Innehållsförteckning för June 2023 från 25 Beautiful Homes

Chris Smith of Locksley Architects has modernised and extended a Victorian property that lacked period features. Here, the designated adults’ room has been updated with all mod cons, yet the design remains faithful to the Victorian architecture. 1 PLAN THE SPACE ‘We extended the property and created an open-plan kitchen-diner/living area at the rear. The owners wanted a separate quiet space on the ground floor that would include a built-in TV and could be used as a space to read,’ Chris says. ‘The property had been purchased from an elderly lady who hadn’t decorated it in about 30 years. It was very tired with magnolia paint everywhere. Old-fashioned curtains covered the windows and the carpets were completely worn out,’ he adds. 2 GET COSY UNDERFOOT ‘Structural works involved removing the…

When Natasha and Rob Cossey bought their home a decade ago, the kitchen was dark and dated. ‘Over the years we made minor changes but eventually decided to do the job properly,’ says Natasha. They knocked through the kitchen and dining room and extended to create one space. 1 GOING BIG ‘The whole point of the project was to create an open-plan room with enough space for cooking, eating, entertaining and being together as a family,’ explains Natasha. After a visit to Harvey Jones’ showroom in Guildford, they specified a large island (‘as big as we could get,’ she says) as the sociable hub of the room, complete with hob for cooking while facing guests. 2 GETTING ORGANISED The focal point island is backed by a practical run of wall…

When tasked with designing an en-suite bathroom as part of a whole-house project, interior designer Ozge Caglayan focused on creating a look that complemented the adjacent main bedroom. ‘I opted for a modern English aesthetic,’ she says. 1 THINK PRACTICALLY ‘Making best use of the space was one of the main priorities in this room,’ says Ozge. ‘The old bathroom failed to do that and didn’t allow for the inclusion of a shower. With this in mind, I reconfigured the layout, removing the existing integrated bath and replaced it with a classic freestanding design. Stealing space from the adjoining bedroom also allowed for the addition of a spa-style walk-in shower.’ 2 CREATE COHESION ‘All the materials I opted for have been carefully chosen to achieve cohesion throughout,’ says Ozge. ‘A…

When designing a child’s bedroom as part of a whole-house project, designer Amanda Barnes had to consider every aspect. ‘The requirements for a child’s space can be more exacting than for an adult’s,’ says Amanda. 1 DESIGN THE LAYOUT ‘The bed was positioned with a window on either side of the headboard and another to the side, providing great early-morning views,’ says Amanda. ‘This configuration allowed for plenty of walkaround space as well as a reading and relaxing corner into which we fitted a hanging chair, lined with a sheepskin for added cosiness.’ 2 CREATE A THEME ‘Because this is a young girl’s room, it needed to reflect that,’ says Amanda. ‘The owners wanted a space for their daughter that was cosy, playful and practical. To achieve that, we went…

HOW DID YOU COME TO BE INVOLVED IN THIS PROJECT? After finding out about the BBC series Interior Design Masters, I took a leap of faith – I won the contract with Beach Retreats to redesign Winnow as a result of winning the show in April 2022. WHAT WERE THE BIGGEST PRIORITIES FOR YOU AND THE OWNERS? Winnow is an architecturally designed house that is planted naturally into the landscape, oriented towards a fabulous view; the owners wanted the design to reflect the spectacular location, therefore the biggest priority was to achieve this, while incorporating character. There is always a practical and accessible element to interior design in a holiday let, but the end result needed to stand out in a competitive marketplace. WHAT WAS YOUR INSPIRATION FOR THE SCHEME?…

In this project to convert two flats into one home, Martin Moore senior designer David Sant created an elegant kitchen for a young couple. The kitchen was to occupy a former bedroom on the property’s first floor, leading to dining and living spaces. 1 STRIKING A BALANCE With the room stripped back to bare brick, David was called upon to create a classic-contemporary design which made the most of the compact 3.5 x 4.3m space and its tall ceilings. ‘Unusually, the room is almost as tall as it is wide,’ says David. ‘My clients requested a balanced design, and also wanted an island at its heart.’ 2 A SOFT APPROACH To create the uncluttered elegance his clients had in mind, David proposed a slender island, flanked by symmetrical runs of…

‘In an open-plan kitchen and living space cabinets without handles give the cook space a less functional look’ HOW DID YOU COME TO BE INVOLVED IN THIS PROJECT? The project was for Hong Kong-based clients who also wanted a London base. The clients are actually relatives of a friend of mine. They weren’t originally looking for a designer, but after discussion, they thought it would make sense to work with somebody local who understood the planning process and appreciated the architecture. WHAT CONDITION WAS THE PROPERTY IN? It wasn’t dilapidated but it was dated and rather basic. The flat itself is in a stunning red brick Queen Anne period property and features high ceilings and an oriel window. My clients wanted the space to be used more efficiently and for…

HOW DID STUDIO MCW COME TO BE INVOLVED IN THIS PROJECT? It came in 2018 through a friend of mine shortly after we had established the practice. The clients were moving from London to the countryside and eager to improve their 18th-century stone house. We started with a series of sketches, which were refined as the work progressed. WHAT WERE THE BIGGEST PRIORITIES FOR THE HOMEOWNERS? They wanted a whole refurbishment and extension. We were briefed to add a large open-plan kitchen, dining and living space. They asked for large windows to look out over a semi-enclosed courtyard area which provided a sense of intimacy evocative of their former London home. The house has been designed to instil the energy of a city lifestyle into a country retreat, blending together…

