rogue-designs>and all else interior design oxford

a north oxford house

2011-12-22T14:30:00.004Z

Drawing room and dining room >

In this drawing room (a proper, first floor affair) light and the huge windows are all. We wanted to create a design that played with formal traditional drawing room style, and messed about with it, adding colour and fun. A huge element of the room is the floor to ceiling shelving structure, which is constructed from ash with an ebonised hardwood that delineates and configures the structure. This was designed to house various elements including books, objects, TV and media and a stereo with space for cd's. This was a one-off item which we created for the client. It holds your attention and commands the space that it lies in. There is an almost art deco feel to it, with the dark and light woods and polished finish.

detail of shelving

The sofas were sourced from Fran at Liscious Interiors, and re-upholstered in striking fabrics in soft brushes cotton. The colours reflected the dining space but lifted and lightened. The Chesterfield grey sofa has a purple running through it and we applied very bright violet buttons to the piece and dressed with lime accents. The lime - or chartreuse - Chesterfield was very simply dressed and as such we reversed the colour works and had predominantly purple striped cushions in a deep velvet.

A small day bed wrapped in a defined purple inhabits a space close to the book shelves and near to the distinctive sash windows.

A balance between privacy and letting the light through was achieved by way of full length linen curtains with a silk floral motif running through, and a sheer roman blind that drops down (colourfully) to frost out the background, again in natural linen but with colourful stripes.

We strongly felt that this huge space did not need a central ceiling light, but to light the space with soft accent lighting at lower level would create better intimacy and harmony in an evening. The Alega glass table lamps (designed by Vico Magistretti in 1970) sits on Platner side tables, each a stainless steel spoke framework with a glass top created by Warren Platner for Knoll in the 1960's.

Platner side table with Alega lamp

The beautiful carrera marble fireplace is a focal point, its gas fire supplementing the classicv column radiators (in anthracite) we put in, and the alcoves either side are wallpapered with a fantastic Jocelyn Warner design. Period chairs were limed and re-upholstered in a funky silk, and an Elizabeth Blackadder piece catches the eye above the fire.

Dining Space >

glass table reflecting the window

Previous to its present incarnation, this was a jumbled space, cold and dark and possibly with mixed use. In its present form we decided to change shape a little. Keeping the 'hand made element' we made something a little more formal i.e an evening dining space for guests.

Our client wanted a dark, intimate and rich palette, but with linking colour from the drawing room next door. Assisted by our client the colour we chose was a plum colour, in a proper flat matte, not cold. It sits more in the red spectrum. This gives it a deep lushness that with the addition of evening candle light, brings in a grandiose quality.

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Of the candelabra; it is hand crafted by French makers Benoit Vieubled and acquired through Cameron Peters Fine Lighting. Its artisan qualities shine out. Made from brass and copper and french glass yoghurt jars and crystals. It was further modified by myself with deft assistance by the owner, converting it from electrical to hold candles. Furthermore, it hangs by sash cord which is fixed via a pulley system and tied off near the dumb waiter. This allows the piece to be raised and lowered when necessary. Secondary lighting is via the picture lights overhanging the inherited pieces of our client.

On first entering the room from the hallway it becomes obvious that the dumb waiter is no longer functioning. Due to modifications in the past it had become a non viable restoration project. This left us with the awkward shape in the corner! As the owner wished to house some of his wine collection we decided that the best purpose of the woodwork was to turn it into a wine rack. I think this works especially well and looks rather neat and perfect as well as being architectural and fun.

wine storage

The carrera marble fireplace needed extensive cleaning to the marble to bring it up to a gleam. The hearth was simply of limed concrete and as such was painted black. A writing bureau, hand painted by Maitre Allegre now sits in the alcove closest to the window.

A collage of mirrors that we collected from a host of places hang in a pattern above the fireplace.

detail of candelabra with mirrors behind

Under foot, the carpet is a fine boucle in a light grey that adds a level of luxury to the rooms. It runs through the dining and lounge space and spills on through the hallway and staircase.

Below is a picture of the hallway with the dining space chimney wall framed in the antique mirror.

a really luxurious bathroom - victorian house

2011-11-30T17:46:00.000Z

The owners had recently moved into the house and required it to be modernised throughout.

Many of our customers enjoy the need for the works to be staged, rather than to be carried out all at once. This affords them the ability to assess the scheme and its direction without being bombarded with a great many decisions all at once.

The starting point of this particular project 2004,was to be one of the main bathrooms and culminated in the overhaul of the 25m garden area, completed in 2010 on the back of a special extension.

1st stage: master bathroom.

palette: > thin strip oak, lemon marble tiles, mirror, flint grey.

This is a great space for relaxing, that's set in the heart of the top floor, between 2 bedrooms. The room doesn't have a window, however it makes up for the lack of natural light by using light and reflection. There is a spectacular floor to ceiling marble wall with an alcove inset that is lined with the narrow strip oak. This is also lit from above with 2 dedicated dimmable spot lights. The bath is freestanding and is painted on the outside in a light green grey, and the whole thing is sat on two oak cradles. The colours are all complimented by the colours in the natural stone. The lemon marble tiles fitted tightly to each other and the appearance was more monumental rather than 'tiled'. The colour on the walls and the ceiling were painted in a satinwood finish and allowed light to reflect off it for further space and light enhancement.

Bespoke oak also features largely in the floating vanity unit which rogue-designs created to fit into the space. The vanity unit itself has 2 sliding mirrors that give the illusion of more space. It was imperative to create the feeling that the space was light and that it was expansive in nature. Behind the sink; a mirror and above this, another one-off unit that was over 1.5m in length and had 3 long sliding glass panels. Above this unit another glass panel that hit the ceiling. The illusion was cemented further by being able to see the ceiling spots in the mirrors.

light and spring...victorian house> extension and garden

2011-11-27T15:23:00.000Z

This project was stage 5 and 6 of the complete overhaul of the victorian house: the extension and the garden.

the extension with planters

The extension was a longtime in planning. Although not a large extension it was a slightly problematic one, as a basement excavation. There were many issues to address in the design and during the build. The garden is long and relatively thin and the building is very tall (5 floors). This tends to lock out some of the light during the winter months. A leaky old conservatory was to be replaced, and the back wall of the house knocked out to lead into the new space.

We recommended our clients commission Ifor Rhys RIBA architect to design a structure that would give a better aspect on to the garden, a space for dining, and incorporate an existing small utility room. Ifor is a great architect, fun to work with, and konws Oxford houses well. The idea was to open up the vista from the kitchen to allow some more light in and create a space that could work as a slightly more formal dining space. We also commissioned garden designer Rose Lennard to plan a garden that would take into consideration the new building. With Charlotte as project manager, Ifor and Rose, the design that was settled upon looked fabulous. There was an introduction of a roof that ran back towards the house, slightly curved, that allowed a view to the sky from the kitchen and a glass structure over the main area where the extension meets the old building. This light well designed to bring more light in. In tandem, a corner window assists in this endeavour. Rose created ideas around zoning the planting, creating raised beds local to the house for immediate drama, and in the garden, curves along a lawn that took in the old apple tree and reflected the curve of the steps.

gently curved copper roof with overhang


side view of corner window and cedar screen

A key part of this project was going to be the negotiations with the neighbours. One of the obstactles to overcome was the party wall ownership. Over time the wall had become destabilised by invasive ivy and the washing out of the lime mortar by the elements. This mean't the wall closest to the house was leaning some 30 degrees over the neighbours garden. It took some time in agreements to gain the necessary permissions to rebuild it whilst the extension was taking place. This prolonged the project somewhat, but didn't affect the overall vision.

