The Coach House: A Former Auto Garage Becomes a Family Home in South East London

After transforming a historic gin distillery into their first family abode, interior designer Leo Wood of Kinder Design and her architect husband, Rupert Scott of Open Practice Architecture, were ready for another challenge. “We loved the process of doing that, so we were hunting around for a site where we could build another home,” Leo says. “We found an old L-shaped automotive garage down a hidden track in East Dulwich in South East London, and we won it at auction. It’s a lovely, secluded location and an unexpected space.”


Rupert overhauled the exterior with reclaimed bricks, large glass windows, and iroko wood fascia along the roofline. For the annex, an adjacent building the couple purchased a few years into the project, he added vertical timber siding that matches the double doors and shutters that Simon Birtwistle crafted for the main structure. “We wanted to do something that was sensitive, not too ostentatious in terms of external materiality,” Leo explains.


Inside, each section of the house engages different materials, but they all flow together seamlessly. The ground level combines exposed aggregate concrete floors with crisp, white walls and white oak millwork, while the upper level mixes engineered wood floors with tongue-and-groove ceilings, plywood paneling, and pale green paint. The annex is clad head to toe in solid ash wood for an alpine lodge vibe. And Leo’s curated furnishings—many vintage finds, as well as new pieces from independent makers and high street brands—lend a retro-meets-modern look in every room.


Let’s take a tour:


Photography by Lewis Gregory, except where noted.


Above: The L-shaped house surrounds a leafy courtyard, which is visible from each and every window. “That feeling of seclusion and calm and green is incredibly important,” says Leo. “The connection to the outside is an essential counterpoint to this new, contemporary building.” Photograph by Ellen Christina Hancock.
Above: Sliding doors open into the kitchen, done in stainless steel and wood.

Above: An interior window offers a view into the annex, which can be accessed through the door on the other side of the stainless steel peninsula.



Above L: Leo opted for white Fenix laminate cabinet fronts, a white ceramic counter, and white Vitsoe modular shelves that float on the white oak wall. Above R: The millwork continues on the opposite side of the entry, in the kitchen and dining area, where Leo hung a vintage Louis Poulsen pendant above an ash wood table and colorful Vitra All Plastic Chairs. “I always tend to go for white lights because I don’t like for them to be too shouty,” she says. “The Vitra chairs are a design classic and they’re really comfortable. I wanted a spot of red to add a bit of vibrancy.” Photograph by Ellen Christina Hancock.
Above: The annex was once a derelict shed. When Rupert merged it with the former auto garage, he used an abundance of ash to distinguish it from the rest of the home. “It’s nice to have this room as a space that we could shut off and be slightly removed,” Leo says. “There’s a sense of separation from the main house. Everything is solid wood. It smells delicious.”

Above: Leo’s office is nestled beneath the staircase.
Above: The view in, from the courtyard. Photograph by Ellen Christina Hancock.
Above: On the top floor of the annex, a guest bedroom is equipped with a vintage dresser and upholstered chair.
Above: “What’s unusual about this bedroom is that there’s no glass in the window,” says Leo. “It’s this shutter that opens out directly into the garden. In the winter, when that’s shut, it’s this very dark, cozy space.”
Above: A tiny alcove is just big enough for a sink. Photograph by Ellen Christina Hancock.
Above: By the front entry to the original section. Photograph by Ellen Christina Hancock.
Above: To the right of the front doors, an inviting living room features a green mid-century sofa, gathered full-height curtains, and a cream Nordic Knots rug. “I wanted there to be this slight seventies feel, but in a very understated way, almost in a contemporary way,” Leo says. “I’m not going with flares and shaggy rugs, but I’ve used oranges and browns—just this more old-school palette.” Photograph by Ellen Christina Hancock.
Above: White oak built-ins by Hølte begin in the living room, with its slouchy Love Your Home couch and sunny yellow Tylco sideboard.
Above: The top floor of the main building is reached by ascending the airy, powder-coated steel staircase at the entrance.
Above: Leo enlivened the light-filled hallway with a striped rug from an antique dealer in North London, a vintage mustard velvet armchair, and lots of potted plants. “It’s this idea of very simple, pared-back architecture with slightly more informal, colorful, one-off furniture pieces,” she says. Photograph by Ellen Christina Hancock.
Above: In the primary bedroom, Leo covered the walls in a pale green hue called Willow III by Paint & Paper Library. She then sourced a vintage dresser and an amber dome table lamp, which sit beneath an oil painting of her great-grandfather that her granny gave her: “the most important artwork in the house.”
Above: Built-in storage extends from the bedroom into the ensuite, whose walls are made of waterproof microcement.
Above: Leo and Rupert sit on the ash steps in their double-height entryway. Photograph by Ellen Christina Hancock.


For more (and a look at the space before), head to Open Practice Architecture. | bit.ly/3XLoEJb


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