An Upcycled Apartment
Enfield, London
A MWAIBUILD Turnkey project. Crafting character and comfort with reclaimed materials. The result is a home that celebrates ethical design, experimentation and circular thinking, where every decision reflects a commitment to sustainability and craft.
An Upcycled Apartment Enfield, London
Designing with joy, restraint and resourcefulness.
This Edwardian apartment in Bowes Park was reimagined by MWAI Director Alessia Mosci as a purpose-driven renovation guided by ethical principles of reuse, low waste and local sourcing. The flat occupies the first and second floors of a house built in 1903 and poorly converted in the 1970s. The design retains the original plan form but opens up the space to connect rooms and bring light into every corner.
Original floorboards were lifted, stored, cleaned and reinstalled. Where damaged, they were replaced with reclaimed boards. Internal doors were salvaged Edwardian pine, treated to meet fire regulations and refinished. Plywood—reclaimed or FSC-certified—was used throughout for joinery, walls and floors, chosen for its beauty, affordability and low waste.
The kitchen, crafted by Virtue Joinery, features grey-stained plywood and Carrara marble offcuts sourced from a nearby construction site. Upstairs, a loft extension houses a bedroom and bathroom, with crisp, modern detailing and flush skirtings. A double-height stairwell connects the floors, overlooked by a home office screened with reclaimed stage fabric.
Nearly every item of joinery was self-built over weekends using offcuts and waste from local timber merchants and workshops. Scenic fabric from Brixton was bleached and repurposed for curtains and AV units. The result is a home that celebrates ethical design, experimentation and circular thinking—where every decision reflects a commitment to sustainability and craft.
Original floorboards were lifted, stored, cleaned and reinstalled. Where damaged, they were replaced with reclaimed boards. Internal doors were salvaged Edwardian pine, treated to meet fire regulations and refinished. Plywood—reclaimed or FSC-certified—was used throughout for joinery, walls and floors, chosen for its beauty, affordability and low waste.
The kitchen, crafted by Virtue Joinery, features grey-stained plywood and Carrara marble offcuts sourced from a nearby construction site. Upstairs, a loft extension houses a bedroom and bathroom, with crisp, modern detailing and flush skirtings. A double-height stairwell connects the floors, overlooked by a home office screened with reclaimed stage fabric.
Nearly every item of joinery was self-built over weekends using offcuts and waste from local timber merchants and workshops. Scenic fabric from Brixton was bleached and repurposed for curtains and AV units. The result is a home that celebrates ethical design, experimentation and circular thinking—where every decision reflects a commitment to sustainability and craft.