Project
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Key Services
Pricing Model
Kitchen breakfast bar with quartz worktops
When our clients were given the opportunity to build their own home on family land they knew they couldn’t miss this opportunity. They set their sights on turning an old cattle barn into a light and airy timber-framed home for themselves. They had already appointed an architect and planning permission was in place before our first visit.
From the start, this was going to be a self-build project with the clients doing the majority of the work themselves. Our role, therefore, was going to be to provide on-going support and guidance concerning interior and exterior design, allowing the clients to get on with the work. Another important part of the service was going to be encouragement and moral support, a renovation project as extensive as this is always going to come with its own challenges.
For us, the project began with the initial consultation. The groundworks had been completed and the wooden frame was up. The architect's plans came with a proposed internal layout. We talked and walked through it in depth to ensure that, with the walls in place, the layout continued to suit their lifestyle. At this stage in the build, the possibilities were near endless. So we began with concept boards for key areas. The boards had finishes, joinery ideas, colour combinations and anything else to allow the client to keep in mind what he was working towards. These boards were hung on the walls, around the build, to help focus when making minor design decisions on the fly.
As the project neared the interior finishes stage, formal moodboards and plans were created from our regular design meetings up to this point. This included a lighting plan, full specification of products, floorplans and samples for every room. We worked with the client to shop around and source the best deals. In many cases, we were able to use our network of contacts to supply and deliver the more unusual products at a competitive price.
Socialising and entertaining family and friends after their many travels is important to our clients and the main living area was created with this in mind. At some point during initial build a rope seat/swing had appeared as a place to sit for a well earned brew. We decided the swing must be part of the final design, it was a talking point, but also faces a full height window looking over the Shropshire countryside. An ideal tea drinking spot.
The final home is a showcase of the skill, in working with multiple materials, of the client. Details such as reclaiming original but unused oak beams to create the bathroom vanity units and huge family dining table incorporate the history of the building with the new technology and functionality of a modern home.
Project
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Open plan living room and artichoke pendant
Our clients own and run an award winning leisure park in North Wales. The park is set in beautiful grounds and offers its customers a variety of amenities such as a restaurant, golf course and a swimming pool. As part of their park expansion plan, they had ordered a selection of beautiful timber framed holiday lodges. Ordinarily they are delivered by the manufacturer ready for installation, however our client wanted to alter the design to suit their vision for their park.
Our brief was to customise the layout and interior specification of the lodges, working closely with the manufacturer and the client. The end result was to be a unique and desirable holiday living accommodation for 4 with the option to sleep 6, if required.
Our first port of call was to visit the supplier of the lodges at their head office to discuss and go through in detail all the options which were available to the client, with regard to finishes for kitchens, bathrooms and floorings. The majority of the products were to be supplied and installed by the manufacturer prior to the lodges arriving on site. Throughout the manufacturing process we would be on hand to advise and make design decisions to ensure the overall finish and look would match the clients vision.
Some of the products for the lodges were supplied by us. This included the lighting, beds and headboards along with scatter cushions and throws. In total the project comprised of ten individual lodges. We decided to develop three colour ways to incorporate the Parks branding colours. Bespoke artwork was commissioned for the lounge area, also incorporating the branding colours and countryside location of the Park.
A key objective was to make the sleeping accommodation flexible and make best use of the limited space available. We sourced military style bunkbeds which could be bolted to the floor for extra stability. As the rooms are small we had the frames powder coated to match the walls, helping to keep the room feeling light and airy.
Another key part of the design was lighting. We wanted something unusual and eye catching, whilst considering the budget. We supplied some beautiful brass architectural lighting, adding interest and a warming light when lit. Our overall objective was to create a stunning first impression when customers approach and these artichoke style pendants surely do!
Project
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Key Services
Pricing Model
White gloss units with Porthmadog slate floor
Our clients have busy work lives and have been visiting the Gwynedd area for holidays for many years. When they saw an old stone cottage for sale within the Snowdonia National Park they had no hesitation in buying it. They could see through the poor state of repair the property was currently in and knew with some modernisation it would make a fantastic holiday base for them and their family all year round.
The clients are not local to the area and needed somebody to not just manage the project but act on their behalf and be ready to make on the spot decisions as the build progressed. Key design direction was taken from the client and we set about supplying and installing a complete suite of products in to the property. All the client needed on their first visit was their toothbrush! The renovation work to the property was going to be extensive and a fortnightly email update schedule was arranged.
The property is in an ideally suited location for a holiday home but it is not ideally suited to the delivery and removal of large quantities of building materials! This, combined with the typical Snowdonia weather, means using local trades was a must. Our approach throughout was to be a 'single point of contact' for all matters relating to the project. Our fortnightly updates generally took the form of a list of issues that had arisen and the solutions we had implemented to deal with them.
We got started by appointing a local architect with extensive experience in dealing with this type of renovation within the National Park and its building regulations. A local main contractor was also appointed and the initial exploration of the building could begin. All throughout the build we liaised between the architect, the main contractor and building inspectors to ensure the property was taken from a stone shell and turned into a bright and warm holiday cottage.
One of the major parts to the project was the renovation of the kitchen. This was taken from being just passable as to be called a kitchen and turned into a wonderful and functional area, ready to be put to use cooking for all the friends and family who come to visit. High end appliances were installed around a polished concrete worktop, with extra light brought into the space by the addition of multiple skylights.
To further complement the existing structure and mould the building to the lifestyle and usage by the client a larch clad boot room extension was added. To make the most of the picturesque views of Snowdonia a large custom oriel window and aluminium frame and cill was installed. One small but interesting detail was the bespoke wrought iron smartphone controlled illuminated handrail that winds its way up the tight cottage style staircase.
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