New Chapter

Our clients, both in the publishing world, wished to create a colourful, sociable and light-filled home as well as a backdrop to display their large collection of books.

As well as designing the architecture, we were also desigedn the interiors and furniture including an overall palette of materials, the design of a new bespoke handmade kitchen, utility and cloaks area, built-in storage walls, bookcases, wardrobes, childrens’ bedrooms as well as the fit-out of the new loft conversion.

The new rear extension incorporates full-height glazing to engage with the garden and external brickwork, recognisable as similar to the existing building but also subtly differentiated from it using contrasting stack bonded bricks. A cantilevered overhang provides a degree of shelter and shade to the rear facade with a wood soffit mirroring interior wood cladding. A sedum roof and large rooflights allow further natural light into the extended space.

Rather than a completely open-plan arrangement to the rear, we proposed a freestanding storage wall with integrated glass pocket doors between the kitchen/diner and family room, allowing the space to be used as a whole or independently as desired. Acoustic timber wall panelling has been incorporated to attenuate noise responding to particular hearing requirements. Within the storage wall we designed a ‘secret’ cocktail cabinet transforming the space for entertaining.

A restrained palette of materials runs through the building linking all areas of the home either as flooring, wall cladding, bookcases or in small details such as the handles for the wardrobes or even the specially commissioned front door.

Colour is introduced in the kitchen units, wall panels and upholstery and in the creative way the clients’ books are displayed throughout the house.

Annual CO2 data was not provided