE it with some Original Art.

[@Turtledove2009]

The Japanese aesthetic is perfectly captured. I love it!

[@luluandmeow]

Some parts of the house feel strangely cold and even dark despite the big windows, and I think it's a missed opportunity not to have a terrace on top of the back extension

[@lws7394]

Minimalism , and displayong as little personal frolics in the house ! Photos, paintings and plants are taboo !

[@dinotiel]

Was thinking the same. A bit too bland for my liking and would’ve been nicer to get more light inside

[@halflink]

Terrace on the top might not have been allowed by the local authority if it overlooks neighbours gardens.

[@Jalfo85]

Probably the reason is the house orientation. Here, in Spain, it happens the same when your windows are facing the North

[@leonore3349]

@@Jalfo85 If there's no sun, the orientation doesn't really matter. I think it's probably all that wood. If the walls and ceiling were white it would have more light. And also the fact that it's a ground floor surrounded by other buildings.

[@amandab.recondwith8006]

Very serene looking. Very attractive and enticing - a calm shelter from the megalopolis. I'm envious.

[@andreaandrea6716]

tobiasrein, below, said a FLOOR PLAN of these building would be nice and I thoroughly AGREE!!!

[@sagerie37]

Why should contemporary translate into sterile, austere, raw, cold, and unimaginative space? Thank god, there is a garden to bring life to this spartan home.

[@petemavus2948]

Unimaginative 🤣

[@tobiasrein7389]

a floorpan would be great to see the space and understand it better

[@andreaandrea6716]

Absolutely!! (they do this on Grand Designs and Location, L, L. and I SO appreciate it!!)

[@blabla1221]

Neat, but did they really not put a range hood in the kitchen?

[@rozinant1237]

Not a soft surface anywhere, must echo like mad, and that pine everywhere is not going to age well.

[@leonore3349]

Doesn't the wood keep it from echoing? My apartment echoes a lot but I have high ceilings, plastered walls and little furniture/rugs.

[@davetester100]

Feels like living inside a brown cardboard box without any packing materials.

[@andreaandrea6716]

Fabulous analogy! (I LOVE cardboard boxes...and all the packing materials!). Needs books and Art to warm up space...

[@susanparsons9365]

It looks completely different to what was there: how does it respect the past?

[@vincentprado6676]

This house is a dream ❤

[@antonsitepu]

I love the design, the calmness and the aesthetic but for me personally, the inside, the interior design it's too cold for my liking... I lived in London for many years and majority of the time the light and the sky is grey, so for me personally inside need bit more texture and colours to spice up the atmosphere especially in the long UK winter months

[@rubberdc]

I thought it strange that a house that is SO minimal, has shoes and coats hanging on the wall near the front door ? In my apartment , its slightly minimal , and we hang our coats up straight away in our bedroom wardrobes and shoes go inside too. I hate to see clothing cluttering up the entrance way .

[@John_Wood_]

A once homogeneous terrace is now giving me a headache. Trying far too hard to be 'something'.

[@retrospective77]

Is that not the goal though, to try? Otherwise what's the point in anything?

[@hrishialase7409]

Lol! Why even build a house if you want homogenity? Just live on the grass.

[@John_Wood_]

@@retrospective77 The front facade is offensive and an insult to neighbouring properties. It should never have been given planning permission. They tried, and failed.

[@retrospective77]

@@John_Wood_ in your eyes, yes. But why would the owners care about John Wood's definition of success or failure? Show us what you've built John, then it's fair game.

[@John_Wood_]

@@retrospective77 That's exactly the problem.

[@ewmagency]

Anybody know what the grey sofa is at 1:13?

[@themodernhouse_films]

@ewmagency - thanks so much for watching! The sofa is the Connect Soft Modular Sofa by Muuto: www.muuto.com/sofa-experience/connect-soft/

[@tubulartuber]

it's interesting to hear the comment about being rational in design choices immediately after talking about the insulation panels. Usually the most expensive part of an operable opening is the frame. Of course an IGU costs money too, but if you are paying so much for a frame that can be airtight and thermally broken, why not spend the extra $200 on the glazing too?

[@vivayo4588]

The talked about the private/openness balance, I suspect for them this is what they need.

[@tubulartuber]

@@vivayo4588 Shutters?

[@123a-o5d]

The shutters also let in less light than a window when they're open as they block the light from the sides. I can see it's a kind of fun idea and it changes the look of the front of the building, and also it might let you use a (frameless) fixed glass panel in another window as you already have an opening for ventilation. It looks like it's the only opening in that room though, so I don't understand it being used in a UK climate.

[@tubulartuber]

@@123a-o5d why not just...put a shutter on a window there?

