A dingy property in a Grade 2* listed building was purchased with a view to completely gutting and resurrecting it as a modern seamless luxury dwelling.

Sleek, tasteful design with quality workmanship and the occasional nod to understated glamour was essential: Having worked for the clients’ extended family before, I knew where their tastes lay, and considerable trust and free reign was given to me to completely redesign and project manage an overhaul of the property into something akin to their requirements. 

Extensive works involved replacing rotten floors, old doors, removing and replacing walls, rewiring the entire property and installation of a new central heating system. Careful attention was then given to clever storage throughout the property, which included bespoke fitted wardrobes in each bedroom, a new utility room, bathroom and a stunning hand-made kitchen with smooth rounded edges and peninsular all designed by myself and made by highly skilled cabinet makers. Creating a sense of light in a warm space in this previously gloomy residence was essential, so the spare room and kitchen walls, cloaks area, kitchen units and splashback were all coloured in Farrow and Ball’s warm grey Elephant’s Breath to give an optical illusion of endless flow. Recessed handles and hidden ceiling lights assist with the reduction of clutter and the newly relocated boiler was housed in a matching bespoke rounded unit.

Warm light oak Karndene flooring was laid throughout, with the exception of the tiled bathroom and a quality wool berber which was laid in the master bedroom. Suede designer sofas in warm tones were commissioned in London, and feature walls in the living space and master bedroom were wallpapered in luxury papers to complement these. The master was decorated in Farrow and Ball Blackened, and the fitted wardrobes coloured to match. Ceilings were also painted in places, with ceiling roses and coving picked out for dramatic effect. 

Lighting was key to this project - both natural and artificial, so dimmer switches were fitted to spot lights, hidden lighting was installed behind bespoke coving and fitting high grade wooden plantation shutters to every window means they can be angled to maintain privacy in this ground floor residence yet allow the light to flood in from the sky. The dimmable chandeliers in the master have hand-made glass and ooze quality.

Lots of liaising was required with the local council on this project to ensure that heritage, planning and building regulations were complied with and this was all done by Corbridge Interior Design on behalf of the clients (my history in the legal profession helped take the stress and burden away from the clients). The end result was worth it, and the clients are delighted with their redesigned space, which has been transformed beyond recognition.