The remodelling of a ground floor garden flat in northwest London offers the opportunity to revisit the principles of compact living applied in previous designs. The 54 sqm flat in Willesden Green is dramatically transformed by re-orientating the floor plan towards the open space at the back of the plot. Home office and bedroom are relocated to the front of the property, living accommodations at the back. The rooms within the outrigger have been opened up and the former extension rebuilt with a higher flat roof, punctured by an elongated light well. The corner glazing directs one’s view towards the sleek limestone garden. A storage wall with an homogeneous design not only serves multiple functions - from wardrobe to linen cupboard, utility and kitchen -, it also acts as the agent connecting the front and the back of the apartment. This device also serves to accentuate the stretched floor plan and to give a strong sense of direction to the project. The combination of bold colours and strong materials result in an interior space with modernist influences yet sombre and elegant and where the statuario marble fireplace becomes an opulent centrepiece with a minimal design.