Styles-Interior
Upstairs, the bedrooms are simple, calm and bright. Integrated storage, factored in at the design stage, makes the most of the limited space. Large glazed panels connect the upstairs rooms with the downstairs living area. “Because it’s such a small space, it was really important to maintain sightlines from the front to the back of the property,” explains Davies. “If the rooms are visually connected, it makes the space feel larger, and diagonal sightlines in particular are key for making spaces feel bigger.”
The soaring ceiling is a key part of the design and one that Scott was eager to retain. “Trying to preserve the high ceiling was a key part of the brief I gave to the architects,” he explains. “It’s a small space and there’s not much you can do to change the footprint, but I wanted to make sure it felt as light and bright as possible. On a sunny day, it feels like a very big, very bright space.”
The pods were clad in oak veneer to bring warmth and texture into the space, as well as providing the privacy that was lacking before. “The oak panelling is probably my favourite thing about the house,” says Scott. To ensure each room was flooded with light, large glazed panels were also designed into each pod. “I didn’t want the bedrooms to feel too closed in,” says Scott. The large, north-facing window in the dining area hints at the building’s previous life as an artist’s studio. It was covered in heavy curtains originally (see previous photo), but stripping those away and leaving it open allows as much light as possible into the space.
A key part of the transformation was the creation of the two ‘floating boxes’ with large windows, each one housing a bedroom. “Having an enclosed mezzanine would have been too oppressive,” says Davies, “but any smaller and it wouldn’t have been useable for them.” So the architects had to try to strike a balance between respecting the original building and making the most of its original features, and creating a practical, safe space.
To prevent a room from feeling overwhelmingly tall, change the colour or material of the walls halfway up. By opting for a darker shade at the top, the space will feel less vast and gain a more intimate vibe. These homeowners have left the original brick of the building exposed, which adds great texture. Alternatively, go the opposite way and make the lower half darker to create a cosy living space with a bright, light area above.
pale green for the walls with touches of slate blue throughout. She kept the tongue and groove that ran around the living space, continuing it out into the hallway, but painted it crisp white. ‘It elevates the room, making it feel lighter and providing a break in the wall and another feature in the room,’ she says. Voûte also painted the fireplace fresh white
Art Deco Style. The more reflective surfaces you have the better if you want to channel the glamour of this bygone age. Don’t just stop at the overmantel mirror – fill alcoves with floor-to-ceiling mirrors, sectioned into squares if possible to add a flash of period geometry, and bring in the bling with mirrored furniture, as well as chrome, silver and glass accessories.
Think this looks like a bespoke wardrobe? Think again. The clever owners of this home created this wraparound bedroom storage by utilising the two existing wardrobes either side of the bed and filling the space in-between with a row of Besta cabinets. By adding a slim picture ledge underneath and two wall-mounted lights, they created the perfect storage solution for a small bedroom.
Q