London’s most inspirational home improvements shortlisted for the Don’t Move, Improve! competition by NLA

The shortlist for the 12th annual Don’t Move, Improve! Awards has been unveiled by New London Architecture, treating observers to 15 projects packed with home improvement inspiration. The awards recognize the newest and most innovative home renovation projects across London, with an emphasis on “diversity and character.”

Trends which emerged from the 2022 shortlist include interconnected indoor/outdoor spaces, the use of wood and natural materials, and the use of natural tones and pastel colors matched with bold, art deco-inspired geometries.

“This year’s submissions delighted our jury with innovative approaches to structure, layout, materials, and color,” said Amy Chadwick Till, who is both the Program Director at NLA and Chair of the judging panel. “We were looking for creativity, originality, livability, and cost-effectiveness as well as consideration of environmental impact and local context. Don’t Move, Improve! aims to encourage great domestic-scale design across the city, so we are really pleased to have another shortlist that showcases a wide range of budgets, building styles, locations, and home-owner needs.”

The overall winner of the 2022 edition will be revealed in May of this year. Below, we have rounded up the 15 shortlisted projects including a brief description by NLA for each project. Full details on this year's shortlist are available on the NLA website, while previous winners and shortlisted homes can be found through our dedicated coverage here.

A Tuscan Veranda / Turner Architects

“Drawing on the Italian style of the terraced house with classic and perfectly proportioned Romanesque arches.”

Artist Studio Conversion / VATRAA

“Extending and transforming a former artist studio into an energy efficient, four-bedroom house. Inspired by the clients’ interest in spirituality and meditation, VATRAA explored the spiritual quality of space through views, light and materials.”

Bay Window House / Gundry + Ducker

“An extension is designed in the form of a new bay window as a counterpoint to the original bays.”

Church Road / AHMM with RUFFARCHITECTS

“A refurbishment project in the Highgate conservation area set amongst the only remaining ancient oaks outside Highgate Wood, turned into a beautiful and functional family home.”

Coffered House / Proctor & Shaw

“A coffered loft construction revealing a deep retrofit to the upper storeys of this Victorian home.”

Concrete Plinth House / DGN Studio

“A series of concrete plinths are embedded into the ground of a Victorian end of terrace house.”

Curve Appeal / nimtim architects

“A reinvention of an existing 1920s semi-detached house to bring functionality, warm and tactility to a family space.”

Forest House / AOC Architecture

“A remodelled and extended semi-detached Victorian house with the experiential joy of Epping Forest incorporated in.”

Little Brownings / Archmongers

“A project set in a three story 1960s terraced house, refurbished into a contemporary house.”

Non Boxy Lofty / Fraher & Findlay Architects

“An extension of a first floor flat with an inverse plan of forming bedroom spaces at loft level.”

Pergola House / Benjamin Wilkes

“A timber framed single-story extension to a Victorian family home in the Lee Manor Conservation Area.”

Pink House / Oliver Leech Architects

“A family home designed to celebrate natural materials, travel memories, and create a home perfect for entertaining.”

Shoji Apartment / Proctor & Shaw

“This apartment renovation shows a prototype for micro-living in existing housing stock with constrained floor areas but generous ceiling heights.”

Slide and Slot House / Ashton Porter Architects

“An extension and internal refurbishment to a 19th century cottage creating a new living space for modern family living.”

Transitions / Red Squirrel Architects

“A semi-detached Victorian house reconfigured to create open and light interconnected living spaces that take advantage of the garden.”