Colour Clash
In colour and form, Office S&M’s Mo-tel House is a far cry from the average London townhouse refurbishment
In form and colour, the award-winning Office S&M’s Mo-tel House escapes the monotony of so many London home renovations. According to architects Catrina Stewart and Hugh McEwen – who aspire to deliver buildings that are an ‘experience’ – the name Mo-tel House represents the spirit of the client’s brief: an exuberant escape from grey London.
Starting with a transformation of a damp, dark and cramped lower ground floor of a Victorian townhouse, the architects were tasked with creating a space ‘full of surprises and delight’ for the young family who would live there.
Colours are used here to frame and reflect views, helping to give more depth and character to a space which is otherwise quite simple in form
The reimagined 55 sqm space now features an open plan kitchen and dining space, plus two bathrooms and utility space. Office S&M has designed all of the furniture and used mirrors, lighting and clashing colour to thrilling effect. What’s more, the client is co-founder of Onloan, a fashion rental subscription service, and this commitment to circular economy informs Mo-tel House, with every material being borrowed, reused and reframed for a new purpose.
“The suite of furniture pieces are designed to have multiple uses in the space, and are imagined as characters in a play, each with their own particular traits and uses,” says Stewart. “Colours are used here to frame and reflect views, helping to give more depth and character to a space which is otherwise quite simple in form. In all of our projects, we embrace colour and narrative as architectural building materials, as much as bricks and mortar.”
