Montague Street

London

Kielder

Herringbone

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Kielder herringbone in the Grade II-listed restoration of 23–24 Montague Street The Bedford Estates and FT Architects converted two early 19th-century Bloomsbury townhouses from a dilapidated hotel into six apartments. Kielder herringbone runs through light interiors defined by full-height windows, cast-iron fireplaces and fresh white walls. Following a previous collaboration with FT Architects, Ted Todd’s Commercial Specification Consultant provided samples of FSC-certified engineered wood floors. The specification needed to respect the Georgian architecture and suit the contemporary interiors. Kielder was selected for its historic connection to traditional oak flooring, natural character and enduring herringbone format.

Project type: Residential
Location: London
Featured Product: Kielder

Project Overview

23-24 Montague Street is a Grade II Listed property that has recently been beautifully restored for residential use by The Bedford Estates with the expertise of FT Architects, who have a breadth of expertise in renovating and remodeling existing and often listed buildings.

Built in the early 1800s, the buildings on Montague Steet have gone through a series of changes reflecting the social history of the area.

This project involved the conversion of two Grade II Listed townhouses, from a dilapidated budget hotel to 6 luxury apartments.

The Bedford Estates has owned, developed and cared for much of Bloomsbury since 1669.

A conservation area, they have sought to protect the splendid and elegant Georgian buildings within their portfolio and continue to be committed to preserving and enhancing this precious heritage for future generations.

As such, their primary objective for Montague Street was to create sustainable, beautiful, functional homes for the local rental market whilst respecting and restoring the building’s original features.

How we helped

Having worked with FT Architects previously, our commercial specification team was approached to provide samples of sustainable engineered wood floors that would deliver the client’s brief. The floor needed to offer a timeless elegance to compliment both the contemporary interior design and the integrity of the building’s existing architecture.

Many early Georgian wooden floors were made of oak, so it was fitting that Kielder herringbone was specified for the project.

Part of Ted Todd’s Classic Futures® collection, Kielder is a traditionally sawn, FSC-certified European oak floor. These nature grade herringbone blocks deliver a warm neutral tone with subtle grey colour variation that adds modern sophistication to the scheme.

Combined with subtle grain characteristics enhanced through brushing techniques, Kielder is a floor that works hard whilst maintaining an easy elegance.

Outcome

Georgian design is steeped in history and was originally inspired by the beauty and symmetry of Renaissance architecture.

Floor to ceiling windows frame views of London Street, and cast-iron fireplaces make strong statements against fresh white walls. With such a clean finish the timeless herringbone floor underpins the whole scheme and adds distinct character to the overall aesthetic.

“When it comes to the heritage buildings in our care, our conservation work involves the restoration. We combine this with contemporary design, so our properties remain attractive, contemporary, comfortable places to live and work in” said Bloomsbury Estates.

Conclusion

These light and open apartments have been refurbished to the highest standard and demonstrates how contemporary finishes can successfully be used to complement the original fabric of a building.

Montague Street is an “example of how existing buildings that have stood for hundreds of years can be adapted and maintained to stand for hundreds more”. (RIBA Residential)

Talk to an expert now to get trusted professional advice on using a sustainable wood floor in your project.

Developer: Bedford Estates

Architect/Designer: FT Architects

Photography credit: Bedford Estates

Kielder Herringbone

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Kielder up close

Kielder is a traditionally sawn, nature-grade European oak floor with a warm neutral tone and subtle grey variation. Brushing accentuates the grain, while knots and tonal movement retain the character of the timber. The engineered herringbone blocks are FSC certified.

Collection highlight