The beautifully restored wall

The building contractors, Blackford Builders, were very sensitive to the age and nature of the building and its surroundings and as such kept the wall looking authentic. They reused the bricks that were salvaged from the wall, cleaned off the mortar and reset them. In total 9 metres of wall was rebuilt. They also took great care not to disturb the planting of the neighbours garden and the look and feel of the wall from the neighbours side. The contractors were fantastic throughout the project, really wonderful to work with, and it shows that they really enjoyed the skills used to make and finish every element so precisely; the achievement of this project was only possible through their skill, commitment, and attention to detail. Thank you Jim!

Another concern was the use of copper (looking too bright) that was to cover the roof. This dulled very quickly and had brassed down to a lovely patina within 4 months. It now fits in beautifully and is a worthy addition to the overall vision.

Part of the plan of the extension was to make sense of the space directly outside. This was conceived as an outdoor living space, and an extension to the dining area designed for entertaining in summer. This area is defined by the raised borders, the curved steps rising to the ground floor and the decking area. All the top edges of the borders were capped with copper to tie in with the whole theme. Copper lighting from Lighting for Gardens were used in various ways to light areas of the garden. We used inset lighting on the steps, spot lights either side of the doors and spike and mushroom lights in the borders to light the path and the trees.

The external rendering was carried out by a specialist coating company: using a very specialist product called Sto. It was a pure white finish designed to reflect the light around the area local to the extension. It has a special polymer that gives the material a stronger structure. It is also versatile in as much as it can be overpainted in future should it become necessary.

The decking is Ipe hardwood (colour akin to the copper roof) and was placed down on a 42 degree angle to the back doors. It is raised by 40-50cm with a drain away insert to avoid waterlogging. It also works seamlessly with the interior floor level.

The stairs that lead up to ground level, were cast in white portland cement and curved. Six steps take you from the Ipe deck to the ground floor. They are wide enough to sit comfortably on in summer and to make the use of in winter without the threat of slipping. A slightly brushed effect on top of the tread adds extra grip.

looking down at the ipe deck

Internally, the Muhuhu hearingbone flooring that you see was continued using the same blocks as the rest of the downstairs. A quantity was bought 3 years before, always with the sight on the extension taking place. We accomodated the idea by having the flooring run underneath the wall that we built, that separated the kitchen to the then 'lean to'. Removing the false wall when the extension was up and the external doors on, revealed the point at which we could continue with the internal flooring.

The ceramic wall lights are 'Hector' lights from original btc

The space speaks for itself! Light, stunning, and now vast, opening the whole basement from the front of the house, through the kitchen to the dining area and outside living space beyond. To see more of the internal work, have a look at the kitchen post.

The garden and stage 6 carried on when the extension was completed. Using Rose Lennard's scheme with a few alterations we carried out the complete overhaul of the garden.

The garden was completely stripped out during the harsh winter of 2009/10. Work was carried out by myself and with additional works by a hard landscape company i.e. (re-turfing and the patio area to the rear).

The sweep of spar stones at the top of the steps are perfect for trampling across - they don't tend to move when walking over. The borders are now swelling with new shapes, textures and colours - It still retains much of its kitchen cottage style - due to Rose's planting scheme however her design gives wonderful emphasis to the more mature trees like the Magnolia and the Apple.

view from front to back

view from the back to front


3 months on

contemporary kitchen in Georgian house

2011-10-22T16:51:00.002+01:00

Georgian house: kitchen

features: minimalist Leicht kitchen, jerusalem stone tiling, cork flooring, corian and soaped oak worktops, artemide lighting

Our client for this project had taken on a big challenge: to transform a quirky and landmark Georgian townhouse from its slightly tired state into a sensitively 'modern' home with enduring design qualities. Along with local architect Richard Twinch she undertook major restoration and renovation works, including building a ground floor extension with a fantastic oval light-well as shown below. We were commissioned to work on the kitchen and bathrooms, which were required to be high spec but understated and timeless.

Working with Martin Williamson from In-House Design, we designed a beautiful Leicht kitchen that makes use of all available space. The kitchen is subtle, minimal and practical; all distractions are removed with handle-free doors and built in or concealed appliances, lending it a feel more of furniture than many kitchens. The doors are lacquered in soft matte olive and vanilla, with a cream corian worktop and built in appliances including a gaggenau extractor and Leicht induction hob. The kitchen opens up into the new extension space with its spectacular roof light, and double doors link through to the garden.

The island unit is designed as a stand alone piece of furniture, reminiscent of a trunk or chest with its soaped oak wrap-around worktop and finger joints.

The architectural lighting (fixed on what was once a support beam for a dentist's chair that was located in the room above) is a classic artemide design by Michele de Lucchi, and spots built in to the cupboards and shelves provide valuable task lightning. The pale laquered cork flooring compliments the soaped oak, and this other natural element ensures the space is warm with character despite its clean lines.

The corian sink is inconspicuously incorporated in the worktop, with a silk steel finished tap.

Our client chose Jerusalem stone, full of character and fossils for the splashback tiling. it is perfectly fitted from worktop to underside of wall cupboards, and a huge single piece makes up the splashback behind the hob. Flat spate brushed steel sockets are unobtrusively set into the stone. Two soaped oak shelves that match the island worktop lighten and add interest to an otherwise dark corner. On display are some of our clients' extensive collection of fine basket making by makers such as Jenny Crisp, Matthew Lewis, Molly Rathbone and Felicity Irons. For more details about beautiful baskets please visit the resource at Oxford's Pitt Rivers Museum or the wonderful Basketmakers Association.

Clean, timeless elegance and practicality.

kitchen in use

2011-09-21T16:27:00.000+01:00

Its lovely to see one of our kitchens in use. And to see the difference by evening. I snapped these pictures at a recent supper. And very delicious it was too, thankyou!

to see this during the day, look at this post: grandpont house

contemporary garden design

2011-09-21T15:06:00.000+01:00

Every once in a while we like to get outside for some fresh air, and make a garden.

soft grasses, hard landscaping and plenty of structure:

this project started off looking like this, so we had a pretty blank canvas. Having worked extensively on the interior, we wanted the design of the garden to link through to the design inside, including the colour palette, and keeping it strikingly modern.

we mapped out beds with different colour gravel borders and paths

and built a wall to conceal the shed from the house, and add a striking backdrop to the planting:

there is a seating area with an outdoor sofa:

a contemporary version of a pergola adds height and privacy without blocking out light.

a herb bed near the kitchen......

the planting includes aquilegia, foxgloves, many species of grasses, penstemmons, aliums, agapanthus, acanthus, irises, salvia, mathiesella, hostas and verbena, many rare varieties, all grown and sourced from the magnificent bob Brown at Cotswold Garden Flowers.

