This stunning home in north London underwent a refurbishment to create a gorgeous extension which could be used as a flexible, multi-use space. Award-winning architects Fraher & Findlay appointed MS Lighting Design to produce the lighting design for the extension.

The interiors were intended to be natural, using wood and textured plaster in many areas, in order to create a calming, uncluttered atmosphere. The approach to the lighting design was to integrate and conceal the lighting as much as possible, providing task lighting where needed while highlighting the beautiful architecture.

One of the key architectural features of the space was the sawtooth roof, which maximised the height for the client while allowing an easier planning application. In the main kitchen/dining space, a linear light source in a trough where the ceiling starts to rise provided a beautiful wash across the plastered ceiling, highlighting its finish and providing a large amount of ambient light into the space.

Over the dining table a stunning, perfectly balanced pendant provides a focal point and practical light without impeding the views out onto the garden. While suspended over the island, a pair of pendants focus light downwards onto the work surface. The lighting scheme had to account for changes in ceiling height, which was overcome with the clever use of multiple fixing points. Under cupboard lighting and mini plaster in spotlights complete the kitchen lighting scheme.

In the snug, a linear uplight was incorporated into the wall structure itself, matching the wash on the main room and providing excellent ambient light. Complementing this is a beautiful floor lamp, plus a wash of light above the window seat.

It was essential to bring the small courtyard into the home, so that it did not just become a black box in the evening. The tree was made the focal point by highlighting it with spike spotlights, while a diffused indirect wall light provides soft, ambient light.

Lizzie Fraher, Director at Fraher & Findlay, said: “The lighting scheme from MS Lighting Design has perfectly set the ambience that the client desired for their new extension. The combination of decorative pendant lights with subtle spotlighting creates an intimate aesthetic for dining, with the appropriate task lighting for various functions and highlighting the unique architecture of the space.”