London designer Mark Lewis knows how to conjure a world out of empty space: He began his career working on theater sets. So he was the perfect person for the job when a client wanted to transform a charming old garage into a guest room.
Remodelista and Gardenista regulars know we have a weakness for garage makeovers: See, for instance, our own Michelle’s Grottage, Karen Montgomery Spath’s Airy Studio Apartment, and Model Carolyn Murphy’s Painting Retreat. These transformations are a recurring dream come true—the discovered room you never knew you had. Doll-house-like in their appeal, they’re filled with small-space solutions to be remembered and copied. In the case of Lewis’s project, the trickiest part was figuring out how to incorporate a bathroom—while maintaining peace with the neighbors (and, of course, securing a permit from the planning commission). Join us for a look at Lewis’s industrial-rustic results, dustbin WC included.
Photography by Rory Gardiner, courtesy of Mark Lewis Interior Design.
![located in hampstead, in north london, the garage stands alongside a \1905 hous 17](https://media.remodelista.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/mark-lewis-design-london-garage-conversion-guest-room-1-733x977.jpg)
Lewis describes the style as “suburban Edwardian,” and says, “The space was being used for garden storage and junk. It had even been a chemistry lab at one point. It was unloved on the inside but externally in good condition.”
![lewis stripped the interior to reveal the vaulted ceiling (now insulated and pl 18](https://media.remodelista.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/mark-lewis-design-london-garage-conversion-guest-room-3-733x977.jpg)
The space is just under 194 square feet and took six weeks to make over—the door on the left leads to the new loo. Note the wall lighting: It’s electrical conduit with sockets and bulbs from Urban Cottage Industries.
![to prevent a draft from blowing through the old doors lewis insulated the wall 19](https://media.remodelista.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/mark-lewis-design-london-garage-conversion-guest-room-4-733x977.jpg)
The painted surfaces are all in eco-conscious Earthborn White Claypaint.
![in the back of the garage, new curtained french doors serve as the entrance: a 20](https://media.remodelista.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/mark-lewis-design-london-garage-conversion-guest-room-5-733x977.jpg)
This half of the room has a flea market desk, a dresser (built to order to get the desired dimensions), and a clothes rack made from industrial hand railing: “It’s thicker than conduit and strong enough to hold heavy things; you can even hang from it.”
![lewis created a diy coat rack using jamie hooks from his own growing line of cl 21](https://media.remodelista.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/mark-lewis-design-london-garage-conversion-guest-room-7-733x978.jpg)
![the space is heated by an old woodstove relocated from a hall in the main house. 22](https://media.remodelista.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/mark-lewis-design-london-garage-conversion-guest-room-6-733x977.jpg)
![the wall shelf next to the french doors rests on little chap l brackets. the ce 23](https://media.remodelista.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/mark-lewis-design-london-garage-conversion-guest-room-detail-8-733x550.jpg)
![lewis inserted a bathroom by building a triangular 43 square meter extension on 24](https://media.remodelista.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/mark-lewis-design-london-garage-conversion-tiny-bathroom-addition-9a-733x550.jpg)
![the custom under sink cabinet is also teak with bronze gareth pull handles. not 25](https://media.remodelista.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/mark-lewis-design-london-garage-conversion-tiny-bathroom-addition-9b-733x977.jpg)
![the tiny shower—the apex of the triangular floor plan—is reflecte 26](https://media.remodelista.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/mark-lewis-design-london-garage-conversion-tiny-bathroom-addition-10-733x977.jpg)
![it\2\17;s concise but it works,\2\2\1; says lewis of the addition 27](https://media.remodelista.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/mark-lewis-design-london-garage-conversion-tiny-bathroom-addition-12-733x977.jpg)
![the wet room addition is fronted by a tidy garbage shed; both structures are ma 28](https://media.remodelista.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/mark-lewis-design-london-garage-conversion-trash-bins-2-733x978.jpg)
Here are more Mark Lewis designs (look and you’ll find some favorite repeating elements):
- Kitchen of the Week: A Family Gathering Spot in a London Victorian
- A “Modern Victorian” Loft in Hoxton Square
- Steal This Look: A Bright Blue Loft Bedroom
Have a Question or Comment About This Post?
Join the conversation