From the semis of Clapham to the terraces of Tooting, the townhouses of Islington to the stucco villas of Notting Hill, our capital is famed for its Victorian homes. And while we all love period features such as ornate cornicing, handsome fireplaces and jewel-toned stained glass, the fact is, Victorian architecture isn’t always a perfect fit for contemporary living.
The open-plan kitchen-diners and flowing layouts that suit our lives now would have been unimaginable to the 19th-century Londoner because the architecture of that era was all about decorum and keeping up appearances. The front reception room acted as the house’s public face, while cooking was hidden away at the back of the house or in the basement, along with any servants.