The owner is now a keen and skilful gardener, who says she loves her plants - each and every one. which is a real pleasure to know.

light and open kitchen - victorian terrace

2011-07-29T11:24:00.001+01:00

living etc front cover rogue-designs

This particular project features on our main web site. However I thought I would share more photos with you. The project itself featured in Living etc magazine (front cover no less) and also featured as one of their 50 best for that year.

The whole of the interior was knocked through and opened up to maximise the level of light penetration from the back of the house.

The kitchen boasted 40mm walnut worktops that wrapped around 3 sides and at the end had a small breakfast bar area. Along the main wall through to the dining space there was another bank of units that carried a greater amount of space for food storage and prep. The inset sinks add to the designs less cluttered aspect. Walnut insets were created to sit over the sink when not in use.

The walls were very exciting and somewhat experimental. They are of a concrete render which had black volcanic glass granules thrown at it in the last stages of its preparation. The whole thing then rubbed up and when dry, rubbed back slightly to reveal the penetrated glass.

The lighting in the dining space in image 4 was sourced from a london antique centre that specialised in italian mid century lighting design.

The dining space also had space for an bubble chair to be secured to one of the main roof supports.

Bubble Chair by Eero Aarnio

victorian terrace: funky lounge and a dj room

2011-07-26T12:03:00.000+01:00

walnut alcove shelving and cast concrete fireplace

Yr: 2003+/-

The lounge that was created, presented a warm front that included the brown tan leather sofas and one-off walnut alcove units that flanked the chimney breast. There was also a cvo firevault fire.

The fireplace as part of the one-off aspect that we like to throw into our projects was designed and created by rogue-designs. It's made from concrete, parts of which were cast in-situ. It appears to float due to the shadow detail that we applied to it.

The walnut floor is a feature to the whole of the ground floor - approximately 96sqm.

The vintage lighting again, was sourced through a supplier in London.

The image above the fireplace was from a collage that i made and had blown up onto a foam panel.

The space known as the DJ room, is situated between the kitchen and the lounge. The room housed the owners record collection. A functioning glitter ball was also attached to the ceiling. A discreet spotlight activated the spinning ball when switched on.

No speaker cable was visible due in part to it all being housed behind the skirting boards. speaker points were then dotted around for increased flexibility.

The dj console was created by rogue-designs, especially to house the dj decks with a space under for other electronic equipment. It was sprayed in a gloss lipstick red. As it was a feature to the space it warranted a stand alone quality.

bespoke dj deck

Stockholm kitchen

2010-11-06T16:21:00.001Z

We popped over to Sweden to make a compact kitchen in this funky apartment. The wall cabinet doors are designed to incorporate the handle, and the drawer fronts and base cabinet doors routed out in the same shape as the drop down 'jigsaw puzzle' pattern as the wall cabinets, then all lacquer sprayed in sage green, inspired by the success of this colour in a previous maple and sage kitchen. Multi-coloured glass tiles create the splashbacks. A PH5 lamp by Poul Henningsen for Louis Poulson hangs over the super-eliptical table (designed by mathematician, scientist and poet Piet Hein, with some contributions from Arne Jacobsen and Bruno Mathsson, in 1968.

Some of my seascape photographs are hanging in the living room, and Stig Lindberg fabric cushions continue the owner's theme of bright and super stylish accessories.

minimal london bathroom

2010-11-02T15:11:00.000Z

This was a very interesting project that encopassed many different decisions and risks. The existing bathroom was pokey and pretty irredeemable, so we converted a spare bedroom into this airy and spacious family bathroom, and converted the old bathroom into a study area.

The key features to the room were the stand alone shower unit, the large square bath and the very large basin along with the simple and striking fireplace. We wanted to keep everything incredibly pure, minimal and clean, creating s space that despite the monochrome palette and straight lines is not at all harsh, but calming and meditative.

Units above the toilet provide the storage along with the vanity unit. The chimney breast
allowed us to inject an element of texture into the room, to sit alongside the nibbled sugar cube effect tiling in the shower. We re-plastered the chimney with the plaster sucking away at the moment it dried, leaving flat platelets behind. This was then painted and the effect is subtle but effective. Swimming pool glass mosaic tiles were used and applied with a slightly textured effect, and a black tiled alcove in the shower cubicle affords a subtle shelf space.

The interior of the fireplace was painted black to swallow up the space and the rubber floor was dressed right into it. The driftwoodwood over the fireplace had been languishing in our back garden for near on 4 years after we had hauled it off a beach in the Lake District. It's oak and when we brought it back to life with the aid of a thicknesser it bacame apparent that this was the space in which to use it. It is some kind of industrial beam, full of stains and character and at some point had been part of someone's campfire, leaving beautiful blackened areas. The oak was washed and sealed with oil.

The flooring is 'dalsouple'; natural rubber in a light grey, and seamless, it creates the impression of expansiveness. Sealed, it provides a low maintenance floor that will look good for years, and warmer and kinder than tiles on such a large space. It also creates a seemless feel to the room that some rooms don't i.e. always having to provide contrast or juxtaposition. Sometimes it's just essential to create and pin down a design that doesn't challenge and make itself known in the usual ways.

All in all, the project was an exercise in subltety.

Zesty yellow -Georgian House > 2010

2010-10-13T16:44:00.008+01:00

This en-suite bathroom was carried out in conjunction with other other interior design work on the house, including the japanese bathroom and the design for the kitchen.

This room was quite a challenge due to the age of the house, as is often the case, these rooms are not very square, so the fitters had carried out a good deal of structural work to make the room appear as we wished.As a guest bathroom it was to be simple and zesty affair, fun and clean.

Combining a pared back colour scheme of white and yellow Dalsouple flooring (the rubber flooring experts), the colour that was chosen was an acidic yellow ochre for its vibrancy. We extended the rubber to cover the bath panel for continuity and fun, and because in such a small room it often works to have as few as possible different elements or materials.

As mentioned the room was quite a challenge! The house was built in about 1820, so expectedly in a house of this age the top floor had sunk and warped quite severely, due largely to the size of the timber joists. These over time had sunk by as much as 2 inches in the centre of the room. Having framed out and built up, eventually the vanity unit was able to sit on the floor without too much visual distraction from the floor. The sag under the bath is minimised by introducing the flooring to the vertical bath panel.

This vanity console provides structure and storage and keeps the space clean, and uncluttered by exposed plumbing etc. The basin is housed and the toilet is floating with the aid of a gerberit wall hung system. Both are neatly tied into the unit.

Above the unit, white brick patterned (English stretcher bond) tiles and a generous mounted mirror that extends to the window. This assists in the distribution of light and gives a greater feeling of space.

There is no reason not to have a big bath in a small room! This generous version has clean architectural lines, and due to its square base allows the user to stand directly under the shower.

The lighting in this room comes from two sources - small ceiling spots, and a wide wall light above the mirror and basin console.

One of the designs the client added to compliment matters was the blind. These are fabulous blinds that glide up and down in all sorts of clever ways.

