In 2017, after a long and seemingly fruitless hunt, architects James and Claire Dowen happened upon a Victorian terraced house in Peckham, south-east London. It was in a sorry state, with little original charm, but they both immediately knew it was the one. More than equipped for the challenge – James has since co-founded Dowen Farmer Architects, while Claire is an Associate at Farrells – they embarked on a year-long renovation.

The project was no easy feat – even for experts. The couple toured their neighbours’ homes so they could identify their own place’s original features and layout, and drew up what felt like hundreds of plans in the process. But their hard work and dedication was rewarded when they settled on a light-filled, characterful design that would encourage flexible living. Now, as their home comes on the market, James discusses refurbishing a period home and why the time has come for his family to move on to pastures new.

James: “We’d been living in a new-build apartment in Brixton. It was on the top floor of the building, so we had amazing views and lots of light, but it was pretty soulless. We wanted a family home.

“Although we loved Brixton, we had to look further east to find something within our budget. We looked at hundreds of places. The search was becoming all-consuming, so it was important that we were selective with what we viewed. Then Claire sent over this house on Kings Grove. It looked like a bit of a dump at first glance from the advertisement, so I was a little reluctant to see it, but luckily she persuaded me to come along to the viewing. We walked through the front door and both instantly knew it was the one. It looked like the pictures – it was a complete and utter ruin – but the proportions were just right, with high ceilings, big windows and a lovely Victorian staircase.

“We drew our plans based on the idea of reintroducing the richness of the house’s history, while simultaneously creating a modern and flexible family home with open living spaces and plenty of daylight.

“Claire and I designed the house together. We added a three-storey extension on to the back of the house, which now contains the dining room on the ground floor and a bedroom above it. It’s an unusual extension and ended up setting a precedent for the whole street. It has completely changed the layout of our home for the better.

“We stripped out the house ourselves, meticulously peeling back layers of history, looking for original gems. All that was left standing was the front façade, party walls and floor joists. The house required a new roof, but we decided to expose the spruce ply ceiling in the two bedrooms below, which opened up the vaulted space. We had the whole house reinsulated so it’s incredibly thermally efficient.

“For us, the house is all about light. We sacrificed the square footage to make a void above the stairs, where we added a large skylight. It means the centre of the house is especially bright for a Victorian terraced house. We also moved the kitchen into the middle of the house, so it benefits from the sun that comes down the staircase.

“We kept downstairs quite minimal. The kitchen is white with a quartz worktop but the original sash windows and wooden floorboards stop it from feeling sterile. When we moved in, many of the floorboards were damaged, so we bought some reclaimed ones from a warehouse in Tower Hamlets. We picked them up ourselves, drove them home across London and then sanded them all down by hand before having them laid. We think they look superb.

“We fought tooth and nail with the builder to keep the original staircase – though we have added to it, to create a contemporary contrast beyond the landing. Now there’s a short run of floating treads, suspended from the ceiling and made from solid hardwood.

“We put a whole lot of love into sourcing things. Much of the industrial-style lighting came from a salvage yard up north, while the door in the entrance hall dates to the early 1900s and came from a sweet shop. The hand-painted tiles there came from Morocco. We carried all 60kg of them back in our hand luggage.

“The dark-green living room is a real contrast to the rest of the downstairs rooms. We wanted it to be an intimate and cosy space, with the built-in teak joinery and panelling on the walls. There are folding doors between the kitchen and living room, so you have the flexibility of opening spaces up or closing them off.

“We will miss the flow of the space, but I might just miss the garden more. It’s an absolute suntrap. You can see straight through to it as soon as you walk through the front door – it offers a lovely green shimmer as you move through the house. It’s a great spot for BBQs, but we’ve also got a log-fired hot tub out there, which makes it a fun place to be in the winter and great for parties.

“We’re ready for a new project, but we absolutely love the area now we’ve lived here and hopefully won’t be moving too far. Loads of great restaurants have opened at the end of our street, so that’s a major pull.

“I hope the new owners will find it to be as happy a house as we have. We will miss it. There’s a real energy and buzz around the street and there’s an unbelievable sense of community. When we were doing the strip-out, a lady we’d never met turned up with bacon sandwiches and tea! It’s a very special place.”