This 1827 townhouse on a garden square in Bloomsbury had an early life as a charitable Home of Hope for Fallen and Friendless Women. More recently the artist Duffy Ayers lived, worked and taught in the house for nearly 60 years. The P. Joseph refurbishment sought to preserve this sense of lived history, responding to the buildings past by revealing its accumulated character while adapting it with restraint for modern life.

P. Joseph first uncovered the historic fabric with light-touch conservation work, such as the gentle restoration of the original pine floorboards left with traces of use; mouldings left soft with the many layers from decades of repainting. Modern services were carefully concealed so as not to disturb the calm of the rooms, which had scarcely known electricity. Sash windows were remade and one added at ground level to create a sightline from the front door through to the borrowed scenery of a public park behind the garden.

Imbuing the space with a spirit of subtle intervention, the interior fittings were conceived to be furniture-like, carefully positioning contemporary pieces in the historic frame in a dialogic rather than as an imposition. A curved shower cubicle was discreetly placed in the corner of the bathroom, while the utilitarian kitchen appears freestanding. At ground level and above, P. Joseph embraced the open views of surrounding greenery. The basement is a contrastingly intimate space, its cork-lined bathing room with a Japanese ofuro tub providing respite from the city.