Whilst compact, this room really functions well, and with its simplicity and vibrant colour scheme it has a slightly Scandinavian feel. It's definitely a fun little jewel at the top of this house.

colourful tiles- a North Oxford house: Living room

2010-10-13T15:03:00.028+01:00

We worked in this area along side the kitchen (see north oxford house: kitchen) area.

It is a wonderful room with lovely aspects to all sides; the double doors linking to the kitchen, a beautiful fireplace, huge windows to one wall and double glass doors to the front garden. There are privacy shutters and the light enters the room in really pleasurable way.

lounge view with duncan grant tiles set into the fireplace

It was very exciting to continue with the themes that we set up in the kitchen and utilise them in a different way. This project was all about a modern take on the arts and crafts movement; taking traditional ideas about handcrafting and applying modern techniques and designs. We attempted to make no single item stand out, but make sure that alll the items within had uniqueness. The flooring from kitchen continued with white oil wax throughout. The application of the oil wax is a very time consuming process that requires a lot of attention and many layers are required over virgin wood. At the heart of the room is the 'Arne' sofa by BB Italia, its almost 3m long and strikingly curved. We didn't want the formality of the kitchen area to impede and direct the shape and function of the lounge and so to break free from the restraints of linear sofas (which tend to inhabit the area along a wall!) we plumped for this sofa with its gentle curves and low profile, so as not to restrict the views outside.

In front of the sofa; a wonderful commissioned piece by Amy Kent. A handmade rug designed around lines and shadows in pavements.

The fireplace has vibrant hand-painted Duncan Grant tiles set in - an interesting and quirky contrast of highly traditional grand carrera marble and rustic art and crafts most likely dating from the early '20s and injecting a little bit of Charleston to the house. Around the fireplace - we constructed units that have carved panels for frontage. The images I conceived as small narratives, where nature and industry are intermingled in some way. A bird flys by electrical wires or a tree grows up through a broken, abandoned chair. The units were sprayed green to co-incide with the kitchen colours, both symbolise the power of nature to overcome industrial adversity.

the lefthand unit; 'silver birch'

sparrow about to land (detail)

A fascinating detail, the legacy of the old house were the victorian servant bell pulls, visible immediately next to the Carrera marble fireplace.

Along the line of the cornice we again brought through the Album system of lighting i.e. suspended cables that extend from one side to the other with lighting modules positioned as required.


detail of one of the light module

There was a real emphasis on lighting - whilst the suspended Album lighting was dimmable, floor and table lamps were used to create task and gentler lighting. The lamp that you see in the main image above is the Secto floor lamp by finnish designer Seppo Koho.

Shelving in the shapeof English Walnut (unplaned), still with a sawn appearance and with waney edge was used to mount the electronics.

A mural in the reverse tonal range was created on the closing full height panels, representing helibores. We painted the mural on the walls behind the shutters, so that when they are open, the effect is somewhat abstract; when the doors are closed, the picture becomes complete.

Above one of the walnut units (left in picture) we framed a marimekko fabric image for the owner. The style slotted in rather well. More marimekko fabric appears on the sofa cushions which we created. The addition of random vintage buttons to the cushions adds extra interest.

All in all the scheme has some amazing features that sit well in this natural, artistic environment.

a peaceful bedroom and dressing room - north oxford house

2010-10-12T17:45:00.016+01:00

features: Ash and glass wardrobes, handblown glass lighting, iridescent curtains

The theme of 'one-off' and individuality extended well into this area.

Through the course of designing and researching for other rooms within the house, the design language for the bedroom became an extension of this yet with added softness.

We designed and built a fitted bed console with extending cupboard spaces either side as bedside tables. Small directional snake lights were installed for reading by. The wood is ash and was oiled for a soft finish.

Over the wooden chest in the bedroom (owners own- see above) hangs a stunning glass lamp by Italian designer Michele De Lucchi . It is hand blown by the designer as part of his design movement Produzione Privata, which is all about returning to the handcrafted and hand created using traditional methods. He is also a founding designer of the lighting giant: Artemide.

We knocked through a full height opening linking this bedroom to a smaller adjoining room, to create a walk in dressing room. Both rooms have large windows virtually opposite each other, and the light floods through this linking opening,

The colour scheme combines a heritage light teal with soft natural cream, to continue the naturalistic and healthy aspect. The bedroom was painted in a rich matt duck-egg blue, and the dressing room papered with a delicate design in ivory and blue of abstract poppies by David Oliver.

The dressing room features 3 large wardrobe units (designed and made by rogue-designs) made of solid ash and ash veneered panels with 8mm glass which is laminated and whitened through the centre of it making it opalescent in nature.Two tall units sit in alcoves either side of the chimney breast. The third and main wardrobe has three sliding doors that open up to hanging space, and storage cupboards above making use of all the available room height. It also incorporates a PIR sensor that lights the wardrobe when the door slides open.

We continued with the blond wood, ash, on this floor to keep the feel of lightness. We created a profile for the ash picture rail that would act as an architectural accent as well as a utility bar. Instead of a conventional picture rail, we took the idea and used it to great purpose i.e. unifying the two rooms. It made sense of the openings! It also housed hand crafted wooden pegs that act as clothes pegs. In the dressing room a mirror is created from the profile and integrated into the line.

The curtain choice in both rooms always allows light to be accepted through into the rooms, giving an ethereal quality to the room. The simplicity and continuity of glass, ash and deep soft natural wool carpet (from the fantastic range of natural flooring at Textures flooring) make the most of this space.

Quiet luxury.

functionality and colour in a kitchen - grandpont house

2010-10-11T17:42:00.000+01:00

Victorian House:

Yr: 2008

features: Lacanche gas oven, Island unit, slate grey porcelain tiles, lime green, oak lantern, Blanco inset sink.

This project was the second of 3 commissions by our client, after working with them on the design of loft with on-suite, and then later their garden.

This began life pre-extension and the remit was to design a kitchen that was highly functional and host various items like a large and rather special eurocave wine fridge (see photo) and also a smaller wine unit to be housed in the island unit. The list of appliances continued; there was the Lacanche range; a multi ring gas burner that was to stand centre stage in the kitchen. The owner being a very interested and extremely capable chef insisted upon this furniture, and why not! The extension was cleverly designed by architect Tony Reedman, making much of a slightly awkward space. The extension was carried out to a very good standard and so made the process of designing for the space much easier than it could have been. It is imperative that your builder is accommodating at this stage as various items will impact on the final design. Whilst some features had to be altered i.e.size of steel beams holding up the house, most of the structure and size was kept within targets. Working with an experienced design team at In House, we organised a design that fitted the needs of the client and made sense of the space: ample room for cooking, room for art on walls and a place where this family could be seated in an evening or entertain.

Kitchens are notoriously difficult to organise and generally work around very clear principles. However, every space is different and can ask different questions of the designer. While its recommended that one should have a good understanding of the principles of kitchen design, commonsense and awareness of the practicalities of usage and the dynamics there in, are essential.

In the photo > Cabinet work is in a mixture of Anthracite and white gloss both with doors that have matching edge details.

Inset handles on the cabinetry avoid fuss and visually speak more discreetly about a design. They also fair a little better chronographically and tend never to lose that much in style.

