absolutely fabulous By Adrienne Chinn, Adrienne Chinn Design.
Photography by Richard Gooding.
The owners of this large 1950s house in the English countryside wanted a total redesign of their property; out with the old and in with the new! They contacted interior designer Adrienne Chinn who proposed extensive changes. The house had been extended several times over the years, resulting in some awkward spaces. The clients were open to the idea of rethinking the whole layout of the house, so it was decided to gut it out entirely and start again in a contem- porary style, which would be sympathetic to the 1950s vintage of the house. The old staircase was removed and a new
glass and oak open-tread staircase was built and brought over from Germany to bring light into the dark hallway. Double glass doors to the dining room also brought light into the hallway and provided a way to visually link the living area to the core of the house. A wall dividing the dining room and living room was removed, which opened up the space into a large, light filled modern living and entertain- ing space. The old gas fire was replaced and a new hole-in-the-wall gas fire installed in the same location, reusing the existing flue. A can- tilevered polished travertine ledge was speci- fied, which runs the full width of the fireplace wall and is sturdy enough to sit on. An oak slid- ing panel conceals the plasma TV when it’s not
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in use. A wall of asymmetrical down-lit display shelving was designed for one of the living room walls and constructed out of studwork. For the clients large collection of glass ornaments unusual display shelves and niches were incor- porated throughout the house. In the living room the clients were interested
An oak sliding panel conceals the plasma TV when it’s not in use
in exploring accent lighting on dimmer switches, so an oval drop-down ceiling with hidden rope LED-lighting was designed over the oval dining table. As a finishing touch to this accent lighting, a fabric ceiling light hangs over the table as a focal point. A trio of hanging dis- play shelves made of metal supports and oak ledges has been specifi- cally designed for some of the client’s most prized ornaments. The old kitchen was
small and dark, so Adrienne suggested put- ting in folding glass doors where a window had once been; this alt- eration allowed natural light to flood in. The view
through the doors showcases the beautiful gar- den. Custom designed oak and glass kitchen units give the kitchen a sleek contemporary feel. A small utility room housing the washer, dryer,
freezer, an additional sink and storage was carved out from part of the large garage adjoin- ing the kitchen. Moving these items into the utility room provided enough space to incorporate a table with benches as well as a handy wine
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