Lay House
July 27, 2020
Ström Architects designed a private two-storey home in Walton-on-Thames, a town in the county of Surrey, England.
Lay House sits on a road of large residential properties, many of which have been recently rebuilt in a Neo-Georgian style.
Ström Architects has purposefully avoided a single monolithic mass, which could have appeared bulky or intrusive. Instead, the studio has split the house into two volumes to reduce the visual form.
Ström Architects has purposefully avoided a single monolithic mass, which could have appeared bulky or intrusive. Instead, the studio has split the house into two volumes to reduce the visual form.
By splitting the house in two, it allows the internal functions to be rationalised: the smaller volume to the South contains the social spaces (living, dining and kitchen), whilst the taller one to the North houses the more functional spaces (plant room, utility, study and garage). The entrance is located in the void space between these two cubes, where Ström Architects has also created an open-tread staircase which allows light from both sides of the house to filter down into the hallway.
Externally, the studio has created a small courtyard at the front which provides a private sitting area extending out from the living room. This space is screened from the driveway, but allows morning and midday sun into the house. Large windows help to blur the boundary between inside and out, so that the courtyard feels like an external room.
The new house is to be built from brickwork, picking up on the materiality of neighbouring properties – but elongated long format bricks will give a more elegant, modern aesthetic. The brickwork is taken internally – running through the staircase void – to enforce the presence of the two separate volumes on either side of you.
The interiors have been designed by Ström Architects, to ensure that they have a coherent relationship with the architecture. A simple material palette of stone floors, oak panelling and black metal, complements the brick of the building. The intention is to provide contemporary, robust and elegant interiors that offer a sense of calm, harmony, and reprieve from a busy world.
At first floor level there are three children’s bedrooms and a playroom / snug in the Northern part of the house, with the master suite and guest bedroom being located above the social hub to the South.
Photography by Nu.Ma
www.stromarchitects.com
SHARE THIS
Contribute
G&G _ Magazine is always looking for the creative talents of stylists, designers, photographers and writers from around the globe.
Find us on
Latest News
SISHICRAFT Studio transforms vegetable-tanned leather into delicate handcrafted objects inspired by the botanical world. G&G _ Magazine explores the creative vision behind the brand with Natalie, from transforming botanical inspiration into handcrafted objects to experimenting with material, form and the subtle imperfections that make every piece unique.
From 12 to 20 September 2026, the eighth edition of Lake Como Design Festival unfolds across Como, Lake Como and, for the first time, Lecco, bringing exhibitions, installations and new collaborations under the theme “ Border ”.
Running from 15 to 20 September 2026 Shoreditch Design Week brings together more than 100 showrooms, exhibitions, installations and events across LDF’s largest design district. This year's programme expands with the addition of Material Matters at Unlocked, ND Selects at Kachette and Neuroplaces alongside returning favourites including Design at Work, Isola Design, 2LG Studio and Raw Collaborative at House of Icon further cementing Shoreditch's reputation as a leading destination for contemporary design.
In the vibrant Sukhumvit district, tender pink, graceful arches and refined minimalist design come together at Away Sukhumvit Bangkok , creating a playful yet sophisticated retreat for the modern traveler.
The international home and kitchenware industry will once again gather in Istanbul as ZUCHEX returns for its 36th edition on 9-12 September 2026 . Bringing together manufacturers, brands, buyers, retailers, distributors and sourcing professionals from around the world, the exhibition continues to be one of the sector's most influential international meeting points.
Building on What's Already There As this year's LIV Hospitality Design Awards winners settle into the wider conversation, certain patterns become difficult to ignore. Properties built for warm-climate escape recur across the list. Sustainability surfaces less as a stated goal than as a working method. And several of the strongest projects are renovations rather than new builds. Read together, the winners point toward where hospitality design is heading as the year continues. Designed for the Season Several of this year's winners speak directly to the season ahead. Kona Village , on Hawaii's Big Island, reimagines an 81-acre resort around the history of Kaupulehu, led by Greg Warner and Mike McCabe of Walker Warner. The rebuilt property includes 150 traditional guest hale, a new spa, and five restaurants and bars—two of which carry over from the original resort. Rather than a wholesale reinvention, the project reads as a continuation: a property rebuilt around what made the original site significant in the first place.
Subscribe
Keep up to date with the latest trends!
Popular Posts
Located in the mountain resort town of Skhidnytsia in western Ukraine, the Prykirne Restaurant, designed by Ksenya Butsa of her eponymous studio, reinterprets the vernacular culture of the Boyko region through a contemporary hospitality interior rooted in material honesty, regional craft and spatial warmth.
Set along the banks of the Chao Phraya River, the Salil Hotel Riverside – Bangkok can be reached by its private boat, offering guests an arrival that feels less like a simple transfer and more like the arrival in a world of imagination, art and mythical creatures.
At M&O September 2025 edition, countless brands and design talents unveiled extraordinary innovations. Yet, among the many remarkable presences, some stood out in a truly distinctive way. G&G _ Magazine is proud to present a curated selection of 21 Outstanding Professionals who are redefining the meaning of Craftsmanship in their own unique manner, blending tradition with contemporary visions and eco-conscious approaches.
