The 'sculptural experience' of designer Ashley Law's uniquely tactile cottage in Whitechapel

https://www.themodernhouse.com/journal/open-house-ashley-law-whitechapel-cottag/







“I believe in elevating everyday objects,” says designer, Ashley Law, gesturing to a light switch within her beautiful terraced cottage in Whitechapel. “It’s the small moments that make you happy.” Over the course of the renovation, which began in 2022, the house became a laboratory for aesthetic experimentation. “I like using materials in different ways, making them look different to what you’d expect.”







Indeed, when it comes to the details, all is not what it seems. From a distance, the flowing shower curtain looks as though it could be made from silk, but on closer inspection is in fact steel chainmail designed originally as a Japanese rain catcher. Like pebbles or thick globs of toothpaste, the door handles have been designed by James Shaw, an artist who uses recycled plastic to dramatic effect. The interior is peppered with joy in a way that’s personal but still feels distinctly liveable. “I’m like a Swiss army knife,” says Ashley. “When I’m designing a house, I have to do everything from accounting to project management, so being able to design objects feels like play to me.”







An overwhelming sense of tactility forms the crux of the design, which sees a brave combination of teak, steel and robust concrete. The latter comes in two forms: smooth and curved, or chunky and roughcast. Reflective finishes sit alongside matt surfaces; luscious, colourful marble contrasts brilliantly against chalky Tadelakt; an exposed brick wall upstairs has an almost pinkish hue. Ashley – who is the founder of the creative development practice, Flawk – describes each project as having “its own personality” and having a duty as a designer to highlight it.







Ashley came across the house that was to become her home while taking a walk through the neighbourhood. Newbold Cottages sits just around the corner from Sidney Square, on the border of Whitechapel’s conservation area, tucked away from the bustle of the high street with its long-established food and goods market. Sitting in the middle of the terrace was the house in question, partly obscured by a large for sale sign. “I only saw it from the outside but immediately fell in love with the location,” Ashley recalls. “There’s such a sense of community here.”

snip