Set within the anthracite top of the island unit is the Blanco 'zerox' inset sink, with one large sink and a small drainer. Its a 1000mm x 510 unit and has a low profile that keeps the sharp quality to the design.

The incredibly hard wearing floor tiles are ceramic and the pattern that ensued clearly adds to and makes sense of the linearity of the space.

The lengths of floating shelving, 50mm thick and 350mm wide, were manufactured from the same material as the worktop, also in anthracite and so complimented the rest of the units. Their fixing method is concealed. With the projected weight it was considered that allowances should be made during the building process to accommodate it: as a result, medium density building blocks were used rather than thermalite blocks at the fixing points, in order to secure them.

On the feature wall the client commissioned a mirror which was covered rather ornately in mixed elements of fabric from SQUINT designs and it sits upon the green wall very effectively. Other elements of interest are got through the individual elements that our client brings to the room such the stainless steel vegetable holder which rests upon the island unit like a floating piece of sculpture.

The colour on the wall is very striking and was chosen by Charlotte. Strong accent colour like this can be quite hard to work with, but we both felt there was a great deal of spirit and good health about this colour and to use it in the scheme would be very affirming. In fact, later on you will see that the colour is repeated in the garden design. To see this room of an evening, have a look at the kitchen in use post, which shows off how joyful and colourful even such a vividly minimal and practical kitchen can be.

Striking, clean, highly functional and full of fun.

japanese bathroom

2010-09-21T15:26:00.002+01:00

This room is called the japanese bathroom because all the builders named it that, since our client found a square japanese soaking bath to use. Its actually a compact en-suite bathroom, created by nicking a bit of under-stairs space and built in wardrobe.

This room is part of the Georgian house conversion, where we also designed the kitchen and two further ensuite bathrooms.

The room has no windows, and lighting is key here, with separate controls creating different atmospheres, gentle and moody for an evening, clean and bright for a wake up. Clean lines, subtle lighting, simple fittings, and a soft blue rubber floor from dalsouple lend this room a spa like quality.

All the elements and fittings used needed to be compact, but still stylish. We used a mixture of bisque, bristan, ideal standard and hudson reed fittings.

Vertical tiling came from an inspiration picture by our client of the London Underground.

a new arts and crafts - a maple kitchen - north oxford house

2010-09-05T17:36:00.000+01:00

North Oxford house > Yr: 2006 - 2010

Kitchen


hand made kitchen in maple with crafted panels, pre mural.

The Parktown area of Oxford is a famous landmark site and this project was sited within one of the crescents that exists. The house was built in the late 1850's and was designed by Samuel Lipscomb Seckham using bath stone as the main building material. He was a surveyor who was commissioned by St John's college to develop the area. Should you wish to visit you will see that It is very reminiscent of the famous crescent at Bath, and was no doubt designed to air a similar grand quality.

The project was to be the total revamp of one of the houses in the crescent (in stages), and as such the owners had decided to commission us to 'lift its spirit'. This project was a total pleasure in many ways, as we both loved the house and its character. The house is set out over 5 floors, the piano nobile with the drawing room and dining rooms on the 1st floor with views over the Parktown gardens. Initially there was not a great deal of harmony in the house (design-wise) as it was split into several separate apartments at some point in its near history. This then meant having a total vision for the place, whilst staging the works and bringing the different spaces together again. Whilst first impressions of the house in this state would to many dictate a total 'rip out' and refurbishment, we felt, with the support of our clients, that a restoration approach could achieve more and retain the character of the property. Restoration is a gentler, but more intricate, complicated and sometimes time consuming project, but the end result is so much subtler and kinder to the house that we believe it is well worth it. It seems a shame for example to replace a lathe and plaster wall with modern plasterboard just because it is flatter - after all, the character of an old house is in the quirks (and ripping out old lathes always makes we think of the person who whittled each piece of timber individually).

Whist full of character, the house had been badly mistreated in some ways, and many of the period features were somewhat obscured. Its most notable features were the beautiful handrail that trailed throughout the floors; the tall glazed internal doors; the high ceilings with original cornice and the fireplace in the ground floor living space. The main carrera marble fireplace housed decorative Duncan Grant tiles and it was this detail that gifted us the idea of using art and craft to give the house an artisan feel, that it possibly once had. We wanted to take the core concepts of arts and crafts, but tweak and modernise, and see if the ethos and character could also work within a contemporary and modern sleekness.

Many of the items that you will see throughout are either one-off or unique in someway. So, while we adapted some of the arts and crafts designs, we weren't faithful to them. In fact we gave the designs a modern twist, something that would sit alongside individual modern items and not look out of place.

It is a house like no other and so for inspiration we decided to visit Blackwell House, an arts and crafts exhibition house, situated in the Lake District, which houses a wonderful collection of relevant pieces. William de Morgan tiles adorn the fireplace surrounds in the large house. Also on show in the exhibition at the time, were lots of ceramic work. The hallmark of the arts and crafts period was the level of embelishment. Nothing was left blank and ordinary if at all possible.

Maple island unit with handmade handles

At the time of investigating where we should place our design, we came across an artisanal nature to the craft industry in Holland and in the UK. Leading designers like Hella Jongherius, were bringing their passion for 'handmade' skills within modern production methods to the table.

cowparsley splashback with led lighting

So it became quite clear, that within the make over, it wouldn't be out of place to acquire craft from other sources to sit alongside our own brand of arts and craft informed designs, and link through for a very unique experience.


initial design concepts

initial design concept 2 (island unit)

The project began at the deep end with the transformation of the kitchen and ground floor lounge area that ran into each other separated by 2.8m high glass double doors.

kitchen > The main features are the maple worktops, white washed flooring, mural, backlit bespoke splashback and the Hans Wegner dining room set with a soaped wood finish, the aga that sits in the middle and the suspended lighting.


the lighting with its suspension cables allows flexibility in the positioning of the light modules.

Its a galley style kitchen, tapering to the back wall. A 3 metre long worktop island unit separates the dining space from the rest of the kitchen, and cupboard doors to the dining side give access to plates and glasses. The island unit is made using solid maple, providing storage and housing two built in fridges. An electric oven and a ceramic hob supplement the aga, and provide alternative cooking means during hot summers. The handles were created using maple and brass as an insert. Each of the handles were carved with their own unique pattern.

The element of carving and piercing also shows in the end panel of the island unit.

fine detailing in the maple

brass inlay into the maple side panel

The colour scheme is light cream, sage green, natural blond wood with black elements and details. On the wall with the aga to the centre, a long set of wall units with doors in a matte sage green, spans the full length of the room, straddling the large chimney breast, serving to emphasize the length of the room. Below, the base units continue in solid maple.

The lighting throughout the room was commissioned from Album lighting via the marvellous Cameron Peters Fine Lighting based in Ardington, near Wantage, Oxfordshire. Album, an Italian firm, specialise in suspended LED and halogen lighting for heritage projects - since the cabling runs around the top of the walls, and is only fixed at minimal points, it is perfect for heritage or valuable ceilings, and much more sensitive a scheme than halogen spotlights. We chose a mix of light modules for interest and to mark different areas - thus elegant blown glass fittings are suspended above the dining table, and architectural spotlights provide task lighting above the island. For fun, a single moon piece hangs above the sink area.

