Lendel Stephens Ltd - Local Architecture and Interiors Studio

Stephen was fantastic to work with and helped us fully renovate our Lordship Lane house. The property had hardly been adjusted since 1930, and we completed a full renovation with a rear extension and loft conversion.

We interviewed quite a few architects in the early stages, and Stephen was by far the easiest to meet. I remember him carefully considering the original details of the property and then offering a future vision – all in our early interactions. His quiet confidence made it very easy to engage him, and I would recommend any project at least meet him as the initial contact was worthwhile.

My wife and I were quite naïve about home building at the time. Stephen was able to guide us through the process, first through the design phase and then planning, tendering, and adjusting the design to meet budget requirements.

Stephen has a gentle coaching manner that worked well for us as clients. I also witnessed it being a very effective communication method for the many other professionals involved throughout the build. We maintained our contact with him throughout the build, which was a good decision. His methodical process protected us from time and budget overruns. It was reassuring as clients to watch the oversight Stephen provided with contractors.

Stephen had an ability to understand our points of anxiousness as clients. He would pre-empt scenarios by explaining what to expect and putting plans in place before problems arose – quite a skill!

Our home is more than we could have hoped for. It is a very practical space, with family life emphasised by the design. Along with the practicality, we also enjoy the subtle beauty in the features Stephen envisioned that we could not have planned ourselves. Design choices he advocated for, which I did not appreciate in the early stages, certainly shine through now that we live in the space.

Subtle details such as the positioning of light, the lines of sight, and even the cladding lining up perfectly are things I now enjoy living in the property. I can look at them with a sense of contentment, knowing we have given the property another life.

We enthusiastically recommend Stephen for any building work and suggest any project around the Dulwich area would benefit from at least an initial contact with him.

Stephen helped us completely renovate our, then, very delapidated, end of terrace, 1930’s house that we had bought close to Peckham Rye park. This also included remdelling the ground floor, a loft extension and garden redesign and landscaping. Stephen has supported us right from the beginning through design, tendering and the project management of all of the works.

Stephen is very easy to work with, punctual and a good communicator who combines design flair with meticulous attention to detail and cost control. He is was as happy helping us realise our own ideas as providing his own. He also had a lovely way of gently steering us clear when we come up with interesting but impractical propositions. Having never employed an architect before it was also a great relief to be provided with all the details of Stephen’s fees up front.

Stephen came up with a very interestingly shaped, rear and side, ground floor extension that has provided us with a spacious, light flooded, kitchen lounge, a utility room and a ground floor bathroom. He also found ways of greatly expanding and increasing the use we could make of our loft space. This now incorporates a large bedroom, bathroom, extra storage space in the eaves and fold out balconies with views across Peckham Rye park to the Shard.

Given its dilapidated state the house needed new everything. Stephen guided us in upgrading the existing building to modern standards. This included: externally insulating the solid brick exterior walls; insulating the ground floor, floors; and  switching from a gas boiler to a green energy efficient electric Air Source Heat Pump backed up by roof mounted PV solar cells.

Whilst, in the past, we had ourselves renovated our previous houses we realised that the complexity of our new project was a major step change. So, we also employed Stephen to project manage everything from beginning to end. This was invaluable as project management turned out to be a major undertaking. Stephen: kept track of what had and had not been done; checked on the quality; clarified and challenged builder’s invoices; and redesigned and re-specified as our ideas changed or new structural problems were unearthed.  Stephen’s calm, meticulous attention to detail meant we always knew what was happening, what needed to be done and that Stephen would ensure any problems that arose would be sorted. He always went the extra mile.

Given our experience we would thoroughly recommend Stephen to anyone.