Residential

Highgate

Sociable and playful home with open-plan kitchen/dining room 

Many of us wonder what an architect would do in his own home. Jack Schneider, director of Schneider Designers, planned to move into a new house when his children flew the nest. He wanted a project and found himself buying a house designed by Ted Levy Benjamin, a South African architect who did many projects in north London in the 1970s. Jack embarked on bringing it back to its former glory and, at the same time, adapting it to modern living.

With an existing penchant for quirky 1970s aesthetics and mid-century modern styles, this house could only be destined to find its way into their hands, making them the second couple to own it. Despite acquiring the house with the intention of making their mark and adapting the space to suit their lifestyle and character, great care was taken to retain the spirit of the original design. New bespoke joinery was designed and manufactured to match the existing 1970s features of the house, such as its timber finishes and wooden staircases and railings