Full height sliding wooden doors act as shutters in front of the glass doors which lead to the garden. We adorned these with a mural of cow parsley, in a slightly darker colour than the paintwork, so as not to make it too pronounced, but play with how you percieve the room and how you experience it.

The cowparsley theme ran into the splashbacks. This was experimental (a technique more often associated with exhibition stands) but works tremendously well. They are very colorful and add another level of patternwork that uplifts the space either side of the chimney breast. These were designed by Charlotte and printed onto thick perspex. The perspex was separated by a few centimetres from the wall, and an LED lighting strip was placed between, in order to light up the panels from behind and add further refinement to the overall design. They fit very precisely from worktop to underside of wall cabinets.

cowparsley etched onto the plexiglass

plexiglass backsplash design

The table and chairs are classic designs by Hans Wegner. The table is soaped oak, which is an under-used finish these days, but is no less hardy than varnish. It is non yellow and soft in appearance. This consideration of material is just whay you would expect from the master craftsman.

hans wegner table and chairs

dark chair detailing and table in soaped oak and grey

More Scandinavian design appears with the Secto floor lamp in black and natural birch wood, designed by finnish architect Seppo Koho.

All in all, the room is a blend of materials, textures and style that hints at what will continue elsewhere in the house.

Light, open, softly spoken but crafty and unique.

a grown up living room - victorian house

2010-08-23T17:10:00.137+01:00

Victorian House

Phase 3: the living room

features: cast concrete fire surround with wood detailing, stained piranha pine box shelving, dark stained flooring, double sliding curtain rail, danish rosewood sideboard, architectural light shade, handmade radiator covers.

We chose to use an organic and muted colour range complimented by the use of dark stained material (including the floor), textures and subtle tonal changes to create an intimate room with a quiet aspect.

Elevating a Victorian living room can be a difficult proposition as they generally come wrapped with period features which are often wonderful, but sometimes dominate too much to allow scope for change. (plus the Victorians didn't always get it right design-wise, when you consider that many houses were assembled from stock catalogues). The main feature in the room at the time was a vast Carrera marble fireplace. It was very large and ill proportioned for the room, dominating and making the room feel cold. We didn't wish to strip the 'old' from the room, however the owner had wanted to be able to stamp their authority on the place as this was going to be the family home for a good while. It was decided that the fireplace should be dismantled and sold on, after all, houses are for living in! It was finally taken to Faringdon were it was sold to an architectural antiques company (which paradoxically we often use to find period pieces). We promptly got to work on a fireplace design, and hand cast a simple white polished concrete piece with stained wood mantle. From this we built the room and as a consequence, the study room which adjoined the lounge. A large L shaped grey corner sofa provides flexible seating. The vintage Danish rosewood sideboard from our lovely friends at The Modern Warehouse sits on the back wall against striking wallpaper.

Opposite, on either side of the chimney breast, there is a configuration of dark stained display boxes of differing sizes. They are like a sliding rule - each pair amounts to the same space, separated by the chimney breast. We used the wallpaper at the backs to set off the objects within, and create continuity with the feature wall. The large oak table with two slate insets is the owners own.

Above the fireplace is a very striking mirror which the owner purchased from a gallery in the Czeck republic. Its strong features also informed the design and it adds a great focal point to the room.

The lamp shade which is approx 550mm diameter designed by Louise Campbell for Louis Poulsen, titled 'collage', has 3 concentric white perspex rings which have been laser cut with a floral motif. When the light is on, it creates a wonderful flecked floral pattern around the room, especially when the light is subdued. As there are many strong design elements in the room, the light shade doesn't actually dominate, it rather delicately absorbs with colours. In fact it tends to sit in the background until lit when it takes on its splendour.

The ceiling rose that you see, is a beautifully crafted plaster reproduction of a heritage piece that was installed as part of the design.We felt the ceiling looked rather sparse without it. While it wasn't evident that a ceiling rose had been there previously, the room has fine original cornice molding, so it sits perfectly well, and creates focus and mixes the old and new with the contemporary chandelier.

Two pairs of curtains, one sheer linen for privacy, the other a thick raw weave cotton for warmth, are full length and hang on a double bay window pole in brushed steel (a piece of clever engineering) It is finished off with hand blown glass finials. Small touches against large bold pieces help to create little surprises that enhance the experience.

This is where the room comes into its own: the evening!

Below are a few detail shots from the room.

basement living - victorian house

2010-08-23T16:49:00.008+01:00

project: living area, kitchen, extension

features: reclaimed antique parquet muhuhu flooring, Silestone worktop, induction hob, wine storage

the kitchen with view to dining room extension (phase 6)

This basement conversion and extension was a huge project, and a fantastic space. A lot of work was carried out to turn what was a dark, and slightly dank basement area into a family space that is extremely habitable and stylish, and given its situation, filled with light. We tackled the project in stages, firstly creating a cosy living and play area in the bay window space at the front along with a central kitchen, and then a pause before the major building project of a light and airy new extension as a dining area, which leads out onto a same level outdoor living space.

When we began, red 'quarry style' tiles sat on the floor, a dark blue 'county style' kitchen blocked off the far end of the room which has now been opened up to the new extension, replacing a rather leaky conservatory type space. The chimney at the living end had also been blocked up previously and the damp that was inside the chimney was interfering with the skirting. All of this was opened up and the rubble removed. We reclaimed the space in the chimney as a display point with a huge oak lintel, and vented it to keep the chimney aerated. The floor was a different story; all the tiles were removed and fortunately, we did get back to a layer of concrete on top of which was laid a breathable membrane. The floor was then put down on a substrate. After much time fitting and sanding the reclaimed parquet the effect was complete - it appeared as if it had been down for the past 120 years or so. A lot of work and time went into the floor but the results are remarkable.

parquet flooring in herringbone configuration

Choosing something that has been used before, despite the clean up process, still means that you are quite likely to get an amount of character running through the floor which can be lacking in pristine wooden floors. we also loved the 'eco' quality of a reclaimed floor, and its history was in keeping with the character of the house. The parquet block floor started life as we knew it in individual blanks bundled into yard squares, and stored in a warehouse in Bath (Walcott reclamation) who deal with architectural antiques. In its previous incarnation it was a school gym floor. It is a wonderful material - dense and fragrant and full of character. Every individual block was processed to be the right depth, this involved stripping off the tar from the bottom using an electric planer. The resulting floor shows incredible personality.

We specified and designed a German made kitchen which was supplied by a local company. We wanted all the surfaces to reflect as much light as possible, and chose a high gloss finish in a beautifully light olive green. A breakfast bar was added to the scheme which doubled as a useful preparation area and keeps the space sociable. The wrap around top is Silestone, a quartz based composite stone which has anti-bacterial properties and is incredibly hardwearing and anti corrosion resistant. Within the L shaped configuration above a miele inset induction hob was set. The owners approached induction cooking after much discussion with some trepidation, but have cherished it ever since. The hob is set into its the top and colour matched intumescent mastik was used to seal it into place. Behind the miele induction hob a hardened glass splashback was fitted, and flat plate sockets (low profile) in stainless steel sit neatly against glass tiles and add further detail.

