decking

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

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

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

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.

oxford bar and night club

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

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.