Architect Visit: Found Associates in London

Remodelista has always had a gift for spotting the kind of design that doesn’t shout for attentionyet somehow you can’t stop staring at it.
In its Architect Visit series, the site does what it does best: peeks behind the curtain, then hands you the best parts to steal
(politely, of course) for your own home.

One of the most enduring stops on that tour is Found Associates, a London-based architecture and interiors studio with a
reputation for making spaces feel inevitableas if the walls always wanted to be this calm, the kitchen always wanted to be that crisp,
and the stairwell always wanted a chandelier that looks like it has a secret.

Meet Found Associates: A Studio Built on “Powerful Simplicity”

Founded in 1997 by Richard Found, Found Associates is known for work that’s modern, tailored, and deeply aware of
contextmeaning the design doesn’t float above the building like a trendy hat. It fits. The practice works across residential, retail, commercial,
and cultural projects, offering end-to-end design services from concept to completion, while keeping a sharp eye on budget and schedule (the two
things that can turn a dream remodel into a long-running soap opera).

The studio’s client list has ranged from major brands (think high-profile retail and corporate environments) to private residential commissions,
and the work is frequently described in terms like “bespoke,” “crafted,” and “considered.” These words get thrown around a lot in designsometimes
as lightly as confettibut Found’s projects tend to earn them: the emphasis is on proportion, material honesty, and details that feel deliberate
instead of decorative.

Why Remodelista Fell for the Notting Hill Remodel

Remodelista’s feature doesn’t just spotlight a firm in the abstractit points to a specific project that captures the studio’s DNA:
a Notting Hill townhouse remodel with a stripped-down interior by Found Associates and a
modern garden room by designer Philip Nixon.

The remodel is the kind of story that makes architecture fans lean forward: the house was taken back to a shell and the basement floor was
lowered. At one point during construction, the architects noted you could stand in the mud at the bottom and look all the way up to the
roofan image that instantly communicates both the ambition and the chaos of major structural work.

The owner, Jamie Theakston, worked closely with the studio to create interiors that are warm and personal rather than “showroom
perfect,” including a strong streak of midcentury finds sourced on eBay. In other words: clean architecture, lived-in soul.
That balance is harder than it looks. Many homes can do “minimal” or “cozy.” Doing both takes discipline.

The house details that keep popping into your head

• The classic five-story London terraced house exterior, kept traditionalso the surprise is inside.
• A Venini chandelier in the stairwell, adding romance and a little theatrical flair where you least expect it.
• A “high/low” mix: Danish modern furniture paired with bold, characterful artwork.
• The basement kitchen: rough-hewn wood cabinetry contrasted with a polished
  stainless steel Boffi island and concrete floors.
• Subway tile used to emphasize the hearth-like presence of an Aga cooker (comfort food energy, but architectural).
• Quirky, human touches: commemorative royal plates bought on eBay.
• A restrained envelopepale gray walls, black shuttersthat lets materials and objects do the talking.
• A bathroom inspired by the mood of men’s club bathrooms: classic tile, confident restraint, timeless swagger.

The Found Associates Effect: 7 Design Moves You Can Borrow

1) Begin with the bones, not the throw pillows

The biggest “style decision” in the Notting Hill project wasn’t a fabric or a paint color. It was structural: stripping the interior back and
lowering the basement. That move reshapes how the home workscirculation, ceiling heights, daylight, and how you experience the space emotionally.
It’s the difference between “We updated the kitchen” and “We re-centered the entire house.”

2) Put the kitchen where life actually happens

In many London townhouses, the lower-ground level becomes the kitchen and daily living hub. Done poorly, it can feel like you’re cooking in a
stylish cave. Done well, it feels grounded, calm, and connected to the garden. The Notting Hill kitchen leans into that idea: durable floors,
honest materials, and a workhorse layout with a serious island.