The wine carrier set into the second chimney stack neatly fills a problem space or 'hole' that the owner wanted us to address. The inventive storage is a modification of a design from another recent project where we reclaimed a disused dumb waiter to house the owners wine collection. The oak frame makes the item stand alone and announce its presence.

Above the undermount sink, the space was kept incredibly simple and uncluttered; a couple of solid oak shelves run the width of the recess. These have inset uplighters in them that cast a light up through the glassware that the owner is collecting. Glass brick shaped tiles behind the stainless steel tap act as the splashback and also help to reflect some light. The franke tap is quite cool too, as it also has a built in water filter.

During the kitchen conversion what was then the back wall was knocked out and steels were put in to accommodate what would become an extension in phase 6. Planning for the extension didn't present too much difficulty, but consideration was applied to where the flooring would end and how it could follow on at exactly the same height. We were also conscious of where the kitchen units would end and how they would interact with the new space. We decided to dress the flooring right up to a false wall that was created for the interim period (on the back of the house) so the extension would be seamless. see Victorian house: extension.

We used the pale olive and lichen colour scheme as a modern twist on the classic 'farrow and ball' kind of lichen, the intension was to keep the space light with colours that follow through from the rest of the house, and are classic and timeless palette.

Canal side house wetroom

2010-08-10T18:58:00.012+01:00

Canal side house

1st floor bathroom: wetroom.

Yr > 2009

The design and fit of a bathroom that is one of the main features of Victorian houses. Despite the size of the house, the bathrooms generally all occupy very small spaces; this particular one is housed where an old servants staircase used to make its way up the house. Therefore the space we worked with was: 3.5metres long by 95cm wide and 3m high. Also a feature of victorian houses; the tall ceilings! We devised the design for three bathrooms; the cloakroom beneath, this wetroom, and a slightly wider main bathroom which will fit a bath. The cloakroom and main bathroom are yet to be built, but all will share the principles of sleek italian design.

In the end the space was expertly crafted and every white good was nested in place. From lowering the ceilings to cutting down vanity units, every aspect of the fit out was carefully assessed and planned out to make sure that no space was lost and that the experience was as generous as it could be, given the dimensional restrictions.

Atmosphere and pleasure was integral to the experience we wanted to eschew and the owner had requested a look that was both Italian and bold and would reflect elements of their life in Florence. The design was one that we are very fond of. It had a very clear character and a personality that we never thought possible looking at the floorplan.

A good deal of time was spent sourcing the most appropriate items to work in this space. The washbasin is by Scarabeo Ceramiche from Italy. It's slightly dished and positioned on a slight angle to lead the eye into the room. In the design it rests delicately on top of the wenge, floating vanity unit. This unit was modified to suit the space, with great care as the internal runners could not have been altered. The toilet by Vitra is concealed behind the dwarf wall that contains the cistern, and is asymmetrical. This means the floor is un-interupted and can be cleaned very easily. In order to do this we created a dummy wall, that was incredibly well anchored to the wall and floor. In fact the steel frame (gerberit) that was used had to be set into the wall in order to not exceed the width restrictions of the room.

The whole of the floor is a wetroom tray from our friends at On the Level, which has been tiled and has underfloor heating for maximum comfort. Underfloor heating also helps a wetroom to dry out quickly.

The tiles are Italian porcelain in grey and matt black, in varying sizes. We created a pattern to provide architectural interest and texture.

A tiled shelf in the shower area was formed using the porcelain tiles and stainless steel edging, and continues the architectural drama of the space.

The shower is a Hans Grohe 'raindance' and we have fitted many of these. The feedback to its effectiveness has always been very good. The water (with air technology) floods rather than sprays and gives an even distribution of water. This works incredibly well in a space like this where spray would have been an issue. Alongside the raindance overhead drench unit we complimented it with the handheld spray.

victorian house: bathroom 2

2010-08-10T18:00:00.009+01:00

1st floor bathroom > shower room, ground floor cloakroom/boiler room.
Yr: to 2010

The second of the bathrooms co-incided with the formation and refurbishment of the boiler room, which was also turned into a ground floor toilet with airing cupboards. The second of the main bathrooms is a shower room that presented its own problems. Far from being spacious, this room crams a lot of 'look' for such a small space. 2m sq approx.

Its position on the 1st floor was directly over the boiler room and therefore made a great deal of sense to convert both rooms at the same time.

All the walls were stripped back to brick. This was not a job for dust-haters. As the house had 140 years on it, the walls were of tired plaster that had blown in places and the ceilings were lath and plaster. This gave us a complete blank canvas for the creation of the space. Floors were adjusted in the shower room to accomodate the wetroom floor. Part of the ceiling was restored with plasterboard and the other part, left open. The roof trusses were exposed and sanded. The space had become subtley more architectural with this hidden roof space. It did mean we could hide the extractor in this space were it would be less conspicuous.

As mentioned, this was a wetroom and as such had to be prepared thoroughly and very well too prevent any future leakage. This was our first wetroom and as such, we took all the necessary precautions when installing the product. We settled on a base from 'on the level' who specialise in wetroom products along side their acrylic wall solution. Care was taken to make sure all the gaskets, around the products on the wall and in the floor, were perfectly sealed and tight.

The shower area is decked out with travertine marble. Mosaic travertine tiles across the floor going into the larger square panels on the walls. As there are no gaps between the wall tiles, the impression is of one piece of marble.

The brushed stainless steel shower pole is by Bristan and stands like a piece of sculpture, projecting from the wall in the wet area. The 'drencher', or flood head is more appropriate in these settings as they tend not to create excessive water spread, unlike power shower heads.

The walls that weren't tiled were treated with many layers of pigmented varnish. Very thin at first and becoming stronger at the end. This did 2 things: added greater protection against water damage and secondly gave a sensory quality, akin to lustre ware or silk. What the colour of the plaster gave to the room was its warmth. It made the pigmented varnish a slight tone warmer in appearance.

ground floor cloakroom.

key events would be the units that house the boiler. A lift off panel hides the unit itself whilst the larger cupboard doors conceal the drying space and the stuart turner pumps that create greater pressure for the shower, directly upstairs. The doors are panels which have been made to size and veneered with zebrano. These are set off by the flooring which was left as floorboards, but painted black.

I think the room speaks for itself. Its tidy and crisp and has a very calm and clean and delicate appearance.

ground floor toilet and boiler room

zebrano doors with inset handles

handwash sink

Grandpont house> bedroom and on-suite

2010-08-10T17:26:00.019+01:00

Grandpont house: loft conversion.

Yr:2007

It is a loft space (bedroom) with an on-suite bathroom with a footprint of 30sqm approximately, incl the bathroom. There was a very considered and limited palette in this scheme. The muted earth tones were all cleverly balanced. Loft rooms can be difficult in their character; we wanted this one to feel warm and grown-up, a sanctuary.

It's an elegant room, very clean and sharp with a very clear direction.

Two walls were papered, one on the wall as you approach the top of the staircase and the one behind the bed. Both walls run in different directions to each other and so acted particularly well to ease you into the room without being too full on.

