Here at V&CO, we believe that colour is more than just a visual choice—it’s a powerful tool for storytelling, self-expression, and connection to place. As a premium paint brand rooted in curated colour, heritage, and design, we’re proud to partner with Open House Festival to sponsor nine remarkable spaces across London. Each property in this collection reflects a facet of our brand’s ethos: from bold transformations and unexpected design choices to deep respect for architectural heritage and personal creativity. These spaces show how colour can shape not just homes, but the way we live within them.
This project in Forest Gate’s Woodgrange Conservation Area is a sensitive and imaginative extension of a traditional Victorian family home. Designed to enhance day-to-day living while preserving the charm and character of the original building, the scheme demonstrates how modern interventions can respectfully adapt historic homes to contemporary needs.
Whittaker Parsons, 2023
RIBA House of the Year 2023: A new exposed CLT-frame house, built on a site once occupied by market garden greenhouses, featuring a planted façade with sliding external screens and a riad-style central atrium, assisting in natural daylighting, ventilation and cooling.
Hayhurst and Co., 2021
A radical transformation of an Edwardian Semi that has been completely opened up and renovated with bold materials and bright colours. A stage-set mountain is elevated on an exposed structure to form the striking rear extension.
CAN, 2020
Peter Culley of Spatial Affairs Bureau will lead a hidden world view of the 'Little Citadel' retreat compound, described by the RIBA Jury as an "extraordinary house" that to visit "will inevitably be a different experience from any before" and by the Civic Trust Awards as "an outstanding piece of architecture". The tour comprises Rana's studio, home, guest house and gardens on multiple levels.
Spatial Affairs Bureau, 2022
Home to RHS Chelsea Gold Medalists Mike McMahon and Jewlsy Mathews, this space showcases a decade of their handcrafted furniture and cabinetry. Their work, all made by their own hands, has received international acclaim featuring in BBC Gardeners' World (TV), The Modern House, The Observer, Dwell, Interior Design, and IDEAT. Experience bespoke design in every meticulously crafted detail.
Mike McMahon Studio, 2022
Built in the 1950s, this site was originally the head offices for a large consortium of industrial spaces which produced dyes and food colourings. It is now a creative workspace with 26 studios for creative businesses and an event space.
Jan Kattein Architects, 2019
Completed in 1968 by Kenneth Wood, the house is an untouched time capsule of 1960s colour, innovation and design, with interiors provided by the Conran Group. Situated in a quiet cul-de-sac on steeply sloping ground, the location was both an inspiration and a challenge for Ken Wood when creating the modern split-level design. The garden and pavilion gallery are also included in the tour.
Kenneth Wood, 1968
Twin house is an experimental and sustainable home for a contemporary family unit. Conceived as an 'upside down house', the layout of the building places the communal spaces on the top floor with better access to the daylight and views and places the darker sleeping spaces at ground floor and basement level. The project featured on Grand Designs in April 2025.
Graeme Williamson Architects, 2024