Interiors & Interior Design
Generous his and hers dressing rooms
with rosewood glossy veneer and brass
accents and generous master bathroom
were arranged across the front of the
property.
As the main staircase rises through the
house, it was required by the pitch of
the mansard roof to compress a little
in plan. As such, the straight flights
forming the rectangular arrangement
at lower levels contract into a spiral
contained within a cylindrical shell.
The sculptural spiral ribbon contrasts
to the airy, floating, glazed enclosure
below. The spiral steps are set back
from the shell enclosing it to maintain
the ‘floating’ detail, enhanced further
by aribbon of artificial light. The
change in volume is reflected too in
a change of material under foot as
stone switches to timber within the
spiral. The simplicity and elegance of
the staircase is enhanced by a finely
crafted solid oak handrail that twists
up through the spiral. The reduced size
of the staircase within the upper floors
provides a maximum of usable space for
the bedrooms on these levels.
The children’s bedrooms and bathrooms
are housed on the second and third
floors, all with generous sash windows
accentuating the feeling of height.
The attic bedroom suite was originally
conceived to be a den or play space and
to appear as the underside of a hull of
a boat suspended within the roof. This
concept evolved from the requirement
to improve the ceiling height within the
attic room by lowering its floor whilst
avoiding slicing the generous dormer
windows on the level below. As such, in
section the floor plate curves up at each
dormer to maximise ceiling heights
in the room below and utilise what
would otherwise be unused eaves space,
maintaining airy volumes throughout
the second floor. Two new roof lights in
the attic suite supplement the generous
rear dormer whilst a tiny arched dormer
on the front facade provides a quirky
reminder of the attic space that was
previously there.
Between lower ground floor and
basement there is a two-storey wine
cellar, the upper floor being accessed
from the half landing onto a suspended
glass walkway - a little bit of drama to
highlight the owners’ collection. The
back lit rods supporting the wine bottles
are lit by fibre optics and they together
with the bottles appear to be suspended
in space.
Initially the basement was developed
as a large games room, with children
in mind. As the project developed
however, and the eldest children were
entering teenage years, the basement
spaces became a little more grown up
in their design. A large home gym is
accessed from the basement lobby at
the foot of the stairs which leads to
a beautifully executed wellness area
complete with sauna and steam room.
The basement lobby leads into a large
open plan games-room and cinema,
complete with onyx and back lit marble
bar, for an added touch of luxury. The
entertainment space can be subdivided
by a sliding partition or at the touch of
a button blinds may draw down around
the staircase enclosure and the windows
to allow for the cinema experience.
Multi-functionality was the key to the
successful integration of this space into
the family home.
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The floors in formal areas and staircase
are a buttery large-format marble,
whereas engineered timber laid in a
herringbone pattern softens the family
room / kitchen. Likewise, wide smoked
oak engineered boards provide warmth
and texture underfoot throughout the
bedrooms and the hallways to the upper
floors. A simple grey poured resin was
selected for the cinema, games room
and gym for practical and aesthetic
reasons.
A minimal palette of off-white is used
for the walls and ceilings throughout;
however, many small splashes or
marble, stone, veneer, paint and lacquer
provide visual accents to bathrooms,
the kitchen and feature items of joinery.
23 Architecture were the lead
consultant, Architect, designing
and managing the project from
our development of initial design
ideas and concepts through to its
completion working closely with our
clients throughout the process to its
conclusion and their occupation. The
main supporting team included: RAI
Developments (the main contractor);
Conisbee Structural Engineers and
Carnell Warren Associates who
designed the building services. SSH
provided some additional support
in respect of some of the interior
fittings and finishes. The client carried
out much of the furnishing with 23
Architecture’s assistance.
23+GS / 318 Studio
www.318.studio