Let the Light In: Interior Design That Starts with Daylight

At Square One Architects, we believe that great interior design begins with light. Not just artificial lighting plans—but the nuanced choreography of daylight as it moves through space, interacts with surfaces, and reveals the texture and tone of materials throughout the day.

Whether we’re working on a home refurbishment in Hampton or reimagining a flat in South West London, our interiors are shaped by how light behaves. We consider the orientation of each room, the reflectivity of finishes, and the tactile qualities of timber, stone, and fabric. The result? Spaces that feel calm, coherent, and deeply personal.

Why Daylight Matters

Daylight isn’t just a source of illumination—it’s a design material in its own right. It affects mood, energy, and spatial perception. In our projects, we use daylight to:

• Highlight architectural features

• Enhance the grain and depth of natural materials

• Create rhythm and variation throughout the day

From skylit kitchens in Teddington to layered living rooms in Thames Ditton, our interiors are designed to evolve with the sun.

Interior Design That Responds to You

Every client is different. That’s why our interior design services in Hampton begin with listening. We want to understand how you live, what you value, and how your space can support and inspire you. We tailor every detail—from furniture layouts to finish selections—with clarity and care.

Ready to Begin?

If you're planning a refurbishment in Hampton or looking for thoughtful interior design in South West London, we’d love to help.
Contact us to start your interior journey.

Rear extension in Epsom completed

Today, we visited a completed rear extension project for a 3-bedroom house in Epsom.

The property included both a roof extension and an original outbuilding on the ground floor, shared with the neighbouring property.

The client aimed to extend the property towards the rear, incorporating a side return that would extend 7m deep, all while preserving a side alleyway.

The new extension features a kitchen seamlessly integrated into an open-plan dining area.

Facing northeast, the rear of the property required careful planning to maximize daylight. Therefore, selecting the right size and placement of doors, windows, and rooflights was crucial.

To comply with planning advice, we reduced the eaves height of the rear extension towards the detached neighbour and designed a pitched roof for the side return section, with an external eaves height of approximately 2.2m. This design element not only became a distinctive feature of the space but also allowed the installation of wide roof windows, which flood the open-plan area with natural light.

We and the clients are delighted with the final result, which beautifully enhances the home's functionality and aesthetic appeal.

Renovation of a historic house in Hampton under way

We recently visited the construction site of one of our projects which involves internal and external alterations and refurbishment of a 1920’s historic house of Townscape Merit in the heart of Hampton. The works will be completed soon, and more pictures will follow.

The client approached Square One Architects in 2017 to carry out several alterations to the house. The core of the project was a conversion of an existing basement to a habitable space that would be used as a third bedroom and a home gym. The plans also included a new bathroom with sauna and shower.

In order to access the basement level, we designed a new stair that would connect all the levels of the property. The new modern stair replaced the existing one that connected ground and first floor levels only.  These changes to the existing stair also involved remodeling the existing entrance lobby at ground floor level.

The project also included several other alterations including a new pedestrian access to the house, two new skylights at first floor level, the complete refurbishment of an existing green house and new lighting throughout the property.

In this instance Square One Architects agreed the initial plans with the clients, obtained all the necessary planning permissions, developed technical details and successfully applied for building control approval in order to convert the basement to a habitable space.

It was a very interesting project for a unique building. The original structure dated back from the 1920’s and had been used as a boatyard initially. The property was then converted to a recording studio. Rumor says that Pink Floyd rehearsed in this building, which is not impossible given its proximity to Fred Karno's Houseboat Astoria, a floating recording studio owned by David Gilmour.

We can’t wait to visit the finished project and to publish the final project pictures!