Home > Houses > The Gouse , a uniquely named residence by Marta Nowicka, is a beautiful houses where a garage used to be

The Gouse , a uniquely named residence by Marta Nowicka, is a beautiful houses where a garage used to be

By Courtney Constable

|

Published on

In the heart of London, England, innovative designer Marta Nowicka has created The Gouse, a lovely three story residence that stands on the site of a former garage in Dalston.

The name of this project was chosen by combining the words “house” and “garage” but that’s not the only way that Nowicka decided to pay tribute to the plot’s original purpose. The exterior walls of the house are also glad in cedar shingles, similar to the way the old garage that once stood in its place would have been!

According to Nowicka, the site of The Gouse was a plot that she purchased online without ever even seeing it first. Something about it just emanated workability. The plot itself measures only 45 square metres and is surrounded on all sides by the back gardens of its neighbouring Victorian buildings with old fashioned terraces, except for the side where it faces onto a the road.

Due to the limited space the designer had to work with, teams decided to extend the building upwards, adding rooms vertically rather than horizontally. That’s why the house stands three stories from the ground rather than the more traditional two! This includes a basement featuring light wells to keep the bottom floor lit and bright.

The Gouse has several other extremely unique features as well. These include glass floor sections that show from one storey to another, as well as a “living wall”. This vertical plant display sits on the first floor and establishes a sense of an indoor-outdoor living space and a cohesiveness of the house with the environment around it.

When The Gouse was first being conceptualized, designers decided that they’d like to prioritize two goals: preserving the “end of garden character” the original garage had and improving the way that the new building meets the street and looks from the sidewalk to passersby. Character was established partially by including a few random treasures found in an old shed on the plot back into the new building, preserving the area’s history in a contemporary way.

Inside the Gouse, very large, carefully framed windows give lovely views of the neighbouring gardens around the plot. In the master bedroom, which sits just past the entrance and first corridor, an entirely glazed glass wall faces out onto a small exterior patio space that is enclosed for privacy and peacefulness by a perforated brick wall.

On the basement floor, guests will encounter a beautiful wood burner that adds to the already shed-inspired atmosphere of The Gouse’s decor. This burner creates a nostalgic warmth and smoky scent that reminds one of burning autumn leaves.

Photographs by Voytek Ketz

Avatar photo
About Courtney Constable

Courtney has over five years experience as a writer, editor and consultant who specializes in architecture and home interiors. She has contributed content to HomeDSGN since 2018 and her work has also appeared on MyDomaine, Archilovers and Apartment Therapy. Learn more about HomeDSGN's Editorial Process.

Leave a Comment