A young couple bought an Edwardian former Master's Lodge in north Oxford. A mathematician and a historian with continental backgrounds their tastes were contemporary and their brief for a modern flexible but beautiful home to suit a growing family.

A number of walls were removed to the ground floor to create a free open plan. The kitchen element is a rigorously formal dark timber frame which turns the corner and incorporates two flush pivoting doors from the hall. A large terrazzo topped island unit holds the cooker and sink, providing a centre for family life. Over the dining table sits an original Tiffany chandelier which is a family heirloom, while an Andy Warhol picture of the Queen hangs above the fireplace to greet visitors on arrival.

The television room is housed in an annex which can be opened to the garden. Here new sliding doors were inserted to create a strong connection with the outside space. Upstairs the bedrooms are hotel-like in their arrangement with full height cupboards built-in for storage. The master bedroom has a glamorous stone en-suite bathroom with a cantilevered double basin.