The underground movement

The drawbacks of living in a typical basement are well known. It is cold, damp and there's never enough light. Basements have low ceilings and are often converted from a 'below stairs' area, with unimaginative or illogical use of space. However, with architect Ian Hogarth's dynamic plan of action, it is possible to turn an unpromising space into an inspirational and welcoming maxi-modern home. Witness his latest project: remodelling an archetypal two-bedroom flat in the basement of a Victorian house in Earl's Court into a three-bedroom home for his own family - full of light, space and fun.

'First, sort out the space,' says Hogarth. 'And don't miss the opportunity to make a structural statement.' Hogarth's basement originally consisted of a long corridor with a series of separate rooms running off it and a kitchen/ dining area at the back. Hogarth's big structural statement was to remove a section of the corridor at the front, creating an open area and optimising incoming light from an original bay window. As this is the first area you walk in to, the sense of space and light immediately dispels all conventional expectations of a basement. 'Removing the wall was central to the scheme,' says Hogarth. 'Without this change, everything else falls apart.'

Hogarth then reorganised the apartment into two main areas, with daytime activities at the front and night-time activities towards the back. Relocating the kitchen into the corridor behind the new open-plan area left valuable space to create an extra bedroom. 'By overlapping activities like sitting, eating and cooking, or sleeping and bathing, you can borrow from the space around you, so whichever area you happen to be in feels bigger. If someone is in the kitchen they don't feel cut off, yet if we are all in the kitchen together we don't feel boxed in.' Similarly, a section of corridor between the kitchen and children's bedrooms doubles as an extension of the main living area or children's play area.

After restructuring and reorganising the space, Hogarth set about improving the living experience by introducing luxury underfloor heating, rubber flooring and clever lighting. An obvious drawback of the heating system was the high cost of installation, but Hogarth was unwilling to compromise. 'Underfloor heating is the only way to take the edge off a cold, uncarpeted floor. And it provides a sense of luxury.'

The lighting combines state-of-the-art technology and Hogarth's playfulness with a lighting feature along the corridor set to change colour every 15 seconds. 'I was thinking along the lines of Blackpool illuminations,' he says. A control panel next to the entrance operates every light. 'Although I am still experimenting with different settings, colours and sequences, my favourite feature is the corridor with changing colours. When I turn my key in the front door, the lights go on and I never know whether the corridor will be green or blue or purple.'

The poured-rubber floor throughout the flat, like the walls and ceilings, is white. 'Nothing beats white for brightening a space.' But now Hogarth begins to relax. The essential elements are in place. 'It is more important to get the basic structure right - you can always go back later and change a cupboard or the colour of a wall.'

True to his word, all the remaining decisions about materials, basic fixtures, fittings and decoration reveal an inspiring resourceful-ness and pragmatism. The mosaic tiles in the shower came from bankrupt stock; the floor-to-ceiling kitchen cupboards are wardrobes from IKEA; the ceiling was lowered to conceal services and to suggest the cupboards were made to measure, whereas the room was made to work around the cupboards. The long, narrow cupboard above the supper bar is a wardrobe, fixed on its side.

Hogarth's secret is to focus on the big issues, then the details slot into place. As a result, perhaps his biggest triumph is to create a modern family home in a Central London basement for a fraction of the cost of a conventional apartment above ground at the same address.

Who to call lIan Hogarth can be contacted at Littman Goddard Hogarth (020 7351 7871; www.lgh-architects.co.uk)

For underfloor heating specialists, from £13 per square metre, contact www.warmup.co.uk; www.invisibleheating.co.uk; www.thermalfloor-heating.co.uk; www.begetube.co.uk