As one-half of French+Tye — the photography duo that has become synonymous with documenting achingly cool projects for some of the biggest names in the industry — Dom French has seen more interiors and architecture than most.
But even then, it took real vision for him and wife Claire, who works in fashion, to see the potential of the Victorian terrace they viewed 11 years ago in South Tottenham.
“We didn’t know the area, but a client of mine said they were moving up this way, so it was fortuitous that we even viewed it,” Dom explains. The house, a probate that had been sat empty for almost a year, wasn’t liveable. “It had been adapted by the previous owner to live solely on the ground floor with most of the work done in the 70s and not touched since.”
The couple wasted no time in tackling the jobs that needed the most attention to make it immediately habitable, but bigger plans were afoot to create a home that was as beautiful as it was practical for their family — which then included Margot, now six — but has since expanded with the arrival of Ansel, three, and Ines, one.
Creative collaboration
So, they called on Curtaz Studio, a London-based architecture and design practice. “Marco Curtaz was a neighbour and friend,” says Dom, “but he had a solid history of delivering beautiful and interesting projects, including his own house. He also had a sound knowledge of the local area.”
The brief? Structurally, the addition of an infill side return on the ground floor to create a slick kitchen and dining space with a passage to what would become the playroom and living room; a utility space for concealing the washer and dryer plus a downstairs toilet to mop up the practicalities of having small children; and an L-shaped loft dormer to house the principal bedroom and workspace.
The middle floor would remain the same, at least layout-wise, to accommodate bedrooms for guests and the couple’s growing brood.
Bright ideas
As you’d expect, the design went far beyond simply building and reconfiguring.
Marco explains: “The concept was to draw on Dom and Claire’s passion for photography and nature by capturing the key views towards a cluster of mature trees through a series of framed apertures with dark colours to accentuate the panoramas and light oak for warmth and texture.”
Very much a collaborative process, Dom and Claire admit to having a defined vision, but say that Marco evolved these in ways that were clever and creative, rather than presenting their own ideas back.
“We weren’t specific about angling views,” Dom gives as an example, “but Marco orientated them to make the most of surrounding nature and natural light.”
The process took 11 months with “a bit of a break” in the middle as the couple welcomed their second child. Anyone who has been through a home renovation will understand the pain of living in a building site as Dom and Claire did — at least for the most part.
“We stayed elsewhere when walls were being knocked down, but moved in again when there was a roof back on the loft,” Dom says.
The new loft dormer became the hardest-working room in the house by temporarily serving as a makeshift kitchen, living room, dining space, home office and principal bedroom.
A dishwasher and washing machine were installed downstairs, meanwhile, with three pairs of shoes needed to traipse between floors. “Shoes for outside, the ground floor and to go upstairs,” Dom laughs.
Making connections
It was worth the wait — and the shoe changes. The house is both a cool architectural beauty — with swathes of greenery glimpsed through expanses of glass teamed with pale oak and dark surfaces — and a warm family home.
Dom says: “While we take pride in our house, we’re not precious about it — our whole aim was to create somewhere that could be enjoyed.
“While entertaining for us may no longer be an intimate dinner party every Friday night, we recently had 15 or so kids in the kitchen, jumping up and down on furniture, to celebrate our eldest’s sixth birthday!”
You wouldn’t guess by looking at the home’s clutter-free aesthetic, including the streamlined kitchen cabinetry and sleek wooden panelling that act as a soothing backdrop to everyday living. “We have a busy family life, so we like calm spaces, and for us that means dialling down the visual noise,” Dom explains.
Suggested by Marco, the navy of the kitchen — Railings by Farrow & Ball — is a visual ribbon that runs throughout the house to connect spaces and create unity, as is the wood that carries through from the existing spaces.
Upstairs, there’s room for work and play: the home office has ample room for both Dom and Claire to WFH, while the bedroom is like a hotel suite complete with a bath.
“There’s something so luxurious about it,” says Dom. “It was originally intended to be behind the bed in the middle of the room but the idea evolved with Marco as we progressed through the project. It's become part of the joinery with a lid that creates a really deep window seat when closed.
“While the tub was designed for Claire to provide a little indulgence, the kids love the novelty of having a bath and looking outside through the glass.”
Finishing touches
Outside, Marco used charred timber to continue the dark tones externally, while Dom levelled the garden to minimise the spend, then created a flush transition from the extension onto the decking with a few steps leading to rendered blockwork housing planters.
The addition of a pergola is dual-purpose: privacy and shade. “The intention was to have hard architectural materials that contained soft foliage,” says Dom. “Nature, but with a sense of order.”
Are Dom and Claire done? “The bones and most of the interiors are finished with some ongoing bits of joinery,” he says. “But our nature isn’t just to leave the house, but adapt it as our needs change and the kids get older.”
Aperture House is currently being showcased at the DMI 2025 Awards Exhibition, NLA’s programme and competition to celebrate the newest and most innovative home improvement projects across London.
