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Country Life Top 100

William Smalley is particularly admired for his ability to combine a pared-back aesthetic with a sense of homeliness and warmth, evident in a range of projects, including a new house in an 18th-century park, the updating of Liscombe House in Buckinghamshire and the full refurbishment of a thatched house in Berkshire near Henley-on-Thames, including a new extension and detached outbuilding, all with contemporary thatched detailing. The practice has also recently completed the restoration and conversion of a listed building in Pimlico to create the new London gallery space for antique dealer Christopher Howe.

Mr Smalley oversees each project, offering a rare sensibility for combining old and new. His first book, Quiet Spaces (Thames & Hudson), places his own work alongside buildings that have inspired him, creating an uplifting collection of tranquil, light-filled spaces. ‘For something so solid, architecture is strangely emotional’, he says. ‘I like spaces that give peace, visually and emotionally.’