Displaying posts labeled "Renovation"

A really pretty, timeless kitchen

Posted on Fri, 22 Sep 2023 by KiM

With a deep appreciation for design, our clients tasked us with creating a timeless kitchen, finely crafted using quality materials to meet the needs of their young family. Initially presented with a cluttered layout, we worked within the footprint of the existing kitchen to improve the flow and functionality of the space. Repositioning the breakfast nook below the newly exposed round window (previously hidden behind the refrigerator) creates a natural connection between the kitchen and living spaces beyond. A designated appliance area affords a sense of calm in the hub of the kitchen while displaying the client’s impressive ceramic collection. The role of materiality enriches the space, creating a warm and grounded kitchen for our clients to inject their passion for colour, pattern and pre-loved items.
I am immediately stashing away this kitchen by Stockholm-based Inuti Design in my inspiration folder. Many of us have dealt with a small, badly planned kitchen and this is such a stellar example of how to take the bad and turn it into something so very good. (There was a fridge in front of that round window??? Whyyyyyyyyyyyyy) Photos: Fanny Radvik; Styling: Linda Ring.

The owners of this semi-detached home in Dublin, Ireland approached interior design studio (and interior + lifestyle store) April and the Bear to refresh and modernize their dated and boring family home. The design team refurbished most rooms and injected some personality with new paint and wallpaper, bespoke furniture and wall beading, new carpets, curtains, furniture and lighting. The result is very much family-friendly, provides lots of storage, has a really “now” vibe and is a huge improvement from what they started with. They sent over before and after photos so you can see just how transformed these spaces are. Check it out! (Photos: Philip Lauterbach)






Ben Pentreath’s Scottish cottage hideaway

Posted on Fri, 8 Sep 2023 by KiM

This is Ben and Charlie’s own house, tucked away on an estuary in the far west coast of Scotland. Ben and Charlie found the tiny pair of buildings – a Victorian two-roomed cottage and a much early stone bothy – in derelict and unloved condition – in 2018, after a long search for something untouched and unspoiled. The Victorian cottage had intact match boarding to the interiors, and we took the decision to keep this completely intact – re-wiring the two rooms with simple galvanised surface mounted conduit in order not to damage the historic interior.  The stone bothy was stripped back to rough stone walls. Both buildings have been furnished with a different atmosphere to suit their age and character. The bothy forms a simple, basic kitchen, and the cottage contains a tiny sitting room and bedroom. There is as yet no running water or heating, but in 2023 Ben and Charlie are building a third new bothy to the west of the two original houses to provide a little more creature comfort.
This is so beautiful I could cry. Ben Pentreath must feel privileged to be the proprietor of such a magical space.

Reviving a Victorian semi in London

Posted on Mon, 24 Jul 2023 by KiM

This was full house renovation to restore and bring back to life a Victorian semi detached house in SE London. We designed the kitchen extension sympathetic to the original house and to appear like it was always there. We created a warm and inviting family home, rich with colour, texture, traditional features and clever lighting. Designed by Uns Hobbs, this home is soooo charming! The colours are so pretty and warm, and the deVOL kitchen is an absolute dream (chef’s kiss to that “Refectory Red”). Photos: Boz Gagovski.


Up there with my love of converted churches is my love of converted barns. I might even love barns more because of the rustic, casual nature of their structures. “The Grateful Farm” in the Hudson Valley was built in the 1920s and purchased days before the pandemic as a weekend retreat but it sounds like the owners moved in and never left. How could you leave this picturesque scene and all that open space?! Lori Paranjape created an ideal hangout/sleepover/casual home that I know I could never leave, and you probably have to drag your guests out kicking and screaming. Photos: Andy Ryan