I was invited to collaborate on this project by www.integratedesignbuild.co.uk, who were confident that they could do the construction and project management, but who currently didn’t have an in-house Interior Designer. This lovely Edwardian Family home, with 2 young children had a small galley kitchen that needed modernising and which didn’t feel connected to a large dining / living space next to it. They also needed better utility storage and a style injection that suited them and the house itself. The rear garden is much lower than the back garden, so the kitchen appears to be on the ground floor, but down 2 steps from the front yet on 1st floor from the back.
Integrate Design and Build had already designed a marvelous, modern, suspended extension on the back of the house with large, sliding windows, Juliette balcony and metal steps down into the garden. They had also decided to open up the wall between the kitchen and dining room. Due to this being 3 steps up from the kitchen and building regulations requiring a 110cm high barrier between the 2 rooms, on the part without steps, this posed a design conundrum of how best to deal with the spaces in both rooms. We also added a WC under the stairs.
I drew a 3D model that helped us all better understand the 3 levels of the kitchen /dining and space planned how furniture could best work. Instead of just a 110cm partition, I suggested adding a small bar top in oak and stools on the other side. I designed a kitchen layout and style that was honed and bespoke built by www.juniper-kitchens.com. I put forward shortlist options and designs for colours, paint, finishes, furniture, tap, sink and lighting for the clients to choose from. I later made some floor and sofa cushions and hung the client’s art to complete the space. The clients were game for my more outlandish suggestions of a dark paint colour on the kitchen cabinets, the graphic tiles on the step risers and a aqua /blue painted ceiling in the dining area. Considering the gorgeous finish, the costs of the kitchen and interior design were surprisingly reasonable. The clients are really happy with how it all turned out.
About a year after we completed the kitchen, the clients invited me back to design their bathroom renovation. I changed the layout and managed to fit them in a nice, large, 80 x 1800cm bath and much more ample family storage with a basin cabinet, niche shelf and tall slim, floor to ceiling cupboard with a door on the majority of it and 2 open shelves at the top. The lighting and round mirror have an Art Deco feel. The shower and bath tap are one unit, with cool black taps. The hidden cistern and suspended toilet have a nice clean feel. The aqua colour of the tiles is restful. We used a slightly lighter aqua to paint the ceiling in a colour cap and the bamboo floor is more water resilient than oak. A shower screen with flipper panel will follow. As the door needed to open inwards, but was clashing with the necessary towel radiator, we cut the existing door in half and hinged it. We painted the door black with turquoise on the edges.