Displaying posts from June, 2020

“Settled amongst one of London’s hidden Georgian terraces along Varden Street is this exemplary three-bedroom townhouse, meticulously renovated by historical paint expert, Pedro da Costa Felgueiras of Lacquer Studios. The award-winning design represents an artful fusion of early 19th-Century detail and thoughtful modern concessions that combine to create a wonderfully individual central London home.

It is eminently clear that the original fabric of the building is fundamental to the owner’s renovation. Original fittings such as panelling and staircases were repaired during the process, and the rear gardens reinstated on what had become a car park. Bespoke paints that were hand-mixed using linseed oil and antique powder pigments enabled da Costa Felgueiras to create historically relevant tones to rejuvenate the interiors.”

There is something about the old Georgian townhouses in London’s East End especially those that have been sympathetically restored/renovated so that although life’s mod cons are well catered for it is almost as if time has stood still. Varden Street, London E1 via The Modern House.

“This beautifully refined two-bedroom apartment combines the grandeur of Georgian proportions with superlative modern details. The apartment is positioned on the second floor of a Grade I-Listed building on Great Pulteney Street, Bath’s most spectacular thoroughfare, flanked by Palladian architecture.”

Can you hear me sighing? Honestly I am smitten by this stylish home. The interiors perfectly repeat the honey-coloured Bath stone clad exteriors, muted, relaxed, calming. The Georgian proportions are kept without sacrificing the luxuries of modern day living. Now if I only needed to buy a home in Somerset. Cue another sigh. Great Putney Street, Bath via The Modern House.

A backyard I would spend all my time in. Simple, easy going and gorgeous. Designed by Boxleaf Design. Easy coat sensibility, meets west coast living in this full site landscape renovation. Highlights include a new athletic-length pool with hot tub and cold pluge; perfect for an after-school dip, sophisticated entertaining and post-workout rehab. Expansive lawn was reduced to make way for mounded planting beds featuring soft feathery grasses and sculptural perennials. Organic textures are set against crips precast concrete, rugged recycled granite paving and a reflective cascading water feature. 

I have been working from home for my day job since day 1 of the pandemic lockdown (mid March). One day last week my boss asked all us leads on the team to send photos around of us in our workspaces. I was horrified at the tiny makeshift workspaces my colleagues had created for themselves. Meanwhile here I sit at my 8′ long former dining table on a Herman Miller office chair surrounded my about 20 plants, stacks of design books and several cats. So it really made my day when Greg Walters, who runs a graphic design company in Seattle, emailed with some photos of his pandemic-driven home office remodel. I am in awe of his organization, insanely good storage units and other cool stuff he came up with. All of this in the basement of his 1962 mid century post and beam home. I’d never go back to the office with this setup!!!

The hallway image between both rooms has the door to our utility room that houses the furnace and water heater along with our washer and dryer and a slop sink. The rectangular opening near the floor is the entrance to our cat’s litterbox now located in the utility room so we have finally gotten that out of sight.

The cabinet island I created out of Baltic birch plywood is topped with my former glass conference table. The wood cabinets were surplus from a lab remodel at the University of Washington and were purchased for $25 each. 

The fake steel girder/post was faced in mdf and I ordered a bunch of wood half rounds to create the fake rivets.

I eliminated a small conference room area and replaced it with a guest bedroom area where it used to be. (Perfect for afternoon power naps!!!)

The other room is on the other side of the basement and used to have walls of really cheap sheet paneling and green shag carpeting that was replaced with bamboo flooring. The cabinets in that room are all bamboo ¾” plywood. I call the other room my man cave since my wife has her own workspace upstairs and we seem to have created our own fiefdom on each floor since we are empty nesters and now have the space we both wanted. No kids in the house really has allowed us to customize what both of us have always wanted but never had the time or space to really get done.

A little bit country and a whole lot of inner city living. Photographer Leila Jeffreys’ famous portrait of the common Australian Galah “Queenie” informed the pink and grey colour palette hence the project’s name. Comfort and coziness, a home for settling in or welcoming family and friends. By Melbourne based Nexus Designs.

Photography byJonathan VDK