[@123a-o5d]

@@tubulartuber I think due to the lack of novelty of a shutter? I would like to hear the designers' take on it. I don't think these will seal that well and so will perform worse even if the shutter material is more insulative than a glazing unit. Hard to beat good glazing with a nice shutter!

[@LizethSantosPhoto]

Absolute perfection! Wow 😍

[@SpartanFarron]

There's too many knots on the walls. it's completely distracting everything else in the house.

[@lornamarie5544]

Ummm I’m afraid it’s a no from me. It’s like sleeping in a shed. Looks cool from the outside tho.

[@d3r4g45]

looks like a hospital or a pharmacy

[@leonore3349]

I wish.

[@davesbeard]

The aesthetic of this place is attractive, and I hope the house brings the couple joy. For me though, this is a house where aesthetics conquer function and in doing so undermine its own beauty. As Frank Lloyd Wright said "Form and function should be one, joined in a spiritual union." A beautiful chair that is also comfortable becomes all the more beautiful for having managed to do both. This house leans heavily towards the aesthetic and sacrifices liveability, thus becoming ugly. That living area epitomises it for me; cold, exposed and miserable.

[@Janeway-326]

The office is the only room that looks like anyone lives there at all. For me personally, the atmosphere of the house is... cold and dead... 🥶

[@andreaandrea6716]

FLOOR PLAN!! Floor Plan, floor plan .... Pleeeeeease!!!

[@ernestinehemingway7799]

bringing in nature in Walthamstow ?!?

[@Jpsans98]

They probly were able to get rid of the old residence who couldn’t afford. Gentrification!!!

[@vaguevagabond]

Resembles a crematorium.

[@Nyx773]

🤣

[@Mimi-ui7du]

Mountain Chalet?

[@constelaciondeorion5986]

What about the bathroom?

[@Jpsans98]

The shopfront? Sounds like gentrification. I used to live in walthamstow - now it has become more sterile and seems like they’re cleansing the enthieltet culture there. Have to moved to outside of london now because it is so expensive.

[@tiffanycurtis4794]

I LIKE 🧡

[@katymcwhirter]

It feels like a new generation of “builder grade”. Cheap materials that don’t speak to character or taste and don’t bring warmth.

[@andreaandrea6716]

That's because they've not added books or Art to the mix. So, it's half the recipe... and they're inexperienced chefs.

[@andreaandrea6716]

Americans say "...like.." an awful lot. (Do they not hear themselves? Are they not irritated by the overuse?)

[@petemavus2948]

Nothingburgers are like so, well you know... 🤣

[@ckaiser8052]

He’s originally from Canada, she from Russia.

[@andreaandrea6716]

@@ckaiser8052 That explains the beautiful ventilation panels... reminds me of a Dacha.

[@ckaiser8052]

Interesting, thanks for sharing.

[@andreaandrea6716]

@@ckaiser8052 I wonder if this was in her mind when they built the panels?? Or if it was subconscious? ... or perhaps it's just coincidence. I think that Dachas have those wooden shutters to protect the glass from the insane cold and heavy snows they get ...??? Or, At any rate, they're ... unique!

[@davidbasset7557]

So many funny sentences in this. Feels like a parody 😂

[@sorscha1308]

Nope - don't like this one, sorry. I'm glad they're happy in it but ugh. That would've been a nice cozy little terrace, with some character to it before it got messed with.

[@MisterSynonym]

A lot of these architecture videos have this distinct, un-naturalistic narration. I often have to watch on mute.

[@pauljonas7301]

Do they force people to talk like this for architecture videos?

[@haret0n]

this feels very much like a cheap build in australia or nz.

[@Teacup29]

What a horrible thing to say, nothing like a cheap build in NZ

[@Nyx773]

It doesn't look that good

[@nbkr49b]

They took the Mexican approach to privacy

[@md_al_mamun06]

[@johnevered9640]

why do so many british architects love making interiors out of the cheapest wood possible lol - it always looks like a shed or something inside lol

[@rayedd74]

100 times better than beverly hill.

[@ithacacomments4811]

Minimalist's dream !

[@biohita]

What a boring and bland design of... Everything.

[@erosleroi7638]

Too stark and cold feeling, no warmth or personality or color. Totally depressing and uncomfortable.

[@PUMIC]

👏

[@fredricclack7137]

🤢

[@JohnSmith-lk8cy]

Nice idea but fake. No sign of human life in that house. Making a cuppa makes it look messy. I am imagining when the spiders move in. Especially with such a close garden.

[@GregCoconut]

Yo this place is unfinished

[@atxc5950]

beautifully done but just in a horrible location...