A reading nook needs about 3 ft by 4 ft of floor, a chair, a light and a bookshelf, and a London flat almost always has that space already. In a Victorian conversion it is the alcove beside the chimney breast; in a mansion block it is the bay; in a new build it is the dead corner of the living room behind the sofa.

There is a question that arrives, in some form, in almost every brief Studio Akiva receives for a period property: how much of what's already here do we keep?

A characterful Victorian terrace in NW3 held every material promise, high ceilings, bay windows, a generous garden, yet fell short of a singular vision. Studio Akiva redesigned the floor plan entirely, relocated the kitchen, rebuilt the bathroom from studwork, and saved the client £1,900 through trade procurement.