Lipstick on a Pig

In 2022, my team and I were handed a derelict building acquired by a long time client in a desirable part of London; it had 3 rundown flats, each with 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms. The goal was to completely gut and reconstruct the property into a luxurious single family dwelling. This family dwelling was to feature a newly dug out, full sized basement opening into the garden and a first floor terrace extension. Considering that the planning application/consent process would take over 12 months, we took a bold decision to minimally refurbish the flats and put them up for short lease whilst we worked on the designs and administrative works for single family home. We called it our “Lipstick on a Pig” project. What began as a stop-gap, became a new business venture. My team worked hard, and creatively to bring this building back to life. With a minimal budget for what we thought was a temporary solution, we finished and furnished those flats expertly, including the common areas and impressive gardens.