For architect Richard Prest and curator Katharina Worf, Leyton in east London occupies that “sweet spot” between urbanity and nature: 30 minutes in either direction takes you to Epping Forest or the City. When the couple began their search for a first home here, Richard soon developed a fascination with the Abrahams – a 19th-century family of developers who, over several decades, perfected a template for the humble Edwardian maisonette.

Purchased in 2015, Richard spent four years deliberating over the gentle restoration and careful reinvention of their tranquil sun-soaked home. During that time, the couple have created a cohesive, flexible space filled with meaningful belongings that reflect both their personal and professional lives. As their home comes on the market, we discover how Richard and Katharina – and their two-year-old daughter, Anna – have enjoyed the space and where they hope to find their next sweet spot…

Richard: “Before we moved to Leyton, I was on a year-long architecture scholarship that was set up by William Morris. I was basically a nomad, travelling around the UK studying traditional methods of construction.”

Katharina: “I grew up in the German countryside before moving to Berlin for eight years. In 2012, I moved in with a friend in Stoke Newington and instantly fell in love with east London.”

Richard: “When we started to look for our first home together, I began researching historical maps of the area. In Leyton, there was this explosion of urbanity in the 1880s. In just 20 years, fields became streets and I found that quite fascinating.

“Gradually, I discovered the story of the Abrahams family who built around 500 homes here. As developers, they were also responsible for maintaining the houses – some of them even lived here, so they weren’t removed from the community and I think you can really see that in the buildings. I’m not saying these houses were built by Louis Khan, but I do see them each as humble essays on how to use brick. They aren’t heavily ornamented – they are essentially really robust, carefully considered brick shells with generous openings and beautifully proportioned rooms. That, for us, was a really good starting point.”

Katharina: “I remember entering the house and immediately feeling a sense of calm. It is a surprisingly tranquil space and I think that’s partly because of the views we have.”

Richard: “We have an unusually deep private garden because we share the block with Newport Road School. At the end of the garden, there is a studio and two mature trees: an incredible pine and a cherry that blossoms in spring. The views from the maisonette have this beautiful backdrop. Also, its orientation is fantastic: throughout the whole day, the sun animates the interiors from front to back so we travel through the space with the light.

“We moved in 2015 and decided not to make any changes for a few years. We weren’t in a rush and we wanted to just get a feel of the place. In fact, looking back, the first sketches we made are very different from what we finally decided to do here.

“On the one hand, we’ve been led by the building and restored what was already here, which was essentially three good living spaces and a few smaller, ancillary rooms. On the other, we’ve been able to take delight in the specifics of the space – the orientation, the light, the views – and amplify those qualities to suit a more contemporary lifestyle.

“In 2019 we moved a few streets away for two months while the builders moved in. At the back of the maisonette, we removed a few internal walls to create a large contemporary living space. This is what we felt was missing – a place where we could cook and eat together, or make coffee and chat without treading on each other’s toes.”

Katharina: “We spend most of our time in the kitchen and dining space now, because it’s flooded with natural light until around 2pm. It’s actually my favourite place to be – particularly sitting on the bench, looking out over the garden. It’s very calm and contemplative. In fact, Anna sometimes finds it hard to leave!”

Richard: “We really enjoyed thinking through how we were going to marry the restored living space and bedrooms with the contemporary gathering space. We ran new engineered floorboards through the space to tie it together and we used terrazzo in both the entryway and the kitchen. We wanted to enjoy new technologies as well, so we commissioned a local CNC machinist to create the staircase and balustrade for the loft space.

“The loft has multiple uses: during lockdown it became a workspace, but it’s also been a nursery, we’ve had artists staying there, my parents stayed there between house moves… It’s perfect for effortless hosting and it really takes the pressure off the more specific living areas.

“The same is true of the shed at the end of the garden, which we have remodelled based on the footprint of the living room. It’s been used for storing building materials, for joinery, for kids parties, for work meetings, grown-up dinner parties and film screenings – it’s a truly flexible space.”

Katharina: “Even with a house full of guests, it never feels small here, and that’s because every space is the result of hundreds of small decisions. My input was more focussed on the colours we’ve used and the artwork. I’ve been a curator for many years and the work here represents my career journey. Some of the pieces on display are personal gifts, including a blue ceramic plate from Sol Calero, a Latin American artist I worked with in Germany for many years. We also have a small tapestry by the American artist Margo Wolowiec, and a work by Claire Hooper. In the living room above the sofa is a photograph by John Divola we bought together a  couple of years ago.”

Richard: “I grew up in St Ives, and we’re also lucky enough to have a few pieces from the St Ives School, including a lithograph by Terry Frost in the living room and a small work by his son, Anthony Frost, in the kitchen and dining area. In the roof space, behind the desk is an abstract piece by Sandra Blow. I wrote to her for my GCSE art project, and she was kind enough to reply.”

Katharina: “Almost every object we have at home has a personal story attached. We never just go and buy something – we think carefully about any addition to the space.”

Richard: “With everything, I think it’s about getting to the point of being specific about things – whether it’s a piece of furniture, a paint colour or an artwork.”

Katharina: “We both have offices to go to near Old Street, but we also work from home regularly, either upstairs in the loft or in the garden studio. Practically, it makes a huge difference having two spaces to work in. Plus it’s incredibly peaceful here, so it’s easy to concentrate. When we need a break, we usually take a short walk down to Francis Road, where we’re spoilt for choice.”

Richard: “Our daughter goes to nursery in the Olympic Park, so we cycle there most days. I think the Olympic Park is something to be really proud of. It’s brought so many things together in such a masterful way. Each day after nursery, we hang out in the park – usually with a picnic and friends.”

Katharina: “There is a real sense of community here that neither of us had experienced in London before. We’ve made a lot of good friends, which has made the decision to move out of London quite long and difficult.”

Richard: “We are hoping to move west, closer to where my parents live and where we will be able to have a bit more space for our growing family. Also, there are three surfboards hidden in the roof space of the shed which we’re hoping to use a bit more…

“We won’t go as far as Cornwall, because we still need to be able to commute to London, so we’re looking at Stroud, which is a place we’ve got to know quite well recently. We hope to find a slightly larger-scale project there – something we can make a visible contribution to.”