3) Use contrast like seasoning, not a main course

Rough wood next to stainless steel. Concrete against tile. Old-school Aga with crisp, simple geometry around it. This is contrast that feels
architectural, not dramatic-for-drama’s-sake. The trick is proportion: one material leads, the other sharpens the edges.

4) Make neutrals feel alive (without resorting to “greige despair”)

Pale gray walls, black shutters, natural wood, and concrete could easily read cold. The difference here is texture and patina: wood that shows its
grain, tile with quiet rhythm, objects with history. Neutrals become a backdrop for life, not a blank void that whispers, “Do not sit here.”

5) Turn the stair into an experience

In a tall townhouse, the stairwell is basically your interior street. Treat it like one. A statement chandelier (like the Venini piece) and
carefully chosen art make movement through the house feel intentionalless “going upstairs,” more “small daily ceremony.”

6) Hide the chaos with joinery and planning

Calm rooms are rarely “simple.” They’re often well-managed. Thoughtful storage, clean transitions, and details that don’t fight each other
are what make a space feel easy. Found’s work tends to read as clear and quiet because the messy decisions were handled early and precisely.

7) Let the garden be the payoff

Remodelista highlighted the modern garden room by Philip Nixon for a reason: it’s the exhale at the end of the house. When the lower level becomes
the daily hub, the garden connection isn’t a bonusit’s the whole point. Even if you don’t add a garden room, you can treat your backyard (or
balcony, or patio) like an extension of the floor plan, not a separate universe.

Basement Lowering: The Glamorous Instagram Post Hides the Un-Glamorous Engineering

Lowering a basement floor sounds simpleuntil you remember your house is sitting on that basement. In real-world terms, digging down can involve
complex foundation work, structural bracing, phased excavation, careful planning around plumbing and drainage, and serious moisture management.
In attached or terraced homes, it can also involve extra caution because nearby structures may share walls or sit close enough to feel the effects.

If you’re inspired by the Notting Hill example, the takeaway isn’t “everyone should dig down.” The takeaway is:
big spatial improvements often require big structural decisions. When you can’t expand outward, you either rework what’s thereor,
conceptually speaking, you negotiate with gravity.

Smart “below-grade” design lessons you can use anywhere

• Plan for light early. Natural light strategies (windows, light wells, glazed doors, reflective surfaces) are not afterthoughts.
• Control moisture before finishes. Basements demand ventilation, drainage thinking, and materials that won’t throw a tantrum when
  humidity rises.
• Choose durable surfaces. Concrete, tile, stainless, and robust woods earn their keep in hardworking spaces.
• Don’t “over-finish.” The most timeless basement spaces feel intentional, not overly themed.

Steal This Look: Notting Hill Ideas That Translate to American Homes

A kitchen that feels modern but not precious

• Pair a statement island (stainless, stone, or richly grained wood) with simpler perimeter cabinetry.
• Use subway tile as a calm, classic fieldbut make it yours with layout (stacked, vertical, or longer proportions) or finish
  (matte, handmade, lightly irregular).
• Anchor the room with one “hearth” element: a range, a hood, or a feature wall that says “this is where the cooking happens.”

A neutral palette that still has personality

• Keep walls quiet (pale grays and soft whites) but bring warmth through wood and textiles.
• Add contrast with black shutters, black metal, or dark accents that frame views and sharpen the composition.
• Use “collected” decorvintage plates, thrifted art, one-off piecesso the space feels lived-in, not staged.

A bathroom that doesn’t chase trends

• Classic tile + thoughtful proportions = the recipe. Keep it clean, add one bold note (hardware, mirror, lighting), and stop.
• If you love an old-world vibe, aim for “tailored” rather than “themed.” Think clubby, not cosplay.

How to Do Your Own “Architect Visit” (Even If It’s a First Meeting)

You don’t have to fly to London to borrow the spirit of Remodelista’s Architect Visit. You can create your own version by showing up prepared and
curiousabout your space, your habits, and the design process.

