Set behind the grand houses of Georgian and Victorian London, intimately scaled mews originally served as accommodation for coaches and horses. After the advent of the motorcar in the early twentieth century, these secluded courts and alleys began to be converted for residential use, favoured by artists and bohemians. As they grew in popularity, mews also became popular as sites for new-build homes. Often these were of a radically experimental nature, challenging established notions of domesticity in the heart of the historic city. 

At Home in London: The Mews House documents seventeen examples of this rich tradition dating from the 1960s to the present day, with new photography and extensive drawings. The self-built houses of architects feature particularly prominently, including those of John Winter, Ted and Roz Cullinan, and Peter St John and Siw Thomas. Acclaimed architecture critic Ellis Woodman narrates the history of this perennially popular type from its early pioneers including potter Lucie Rie through the potential of the mews as a model for new residential development, exemplified by Peter Barber’s monumental Edgewood Mews (2022) and Al-Jawad Pike’s Chowdhury Walk (2023). 

This book is the second in a series on types of London housing, reflecting on the place of the home in the city in light of its longstanding housing crisis, following At Home in London: The Mansion Block (2023). 

Photographs by Matthew Blunderfield 
Co-published with The Architecture Foundation