No. 8

A historically sound but derelict townhouse—the triumph of a three-year roots-to-rafters renovation—No.8 was practically dismantled, buffed and bettered, then pieced back together. From the street, the only signs of modernity are its masterfully remade heritage features: a new roof, repointed brickwork, sash windows, and a lime-rendered facade all doing their bit to preserve the traditions of this inner-city conservation area.

But inside, the transformation is palpable. Hand-sketching, holistic rendering, and zealous considerations of levels, volume, height, and light turned it into an archetype of radical restoration—a project so notable that it earned a coveted feature in The New York Times. With vantage points from front to back, custom timber doors, the new offer of indoor-outdoor living, and breakaway nooks that offer solitude, the 120-year-old terrace now stands as HUTCH’s flagship of architectural revival.

Family Home

Architecture, Interiors, Curation

Area M² 400

1. DOUBLE-HEIGHT VOLUMES
2. FAMILY LIVING
3. SECRET DOORS & BARREL VAULTS

“They took a chance, and it was worth the trouble.”

The New York Times
'The Belfast Victorian Was in 'a Terrible State.' Was It Worth the Risk?' – Tim McKeough

4. FAMILY DINING & ENTERTAINING

5. COURTYARD

6. LIVING & FAMILY ROOM

7. DRAWING ROOM

Turning what was a dingy building into a happy family home called for a softening—etching recessed niches for ‘disappearing’ pocket doors, curving corners to make ribbon-like corridors, forming double-height dimensions, and knitting tunnels of natural light into the very fibre of its updated blueprints. Even the split stairway was turned to sculpture, its curvilinear bannister winding up three storeys of restored pinewood floorboards. The effect is as though the interior has been chiselled from stone—a boxy, century-old home sculpted into a suburban sanctuary. Nature grows up around it, with dappling trees to the front and a miniature courtyard jungle at the back, planted with spotlit shrubs and Tasmanian fern.

This mix of hard and soft, old and new, brings a duality to the townhouse that’s mirrored in its material palette. Terracotta floors meet the living green flash of bonsai, and an opulent marble fireplace sits next door to a rough limestone monolith of a coffee table—a modern play on primitive. What’s inside is texturally rich, raw, and of the earth. But there’s still room for the old guards—like period column radiators, decorative window casings, cornicing, and ceiling roses—plus a fun-enhancing injection of curated toys, pastel colour palettes, and quirky childrens’ mezzanines reached by ladder.

Like a lived-in museum, No.8 showcases iconic, collectable pieces in a way that feels curated, but still cosy—a corrugated cardboard chair designed for a meeting of artists and NASA scientists in the 60s, a fibreglass pendant light that mimics the moon, a woven paper aquatint by Irish artist Le Brocquy, and a collection of wood and marble podiums for displaying abstract pottery and bronze sculptures of cello players. It’s a new narrative for metropolitan-style neighbourhood living, where influences hail from Copenhagen to Bangalore, and the act of crossing the threshold from public to private space becomes a powerfully transportive one.

6. PARIS TABLE BY VOGEL STUDIO
Burnt-steel and linseed oil coating

7. CAPPELEN DIMYR RUG
Hand-knotted in natural wool

8. PIERRE JEANNERET KANGAROO CHAIR
Teak and natural cane

8. ENTRANCE HALLWAY

“A marvel of smart, contemporary design… proof that HUTCH’s combined focus on architecture and design has paid off.”

Vogue Living
'The modern-day makeover of a classic Victorian home in Northern Ireland' – Yeong Sassall

9. SECRET DOOR

10. BESPOKE STAIRCASE

11. ENSUITE

12. ENSUITE VANITY

13. LANDING – restored pine flooring, shelf & desk
14. DOUBLE-HEIGHT – lime-painted walls & skylight
15. SHOWER ROOM – matchstick tiles & circular skylight

“A warm transformation of timeless, understated luxury—speaking to HUTCH’s holistic approach to architecture, interiors, furniture and art.”

Architectural Digest
'In Ireland, the natural luxury of a reimagined Victorian house' – Nicolas Milon

16. MASTER BEDROOM

17. KIDS' BEDROOM