Bring these to the table

1. Your pain points (dark kitchen, no storage, awkward circulation, basement that feels like a bunker).
2. Your non-negotiables (must keep the fireplace, need a mudroom, want a real pantry, want the kitchen near the garden).
3. Three inspiration examples (not thirty-seven; that’s how projects get lost).
4. A realistic budget range (even if it’s broadclarity beats mystery).
5. Timeline constraints (school year, work travel, lease end dates, weather windows).

Ask questions that reveal how they think

• How do you approach old buildingswhat do you preserve, and what do you reinvent?
• How do you make a minimalist palette feel warm?
• What’s your strategy for daylight in lower levels?
• Who will be on my project day-to-day?
• How do you prevent “design drift” once construction starts?

Conclusion: Minimalist, Not MonasticThe Sweet Spot Found Associates Hits

Remodelista’s manifesto talks about a style that’s “minimalist but not monastic,” favoring clarity over clutter and mixing high and low, vintage and
new. That philosophy is exactly what makes the Found Associates feature stick: the work is calm, but it’s not sterile; modern, but not icy; refined,
but still human.

The Notting Hill remodel is proof that the most memorable interiors aren’t created by piling on more. They’re created by choosing betterbetter
bones, better light, better materials, and a handful of objects that tell the truth about who lives there.

Bonus: Architect Visit Experiences (A “You Are There” Design Travel Add-On)

Imagine you’re doing your own Architect Visit in London, Remodelista-styleless “tourist checklist,” more “design detective with comfortable shoes.”
The day starts with a brisk walk through streets that feel like a mood board: brick facades, tall sash windows, iron railings, and that London light
that somehow looks soft even when it’s being a little dramatic.

When you arrive at a studio like Found Associates, the first thing you notice isn’t a single “signature look.” It’s the atmosphere of intent.
There are material samples you can’t stop touchingwood with visible grain, metal with a clean edge, tile that feels simple until you notice the
slight variation that makes it human. Drawings and plans are pinned up like evidence in a mystery. The real magic is how calm everything feels, even
though you’re surrounded by a thousand decisions. That calm is contagious. You start thinking: “Okay. Maybe my house can be peaceful too.”

In conversation, you realize the best architects don’t talk only about beauty. They talk about use. Where do you drop your keys? Where do
backpacks explode after school? Where do people hover during parties? (Hint: always the kitchen, always the spot you didn’t plan for.) A studio visit
makes you feel seenbecause the questions are about your actual life, not your Pinterest life.

Later, you head toward a neighborhood like Notting Hill and you start noticing townhouse anatomy: the vertical stacking, the way the stair becomes
the spine, the subtle shifts in light from floor to floor. You can practically feel why lowering a basement changes everything. Suddenly, “below
grade” doesn’t automatically mean “sad.” It can mean “grounded,” “quiet,” “cool in summer,” and “connected to the garden.” You picture a lower-level
kitchen that opens to the outsidemorning coffee with the door cracked open, kids doing homework at the island, a late-night snack run that feels like
you’re sneaking into a boutique hotel kitchen. (In the best way.)

The experience also teaches you restraint. In photos, it’s easy to fixate on objects: the chandelier, the island, the tile. In person, you realize
those pieces work because the background is disciplined. Pale walls don’t feel boring when the proportions are right. Concrete floors feel elegant
when the room has warmth elsewhere. Even “simple” subway tile looks intentional when it frames something meaningfullike a range that functions as the
hearth of the home.

On the way back, you stop thinking in “styles” and start thinking in “moves.” How can I bring light down? How can I clear visual clutter? Where can
I create contrast that feels architectural instead of random? What can I keep that’s meaningful, and what can I remove so the meaningful parts have
space to breathe?

That’s the real gift of an Architect Visit: it doesn’t just give you inspiration. It gives you a better eyeand a more confident way to make
decisions. You leave with fewer impulses and more clarity. And honestly, that might be the most luxurious design upgrade of all.

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