---
title: "Townhouse Remodel Full of Surprises and Delight"
url: https://stacklist.com/card/0e38c885-a78b-466e-9a6d-ca69f2cc5297
source_url: "https://thedsgnblog.com/Townhouse-Remodel-Full-of-Surprises-and-Delight-by-Studio-S-M"
stack: https://stacklist.com/c/home/stack/11b2151d-535f-4da4-bd29-ec84d1c3ae46
summary: "Office S&M transformed the lower ground floor of a Victorian townhouse in Islington, London, into a joyful, colourful space called Mo-tel House for a young family of four, featuring open-plan living, custom multi-functional furniture, and tropical colours with tinted mirrors. The project embraces themes of reuse and longevity, with every material borrowed or reframed and each piece of furniture designed to serve multiple purposes, reducing waste."
tags: "interior-design, architecture, remodel, townhouse, victorian, sustainability, furniture-design"
key_entities: "Office S&M (organization), Mo-tel House (concept), Islington, London (location), Tamsin Chislett (person), Onloan (organization), Catrina Stewart (person), Hugh McEwen (person), French + Tye (organization), The Design Blog (organization), McElligott Building (organization), Smile Plastics (organization)"
classification: "reference"
content_hash: "sha256:bbfdcd26f37a9ea7c7dabec7f16295d75d9d2eff8deb2702e43da8ef9c52d844"
acp_version: "0.2"
token_counts_approximate: 1030
visibility: public
agent_accessible: true
status: "final"
---

# Townhouse Remodel Full of Surprises and Delight

"> ︎ TDB THE DESIGN BLOG Home               Archive               Creatives               Resources             About             Support             Shop   Submit Work INTERIORS Townhouse Remodel Full of Surprises and Delight by Office S&M Mo-tel House is a remodelling of the lower ground floor of a Victorian townhouse in Islington, London, for a young family of four. The name Mo-tel House signifies the clients’ aspiration for their home: a joyful, bright and colourful escape from grey London. Alongside a brief to transform the previously damp, dark, and cramped area and bring it back into use, Office S&M was invited to create a space full of surprises and delight for each member of the family to enjoy. The reimagined lower ground floor now features an open plan, dual aspect kitchen and dining space achieved by removing internal walls, and a further two bathrooms and utility space. More unusually, the architects have designed all the furniture and deployed colour, mirrors and lighting to dramatic effect.  The cooking and dining area incorporates plinths to climb, soft surfaces to nestle in, tiny spaces to crawl into. Tropical colours and tinted mirrors are used throughout to reflect and frame views, distorting scale and suggesting worlds beyond. The client, Tamsin Chislett, is co-founder of Onloan , an online service based on lending fashion rather than consuming it. These ideas of borrowing and reuse were carried through in the project, with every material being borrowed, reused and reframed for a new purpose. The architects designed each piece of furniture to serve more than one function. A pink and blue bench with crested canopy acts as dining seating, cosy reading nook, storage, regal throne, and cabinet to display curiosities collected during the family’s travels. This allows each family member to find new uses for the furniture, and through this reinterpretation and multiplicity of uses, longevity is secured and waste is reduced. CREDITS Architects: Office S&M   Photography: French + Tye Contractor: McElligott Building Furniture build: McElligott Building Structural engineer: Foster Structures Kitchen surfaces: In Opera Recycled plastic surfaces: Smile Plastics Copyright @ Office S&M ABOUT OFFICE S&M Co-founded by Catrina Stewart and Hugh McEwen in 2013, Office S&M is an award-winning architecture practice with a varied portfolio. The studio has gained recognition for its inventive approach, participatory practice, collaboration, and experimentation with materials and colour to create drama. Discover more All Articles BRANDING Brand Identity for Superorganism Biodiversity Venture Fund by Goodside ART Now You See Me Art Installation by Wade and Leta RECOMMENDED 8 Summer Reads for Creative Inspiration by The Design Blog The Design Blog We highlight and uplift interesting works, ideas, and voices within the creative industry, ranging from graphic design and branding to art, interior, product design, digital and web experiences. Browse Home Archive Creatives Resources Shop About Information Advertising Submit Work Terms & Cookies Privacy Policy Follow us Instagram Pinterest Facebook Twitter Linkedin Newsletter More awesome inspiration, delivered directly to your inbox. Subscribe now ︎︎︎ The Design Blog We highlight and uplift interesting works, ideas, and voices within the creative industry, ranging from graphic design and branding to art, interior, product design, digital, and web experiences. Browse Home Archive Creatives Resources Shop About Information Advertising Submit Work Terms & Cookies Privacy Policy Follow us Instagram Pinterest Facebook Twitter Linkedin Newsletter More awesome inspiration, delivered directly to your inbox. Subscribe now ︎︎︎ © The Design Blog 2025  All images copyright to their respective owners. Old Site Curated, Designed & Buillt by  ONNO