The pattern that you see on the walls is by Neisha Crosland and it gives the room a loose light feel whilst playing with all the tones employed elsewhere in the room. An oak framed alcove in the wall above the bed provides extra storage, and a neat interest.

The radiators are by bisque. Its a low level, traditional style with ribbed chambers, in anthracite. These are high performing radiators and very useful at warming a room quickly and holding the temperature. The colour of the radiator can be changed in order to further enhance and stay within the designers range of tone and hue.

We designed and had made, a very simple, elegant and one-off, oak and glass rail to the top of the staircase. An oak frame surrounds 10mm toughened glass. The storage units that are pictured, fitted in the eaves and flanked the escape velux.

The conversion of a loft space is often at odds with storage needs and this generally tends to be forgotten in the process of creating a useable space. In a lot of our designs there is a real emphasis on clever storage where ever possible.

Off the bedroom is the on-suite which is a pleasure. Glass tiles wrap around all 4 walls and encase the bathroom in reflected light. The effect is further enhanced by the mirror and the glass shower screen.

As per the bannister, the door is of oak and the linear detailing is seen in various other items around the rooms.

The shower base was a 1200mm x 800mm composite. The glass toughened and bespoke. It is always a good idea when fitting a bathroom in the loft area to over structure the support for the facilities i.e. the floor joists and make sure there are provisions for the potential cleaning of the traps etc.

Extraction in the bathroom was ducted through the roof space whilst the building conversion was taking place. An icon bathroom fan with PIR and a humidity sensor was used. These are used to great effect in spaces like these where you can control the moisture content of the room. The console is also very elegant and powerful.

Fittings are simple and elegant, minimal but not flashy. All in all, sanctuary, and a little jewel at the top of the house.

decking

2010-07-29T15:10:00.004+01:00

This was a decking project that we took on through a trusted designer Chameleon Gardens. The deck was to sit alongside the house with built in steps as part of its structure.

On the bank near the house stands an extremely large Oak tree and the bank itself, falls away from the tree down to the house. The deck was to be housed in that section. In order to do this we had to mount the deck approximately 3.5ft off the ground. The primary condition of the ipe deck was to make it appear to be perfectly nested in that space.

The boards were secured down with stainless steel fastenings which resists rotting. Ipe is incredibly resistant to bending and as such the boards proved very difficult to position into place given they were 6 metres long. Each of the tiers was bound in a picture frame, not usually seen in decking configurations, but works superbly well in this situation.Very difficult to install successfully.


ipe deck with three tiers

ipe deck when wet

ipe deck from above

ipe deck from high up

ipe deck during preparation

victorian terrace: bathroom with a bit of gothic glamour

2010-07-29T12:17:00.006+01:00

The house was very unique and the owner gave a great deal of trust over to us when designing the spaces. He was very open to new ideas and was encouraging in the process. This was opitomised in the bathroom area.

The requirements were simply, that it should be a most relaxed space where time could be spent. Given the space and our clients' tastes, we felt that a distressed victorian glamour should be applied.

With this in mind we knocked through a bedroom and a small bathroom to create the space you see below.

The main features to the bathroom are the bisazza glass mosaic tiles in the shower block, the bespoke concrete (one-off) top on the vanity unit, the painted, glazed green and gold effect walls, (crafted by Charlotte with lots of tins of paint) the hidden toilet (behind the shower unit) and the lighting that enhances all aspects of it. From uplighters to directional spots, to task lighting to inset low level wall lighting.

All of the sink and bath tap fixtures were from Vola and wall mounted for a clean look.

The mirrors were used to dramatic effect in the pushing of light and space in different ways.

This room was also featured in Living Etc.

arts and crafts bathroom

2010-07-29T09:52:00.004+01:00

arts and crafts bathroom in northampton Yr: 2008

This was a project that presented a small departure from what we were generally used to. The inspiration came from our client, who knew she wanted to do something in the style of Peacock House, and was wowed by the colour scheme of the Halsey Ricado tiles there. Ricado was at that time a partner in and designing for the William de Morgan ceramics company, and his work at Peacock House typifies this era. There is an interesting article about Peacock (or Debenham) House here: http://www.hughpearman.com/articles/halsey.htm

The tiles here were all handmade by a ceramist who had done some restoration pieces for Peacock House, and the crackled glass glaze on each one differs slightly. The are close fitted, various sizes, in brick bond patterns and capped with a stained oak picture rail.

The beaten copper bath sits on a slate tiled floor with underfloor heating, and all the brassware is reproduction, appropriate to the era. A restored vintage hall stand was converted to house the marble wash bowl, and store bathroom products. Reproduction bronze and glass lamps either side of the mirror came from a maker in America. The windows are framed with stained oak, and glazed with panels in a design which our client commissioned from a stained glass artist.

Although quite a compact room, the drama of it all was quite astounding and it created the impression of a larger room.

MOMA> (museum of modern art ) award winning architectural practise

2010-07-28T16:40:00.013+01:00

This was a project that we came to for our ability to create, given a difficult and a changing brief. The project was initiated by MOMA and BLOCK architecture who were the designers and primary architects for the new MOMA face lift. The units numbered 20+ including seating and book holders as well as the reception desks and the fridge housing units. Created from Douglas Fir panels, a total of 62 panels were used in the end. The only other material included was carbonised mild steel plates. which were used in small and various ways. Whilst the building still remains as it is, the new director has instigated a new theme for the place, meaning that most of the work has now disappeared. A few remain.

MOMA > oxford. yr: 2004+/-

oxford bar and night club

2010-07-28T16:13:00.010+01:00

yr: 2002 +/-

This sequence of images represents a design and installation of a bar and the various other modules attached to it, i.e. the seating arrangement and the oak framed wine housing unit etc. The bar itself was quite an exciting project in as much as it offered a great deal of scope for creativity. The unit was created from oak and toughened 10mm glass - which had coloured gels attached to it from behind. They were easily replaceable in future for different dynamic colourful styles. Oak strips were laid out over the glass and oak framework and secured in place by using an appropriate adhesive.

The whole of the interior with its grand appearance was stripped back from a dark and restricted old, multiple roomed place and exposed to its fullest. The render was shot blasted off to reveal the brickwork. The metal columns also brought back into being. The lighting itself and the electrical sources were housed in metal conduit (galvanised) and were used as a device for breaking up the handmade red brick walls. This added an extra structural element to the already linear aspect of the bar and the interior.

shelving and storage

2010-07-24T10:02:00.000+01:00

This is a small selection of the shelving that was completed recently in an ancient barn. Originally the first unit below had a fixed back, but then it was decided that we could use glass as a partition and create the mirror of the shelves on the reverse. This was quite tricky but in the end the result was an excellent room divider, double depth shelving, light coming through from both sides during the day, and illuminable at night.

the second set of photos show built in storage for a wine cellar/ utility room.

First stage completed.

The unit is completed when painted white and becomes reflective and bright.

The unit is perfectly nested between the two structural oak uprights.

In another room in the house, wardrobe space was created with the routed lines relating to the style of the interior doors.

A view of the open shelving

A wine storage perfectly sited in an alcove.
The unit with features an integrated led strip lights that run through the tops of each cell.