CONTACTS/ SUPPLIERS


ARCHITECTURE AND INTERIOR DESIGN Bradley van der Straaten www.b-vds.co.uk


ENGINEER


Structural Design Studio structuraldesignstudio.co.uk


CONTRACTOR Optimal Build www.optimalbuild.co.uk


JOINERY Tekton


tektonjoinery.co.uk


BUILDING CONTROL Ball and Berry (now Sweco) www.sweco.co.uk


PHOTOGRAPHY French and Tye www.frenchandtye.com


GLAZING Maxlight www.maxlight.co.uk


angle designed to maximise the impact. This is further enhanced by the bright Delilah Pink paint colour used on the walls; a choice inspired by the work of Mexican artist Louis Barragan. Colour choices have a real impact in this home, from the bespoke blue concrete on the new exterior overlooking the garden to the pale green sitting room or the pink and terrazzo kitchen. Gwen, who has lived in West Africa, owns a small collection of art from the continent. The use of colour in the work of African artist Ato elaquis in particular has infl uenced some of her and Patricia’s decor choices. Yet colour wasn’t something originally at the top of Patricia and Gwen’s list of must-haves. “We let our architects have free rein, but


there was a lot of discussion about colours,” recalls Patricia. “They were the architects and we trusted them. We were paying for their expertise. We wouldn’t have come up with anything as exciting.”


“Edi at Optimal Builders gave us the


confi dence to embrace the colours,” adds Gwen. “He said, ‘They’re the easiest thing to change,’ and we’ve been really happy.” While colour was a new departure for Gwen and Patricia, the inspiration behind the interior design came entirely from them. Their brief to Bradley van der Straaten referenced architecture, furniture design and art, such as the Brutalist architecture of the Barbican, the iconic lobby of the Chrysler Building, the classic Eames chair, and the photography of Andreas Gursky. owever, perhaps the most infl uential artist was Donald Judd, whose mid-century work


42


was the catalyst for the unique curved ceiling fi ns in Gwen and Patricia’s kitchen. Cut from inexpensive MDF, they are positioned below the glazing over the former side return. Not only is the design appealing, but the fi ns create patterns of light and shadow in the space as the sun moves across the sky. Playful patterns are found throughout the house adding depth and geometric interest. Nowhere shows this off better than the new kitchen and dining area (now opened into the previously unloved ‘middle room’). The kitchen island and the wall in the entrance hall are fi nished in tiles that are concave in shape, creating the look of Roman fl uted columns. The splashback tiles are reversed; convex tiles add a fi ner and softer texture to the space. Fluting is also repeated in the blue concrete wall on the exterior, where it softens the impact of the material. With an unusual bronze worktop, the island is the stand-out feature in the kitchen, which was built bespoke for the couple. The countertops elsewhere in the kitchen are terrazzo, which “is very beautiful and doesn’t show marks,” says Gwen. It was a fortunate choice, as both Gwen and Patricia found it diffi cult to choose materials during the frequent lockdowns and were frustrated they couldn’t touch tactile elements before selection.


The kitchen, which had to be adjusted to accommodate the water tank for the air source heat pump, is now genuinely the heart of the home, with birch ply wall covering and a beautiful window that frames views of their


EXTENSION CLADDING Rieder Oko-skin by Pura Facades www.purafacades.co.uk


PAINTS Earthborn www.earthbornpaints.co.uk


Farrow and Ball www.farrow-ball.com


Little Green www.littlegreen.com


aelan fl oo aint www.lakelandpaints.co.uk


TILES (FLUTED) Kaza www.kaza.com


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