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Pastel-hued kitchen extension

15 London home renovations shortlisted for Don't Move, Improve! 2022

A pastel-hued extension with Romanesque arches and a converted artist's studio are among the projects vying to be named London's best home renovation in this year's Don't Move, Improve! competition.

A total of 15 dwellings are shortlisted for the 2022 edition of Don't Move, Improve!, an annual contest held by independent organisation New London Architecture (NLA) to celebrate the "most innovative home improvement projects" in the capital.

Other projects in the running include the Concrete Plinth House by DGN Studio and a 1920s semi-detached residence that Nimtim Architects has remodelled with playful joinery.

An apartment with a translucent sleeping pod and a Victorian loft extension by the award's previous winner Proctor & Shaw have also been shortlisted.

Don't Move, Improve! is open to home renovations or extensions in London's 33 boroughs that have reached completion in the last two years.

This year's shortlist was selected from over 200 entries by a jury chaired by NLA's director Amy Chadwick Till and including Phil Coffey, the director of Coffey Architects, Sebastian Wood, director of Whitby Wood, journalist Anna White and property expert Kunle Barker.

According to the panel, this year saw a number of entries with indoor-outdoor living spaces, as well as ones that make use of wood and natural materials. The presence of statement ceilings, colourful structures and bold shapes was another key trend.

"This year's submissions delighted our jury with innovative approaches to structure, layout, materials and colour," reflected Chadwick Till.

"Don't Move, Improve! aims to encourage great domestic-scale design across the city, so we are really pleased to have another shortlist that showcases a wide range of budgets, building styles, locations and home-owner needs."

The winner of this year's competition will be announced in May 2022. Alongside the overall prize for the best new home improvement, there will be five special awards for the best compact design, urban oasis, materiality and craftsmanship, unique character and transformation.

Previous overall winners of Don't Move, Improve! include The House Recast by Studio Ben Allen, a "beautifully understated" rear extension by Proctor & Shaw and a dwelling in the shell of a derelict chapel.

Here's the full Don't Move, Improve! 2022 shortlist:


Photo is by Adam Scott

A Tuscan Veranda by Turner Architects


Photo is by French+Tye

Little Brownings by Archmongers Architects


Non Boxy Lofty by Fraher & Findlay


Photo is by Billy Bolton

Pergola House by Benjamin Wilkes


Photo is by Adelina Iliev

Transitions by Red Squirrel Architects


Photo is by Nick Deardon

Coffered House by Proctor & Shaw


Photo is by Megan Taylor

Curve Appeal by Nimtim Architects


Photo is by VATRAA

Artist Studio Conversion by VATRAA


Photo is by Ståle Eriksen

Pink House by Oliver Leech Architects


Photo is by Jim Stephenson

Bay Window House by Gundry + Ducker


Photo is by Building Narratives

Concrete Plinth House by DGN Studio


Photo is by Tim Soar

Church Road by Ruffarchitects


Photo is by Ståle Eriksen

Shoji Apartment by Proctor & Shaw


Photo is by Andy Stagg

Slide and Slot House by Ashton Porter Architects


Photo is by David Grandorge

Forest House by AOC

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