Komorebi is a Japanese term for describing the quiet, uplifting phenomenon of sunlight filtering through leaves. For a South London residence, local architecture and interiors practice ConForm architecturally captured the effect, in its aptly named Komorebi House. The terrace house in Dulwich was designed for a father and his two sons. The architects transformed the residence into a retreat saturated with patterns created by the filtered natural light and intricate shadows. The home’s transformation exudes a quiet complexity as a result of high quality materials applied in abstract ways.
On the exterior, a pair of Roman Corinthian columns draw interest toward the black front door. Its white brick exterior stays faithful to surrounding residences on the urban block. The white masonry and neutral color palette continues to the interiors, where the chalk-white brick and white-washed mortar walls are paired with warm light oak. The wood was applied to the flooring, floating stairwell, and custom joinery. ConForm carefully incorporated industrial materials too, including exposed concrete that wraps downstand beams, white-coated perforated steel used along the mezzanine, and soft gray ceppo di gre that clads bathroom sinks and the living room fireplace.
Centrally located skylights are an uncommon feature ConForm amplified within the 2,314-square-foot residence. Abundant natural light trickles through every floor of the split level home, drawing connection from one room to the next. The floating oak wood stairs and white-coated perforated steel flooring on the upper floors were selected for their ability to accentuate the natural light. With the geometric shape of the rectangular steps and the perforated floors, unique shadows play across the walls of the abode.
Ben Edgley, the director of ConForm said, “The house already had interesting light and level changes, things that felt special rather than awkward—althought they weren’t particularly celebrated or experienced. We didn’t want to iron them out. Instead, we leaned into them and used them to guide how the family could live more naturally and feel connected, even while doing different things on different floors.”
To further maximize natural light, ConForm also extended the ground floor of the home and added a floor-to-ceiling glass wall and glazed door. Unlike the front of the house, its rear was completely reinvented thanks to a cement block addition that extends into the private backyard where a thinly paneled timber fence borders the stone-floored lot. Above the addition, the surrounding gabled-rooflines from the street influenced smaller extrusions on the upper floors, creating a unique facade composed of various pitched roofs.
“It was never about chasing more square metres, it was about creating spaces that feel generous in use and connected in spirit,” Edgley said.“This was enhanced by using a refined, consistent material palette, blurring thresholds between spaces and connecting inside and out.”
By applying careful attention to material and craft ConForm delivered the architectural equivalent of komorebi.