From ugly house to modernist beauty - in pictures

When Leigh Radford and Mel Crolla first saw their house in Hackney, east London, it was deeply unlovely. Once the street’s Victorian corner shop, the building had been bombed in the blitz and clumsily rebuilt in the 70s, with only a crude nod to its period past. Having lain unoccupied for two years, it was back on the market after its last owner, a builder, decided it wasn’t worth the effort. Photograph: PR

Even for a pair of designers with their own practice, such a project was unthinkable without an architect on board. Luckily, they already had someone in mind, Martyn Clarke, who specialises in maximising space using big, bright extensions that sit sympathetically with older houses. Photograph: PR

A huge skylight set into a turfed flat roof floods the lower ground floor with light, while the top floor is invisible at street level, hidden behind the tall parapet. To cover the jumble of bricks from three eras of building, the exterior was painted with a black mortar dye designed to gradually weather. Photograph: Rachel Whiting

Light pours into the basement via huge skylights and slide-away glass doors onto the garden. The innovative combination of fixed windowpanes and ventilation shutters helped cut costs on the project. Photograph: Rachel Whiting

The lower ground floor was previously a low-ceilinged basement garage. Clarke dug down to give the room added height and created huge skylights in the extensions at either end. Slide-away glass doors and a cluster of pot plants merge the room with the garden beyond. Photograph: Rachel Whiting

Much of their furniture came with them from their old house, including the Fronzoni ’64 dining table for Cappellini, available at Skandium, and the Hans Wegner Wishbone chairs, from Aram. Photograph: Rachel Whiting

A five-metre granite-topped kitchen island made by 2-detail dominates the lower ground floor, above which hangs a trio of Lantern lights, now discontinued, designed by the Bouroullec brothers for Belux. The Vola KV1 tap was bought on ebay for a fraction of its normal price. A blackboard paint wall panel (try Amazon) helps to keep the family organised. Photograph: Rachel Whiting

This Polder sofa, by Hella Jongerius for Vitra, is one of the few pieces the couple bought for their new home. Above it hang pictures by Crolla and the couple’s friends, as well as pieces bought on their travels. Photograph: Rachel Whiting

In the upstairs living room, a Matthew Hilton chair and ottoman sit alongside a Ribbon stool by Nendo for Cappellini (found on ebay), and an old Habitat rug. Photograph: Rachel Whiting

Radford and Crolla work from home in their studio off the lounge. They chose the green lino floor because it was cheap and colourful (try Jaymart for similar). The Pol chair is by Jorge Pensi for Akaba. Photograph: Rachel Whiting

Radford and Crolla in front of the vintage world time zones clock that Crolla rescued during a London hotel’s refit. She was working on a project there, and it was about to be thrown into a skip, so she shipped it home in an estate car. Photograph: Rachel Whiting

In their bedroom, Radford designed the dressing table and had it made in rosewood as a present for his wife, while the three-legged stool is by Ikea founder, Ingvar Kamprad from Habitat’s VIP collection. Radford made the bed himself using pieces of timber, by Dinesen Douglas, left over from the flooring. Photograph: Rachel Whiting

The bathroom is clad in Rotondo mosaic tiles from Domus, while the Polo chair is by Robin Day – try ebay. Photograph: Rachel Whiting

In the graphic-looking garden, a concrete raised bed and batten walls are painted black as a backdrop to the glossy green plants. The geometric concrete floor tiles were swapped with a friend. Try Mosaic del Sur for similar. The sculptural Spun chair is by Thomas Heatherwick for Magis, and a pair of black Tolix chairs from Made sit beside a concrete planter from Habitat, now discontinued. Photograph: Rachel Whiting