Upside Down Contemporary Home in Welwyn Hertfordshire
Alex and Sam purchased their rundown cottage in Welwyn, Hertfordshire, with the vision of transforming it into their dream home. The original building, a modest two-up, two-down cottage had been extended on both sides over time, but had since fallen into a state of disrepair and was in need of extensive renovation to meet the standards of modern living.
Project Type: Renovation and Extension
Project Profile: Whole house renovation with upside down living
Location: Welwyn, Hertfordshire
Build Time: 10 months
The cottage occupies a unique and picturesque site. It backs onto a road, with a dramatic level change down to a river below, while the majority of the garden lies beyond the river and is accessed via a small private bridge. Taking inspiration from the site’s layout and natural setting, the decision was made early in the design process to flip the internal arrangement positioning the main living areas on the upper floor and locating the bedrooms on the lower level. This ‘upside down’ configuration takes full advantage of the stunning views over the river and garden.
A new garage and carport were also added to the side of the house to improve functionality and parking access.
The upper floor now serves as one large, open-plan space, carefully zoned into kitchen, dining, and living areas. A key feature of the design is the first floor wraparound terrace, which seamlessly connects to the living space via full-height glazed doors. This creates an inviting outdoor seating area, perfect for summer entertaining and enjoying the tranquil setting.
On the lower level, the bedrooms open directly onto the riverside garden, maximising the visual and physical connection to the outdoors. The bathrooms and ensuites are positioned on the roadside of the property, against the original retaining wall. Here, the design had to respond to the character and constraints of the building’s historic structure, incorporating the existing buttresses that support the wall. Creative design solutions were required to sensitively position sinks and baths between these structural elements.
Click Through Gallery
Key Design Features
A series of unique design features make this upside down house truly special, combining thoughtful architectural interventions with creative interior elements.
Due to the property’s compact site and proximity to the road, parking solutions required careful consideration. A new garage structure was introduced, and to maximise functionality, a car parking space with a mechanical car lift was integrated above, allowing for additional parking on the driveway without compromising space.
One of the standout internal features is a centrally positioned fish tank, located between the dining and living areas. This striking element not only serves as a natural focal point for both rooms, but also cleverly acts as a visual divide within the open-plan space bringing a sense of structure and serenity to the layout.
The staircase, located to the road side of the house, presented an opportunity to creatively introduce natural light across both floors. A large rectangular rooflight was positioned directly above the stairwell, flooding both the upper and lower levels with daylight. Enhancing this vertical connection is a feature stone wall, designed to flow seamlessly alongside the staircase from ground to first floor, creating a strong architectural spine through the home.
The kitchen is a crisp and contemporary space, featuring a contrasting palette of white and timber units. Designed as a linear layout with a central island, the gas hob is positioned on the island itself, with seating at one end to encourage casual interaction and social cooking. The island spans the full width of the room and is perfectly aligned with a full-height set of bi-fold doors, offering stunning views across the garden and filling the space with natural light throughout the day.
Before and After 3D Cut-through Plans
After: 3D Floorplans (Ground and First)
Before: 3D Floorplans (Ground and First)
Route to Planning
A Householder Planning application was made under a single application with Hertfordshire County Council.
The property was increased in size by 1m2, with the original property being 180m2 and increased to 181m2, with a volume increase from 456m3 to 478m3.