HOW DID YOU COME TO BE INVOLVED IN THIS PROJECT? The clients are my brother and sister-in-law. We had done an apartment for them previously. This was a fairly unattractive and tired house that hadn’t been touched much since it was originally built. My clients really like modernism and were very attracted by the idea of being able to live in a more lateral and modern way. This house has two floors as opposed to some of the other houses we saw with four storeys and it is 11 metres wide. It was a fast-track project – the house was bought in April 2019 and we started work on it later that year doing a two-storey extension at the front and a similar extension at the rear with glass walls…

HOW DID YOU COME TO BE INVOLVED IN THIS PROJECT? When the clients approached me with their idea of creating a ‘Parisian apartment in the suburbs’, I instantly wanted to be on board. They were looking for an elevated yet effortless design for their new build home and I envisaged a mix of intricate panelling, classic materials, modern lighting and vintage decor. We worked as a team with designers Lisa Vuong and Megan Moran, architect Jim Maliksi and contractor Mike Valentine from the start. DESCRIBE THE HOMEOWNERS’ STYLE. Their look is classic yet contemporary, with glam and vintage pieces they have collected over the years. We added a mix of industrial glam and traditional architectural details that really blended well together to give that Paris apartment feel. WHAT WERE THE…

When Sicilian-born Veronica Zimbaro viewed the Milan apartment that’s now her home, she immediately knew it was ‘the one’. ‘I was searching for somewhere welcoming and cosy,’ says Veronica. ‘I also wanted somewhere with a sense of familiarity. When I came across this place, I was struck by the quality of the light. Despite being in the city it reminded me of southern Italy, where I was born.’ With its enviable location in the heart of the city, the apartment is on one of Milan’s historic piazzas, famed for its architecture and all the artists associated with it. ‘We live in Piazza Santa Maria della Grazie, one step away from Leonardo da Vinci’s Cenacolo Museum,’ says Veronica. ‘It’s a wonderful place to immerse yourself in Milan’s history.’ While Veronica was…

Once they had two young children, Megan Robson and her husband Philip were certain that life in Edinburgh’s city centre was no longer for them, so they started their search for a family home on the outskirts of the city. ‘We found a development of very spacious new-build homes in a beautiful coastal village and we both felt they were an ideal solution while the children were growing up,’ says Megan. Willow, six, and Kit, four, both love their new seaside home and the property has made a delightful blank canvas for Megan to hone her interior design skills. ‘I had a definite idea of what I wanted from the start as I had renovated our previous home and I was bringing a lot of furniture and accessories with me,’…

‘We looked to the natural world for inspiration – the greens of the garden and the mellow tones of Cotswold stone’ Moving to their home in a Cotswolds hamlet a couple of years ago kick-started a series of firsts for Sandra Fishlock and her husband Darren. It was the first time they had bought an architect-designed new build and, with their children having left home, the move also marked a new chapter for the couple. ‘We weren’t intending on such a change, but we drove past the house and were intrigued,’ says Sandra. ‘It’s also close to Bampton, where Downton Abbey is filmed, and we really like the village.’ Having moved from a home that Sandra describes as ‘contemporary in feel’, the couple were keen to ring the changes with…

‘Large-scale artwork, like the abstract mural by Pretty Done, has been placed so it can be viewed via sightlines between rooms’ WHY DID YOUR CLIENTS BUY THIS HOUSE? They relocated to Las Vegas from Chicago in 2019 as they loved the natural light and the surrounding landscape, which has views of the golf course and Red Rock mountains. The house, designed by architect CJ Hoagland, has high ceilings and ample scope to display their art collection. WHAT DID THEY WANT FROM THE SPACE? A home that felt exciting and fun. Their directive was simple; to create a space filled with colour and pieces that would elevate the design while becoming the ideal background for their impressive art. They wanted a home away from home that was unique and bold at…

Susannah and Ivan Forsythe were living in a farmhouse on the edge of a Dorset village when the chance arose to purchase three additional agricultural buildings. ‘We were keen to create fun spaces for family and friends to stay when they came to visit, so it was an ideal opportunity,’ says Susannah. One of the buildings was a former threshing barn, whose facade was completely concealed behind a makeshift corrugated iron shed. ‘Once we took the shed away, we realised the barn stood on quite a slope, so our first job was to shore it up to prevent it from collapsing,’ recalls Susannah. She and Ivan enlisted the help of architects Llewellyn Harker Lowe to reconfigure the barn. The architects devised a layout with an open-plan ground floor and a…

If ever a home reflects the personality and passions of its owner, it’s the relaxed and refined home of interior designer Chris Proctor, owner of company Belle & Skye. Situated in a desirable London neighbourhood just a short commute from the centre of the city, this once run-down 18th-century cottage has been skilfully transformed into a stylish, streamlined home with a nod to a breezy nature-loving lifestyle. ‘I grew up in Devon by the beach and as a keen surfer, which is an inherently creative culture, a lot of my inspiration comes from my passion for the outdoors,’ explains Chris. ‘I wanted my home to reflect my love of the sea and nature, and my travels around the world, so you could say it’s a montage of my memories.’ The…