American diners and cake adverts inform pastel-toned house renovation by Office S&M

Cake adverts from the 1950s informed the pastel palette of Brockley House, the renovation of a corner home in London by local studio Office S&M.

The home, which sits at the end of a terraced block in Lewisham dating from the 1950s, has been overhauled by Office S&M to improve its energy performance and layout while retaining its "historical charm".

Informed by its 1950s origins, the studio looked to the imagery of old cake advertisements and American diners, covering the home with textured lilac render, green drainpipes and a checkerboard-tiled frieze.

"Engaging with its context through design that brings joy to both the residents and the street, the house becomes not just a private refuge but a lively presence in the neighbourhood," Office S&M co-founder Catrina Stewart told Dezeen.

"It is designed as a home to grow with the family, distinctive, characterful and enduring," she added.

According to Office S&M, Brockley House's "maze-like" configuration of rooms has been opened up, with the ground floor transformed into a singular, L-shaped living, dining and kitchen area illuminated by large square and circular windows.

Continuing the palette of the exterior, this space is finished with walls in pale pink and lilac, while a zigzagging linoleum in pale blue and white covers the floor.

A bespoke terrazzo-style splashback and countertops in the kitchen match an arch above one of the external windows, and blob-like glass lampshades hang above a kitchen island and dining table.

"We drew on materials typical of the 1950s but reinterpreted them in contemporary ways," Stewart said. "Natural linoleum was laid in an oversized zig-zag herringbone pattern to introduce movement and visual rhythm."

"A curved wall housing a new WC introduces playful geometry and softens the interior, making the space more welcoming for the young children," she added.

On the first floor, the home's main bedroom has been finished in a warmer palette of orange, and the children's bedroom has playful drawings painted onto its walls and furniture.

To animate the corner of the home as it runs alongside the street, the rear garden has been wrapped by a wavy, pale pink fence.

"From inside the house, this becomes a surreal landscape, seen through the kitchen's corner window as a series of rolling waves on the horizon," said Stewart.

Founded by Stewart and Hugh McEwen in 2013, Office S&M is known for its bold, colourful and playful designs. Other recent projects in London by the studio include a cat-friendly extension and a home incorporating geometric shapes in bold hues.

The photography is by French + Tye.

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