Kensington High Street.
Location: Kensington
Date: 2024
We turned an unused commercial space, which had grown dusty and dirty over the years, into two fresh and modern apartments.
Layouts had already been drawn up, and Heronlake was brought in to take care of the structural aspects. Our team didn’t stop until both apartments were guest-ready, so our client could rent them on Airbnb.
The places needed to look beautiful without the need to splurge.
Back to life
With Heronlake heading up the structural work and building design, we transformed the property from a neglected space to somewhere people would want to stay when visiting London. Bringing it back to life meant our client could start generating returns on their investment once again.
The building’s managing agent, plus the client and their family, did some drawings to mark out the general layout, colour schemes and design elements. Heronlake turned the vision into reality. We managed everything from structural strengthening to painting, floor installation, heating, plumbing and furniture set-up.
We kept the interior square, fresh and neutral, to appeal to a wide range of guests.
Overcoming hurdles on a budget
This Kensington High Street property is an old Victorian building. Unexpected costs and tricky workarounds usually come with the territory.
While the structural works presented the biggest challenges, there were also some demanding fire regulations in place. As the building is set in the same borough as Grenfell, we had to carefully fireproof the whole thing — particularly focusing on the stairs and ceiling.
Factor in this building’s location in the midst of a busy shopping area, which meant practicalities like parking and material transportation weren’t as straightforward.
Despite the hurdles, we were able to work within the client’s budget and complete the entire renovation project in around five months.