Schoolhouse Loft – East-London Interior Design & Renovation
Opening a Victorian classroom into a light soaked duplex home
The Details
Client: Young professional couple relocating to London
Task: Re-plan and fit-out a two-storey apartment inside a former Victorian board school, turning a dark kitchenette and disjointed living areas into one cohesive open plan space, and creating an investment-grade loft.
The Brief
The owners were instantly smitten by the apartment’s towering Crittall-style windows and warm London-stock brick, yet day-to-day living felt hemmed in by a galley kitchenette, awkward circulation and a bathroom long past its best. They asked us to re-imagine the duplex as a genuine open-plan hub where cooking, dining and relaxing could unfold in one seamless sweep, all while amplifying the double-height shell’s extraordinary daylight.
Our brief also called for finishes that would feel sophisticated yet hard-wearing: think forest-green joinery, quartz worktops and oak herringbone, all set within a calm, nature-inflected palette.
Our approach
Our work began with a detailed site visit and measured survey that laid bare the building’s possibilities: the pony wall slicing across the ground floor could safely come down, services could be corralled into discreet bulkheads, and the double-height brickwork was begging to be celebrated rather than hidden. With that knowledge in hand we moved into concept development, testing a series of layout options before settling on the winning scheme—one that would stretch the kitchen a full seven metres along the brick façade, draw a Calacatta-look waterfall island into the room and realign circulation so the entire ground floor read as a single, light-soaked volume.
Because the clients opted for our Premium Make-Over package for the open-plan zone and bathroom, we pushed the detailing further: colour-matched forest-green cabinetry, brass shadow-lines with concealed LED strips, engineered oak herringbone warmed by electric under-floor heating and, upstairs, a spa-calm bathroom cloaked in large-format taupe porcelain and brushed-brass fittings. Meanwhile the bedroom mezzanine and home office received our Basic Make-Over treatment—fresh finishes, streamlined storage and a quiet, cohesive palette—ensuring every corner of the duplex felt considered, even at a lighter touchpoint.
Set within a converted former school building in London, the Clark Street School Loft project focused on transforming a distinctive loft-style apartment into a calm, contemporary home that respects the building’s architectural heritage. The property’s high ceilings, large windows and open layout provided an excellent foundation for creating a bright, functional living environment while maintaining the character of the original structure.
Studio Akiva approached the design with a focus on clean lines, practical space planning and carefully selected materials to enhance the natural light and sense of volume within the loft. The interior balances modern finishes with subtle industrial influences, creating a space that feels both refined and relaxed. Thoughtful furniture placement, layered lighting and integrated storage solutions ensure the apartment works effortlessly for everyday living.
The result is a modern London loft that celebrates the history of the building while delivering a highly functional contemporary interior. By combining intelligent design decisions with a restrained palette of materials and finishes, the Clark Street School Loft demonstrates how a carefully considered interior design approach can unlock the full potential of characterful city apartments.