Houzz Tour: A Grand Edwardian House Becomes an Inviting Home
Weaving modern pieces in with beautiful architecture was key in this cleverly reimagined house
Kate Burt
17 November 2019
Houzz UK. I'm a journalist and editor, previously for the Independent, Guardian and various magazines. I'm now excited to part of the editorial team at Houzz UK & Ireland, bringing the best of British and Irish design, interiors and architecture to Houzz.com.
Houzz UK. I'm a journalist and editor, previously for the Independent, Guardian and... More
With incredible views, timeless contemporary pieces mixed with traditional furnishings and décor – and a five-metre-long kitchen island (yes, you read that right), this detached house in Bath is seriously impressive.
Edwardian, yet built to resemble the prolific Georgian architecture of its locale, it’s an unusual property. The overall brief, explains the project’s interior designer, Garry Meakins, was “to create a contemporary scheme not void of colour or texture”.
He also massaged the architect’s plans for reconfiguring and enlarging the house, boosted planned storage and visually connected the original house with its new extension. Throughout, he worked hard to transform what could have been an imposing property into a comfortable home with a gentle, relaxing palette.
Edwardian, yet built to resemble the prolific Georgian architecture of its locale, it’s an unusual property. The overall brief, explains the project’s interior designer, Garry Meakins, was “to create a contemporary scheme not void of colour or texture”.
He also massaged the architect’s plans for reconfiguring and enlarging the house, boosted planned storage and visually connected the original house with its new extension. Throughout, he worked hard to transform what could have been an imposing property into a comfortable home with a gentle, relaxing palette.
House at a Glance
Who lives here? A couple with two older children
Location Bath
Property A Georgian-style Edwardian detached house built on the site of a burnt-down vicarage
Size Five bedrooms and three bathrooms
Interior Designer Garry Meakins of Garry Meakins Studio
Photos by Christopher Horwood
“When I started on the house, this room was just a field,” Garry says. It now contains the kitchen, a large dining area and a seating area that takes in the home’s incredible views.
“We took the architect’s plans and gently manipulated them to suit the way the family were going to live in the house,” he explains.
Kitchen and dining room walls and ceiling painted in Sand IV, Paint & Paper Library. Moleanos stone floor, Artisans of Devizes.
Who lives here? A couple with two older children
Location Bath
Property A Georgian-style Edwardian detached house built on the site of a burnt-down vicarage
Size Five bedrooms and three bathrooms
Interior Designer Garry Meakins of Garry Meakins Studio
Photos by Christopher Horwood
“When I started on the house, this room was just a field,” Garry says. It now contains the kitchen, a large dining area and a seating area that takes in the home’s incredible views.
“We took the architect’s plans and gently manipulated them to suit the way the family were going to live in the house,” he explains.
Kitchen and dining room walls and ceiling painted in Sand IV, Paint & Paper Library. Moleanos stone floor, Artisans of Devizes.
“The main area that needed careful consideration was the kitchen,” Garry says. “Because of the size of the space, we had to ensure the design was proportionate.”
As such, he created a kitchen island that’s almost five metres long. “It’s a behemoth of a piece of furniture, but, in the space, it doesn’t feel too big at all,” he says. The island features a traditional Belfast sink and a composite worktop. “It’s [made from] two pieces,” Garry explains. “The marble guys were very skilled – there’s a join down the centre, but you can hardly see it.
“The bespoke kitchen is a contemporary take on the Shaker style,” he says. It has doors and drawer fronts sprayed in a deep blue-green, dark bronze handles and ultra-modern plywood inners and shelves (visible in the glass-fronted cupboards here). There’s also an extractor fan wrapped in stainless-steel, adding to the modern strand of the design.
Alongside plentiful storage and the island, the kitchen includes: a larder fridge; a breakfast cupboard sitting on the worktop; a boiling-water tap; two regular ovens; a steam oven, and a set of warming drawers (see next photo). There’s a separate pantry and also a utility room with a freezer.
Units spray-painted in Obsidian Green, Little Greene.
As such, he created a kitchen island that’s almost five metres long. “It’s a behemoth of a piece of furniture, but, in the space, it doesn’t feel too big at all,” he says. The island features a traditional Belfast sink and a composite worktop. “It’s [made from] two pieces,” Garry explains. “The marble guys were very skilled – there’s a join down the centre, but you can hardly see it.
“The bespoke kitchen is a contemporary take on the Shaker style,” he says. It has doors and drawer fronts sprayed in a deep blue-green, dark bronze handles and ultra-modern plywood inners and shelves (visible in the glass-fronted cupboards here). There’s also an extractor fan wrapped in stainless-steel, adding to the modern strand of the design.
Alongside plentiful storage and the island, the kitchen includes: a larder fridge; a breakfast cupboard sitting on the worktop; a boiling-water tap; two regular ovens; a steam oven, and a set of warming drawers (see next photo). There’s a separate pantry and also a utility room with a freezer.
Units spray-painted in Obsidian Green, Little Greene.
The house is cut into a hillside and this creates a small external courtyard at the far end of the kitchen. A glass panel was added (visible in the first photo) to overlook this and boost natural light.
More light floods into the kitchen from a skylight above the island, but this threw up the challenge of how to illuminate the island after dark. “We had an incredibly patient electrician,” Gary laughs. “There was a lot of adjustment to get the pendants lined up perfectly.”
Garry chose to paint the whole room in almost the same colour. “If I’d picked out this part of the ceiling in white,” he says, referring to the cathedral-style area above the island, “it would have dominated the space. This way, the architectural shell stands out.”
Silestone Vortium worktop in suede finish, Cosentino. Aplomb mini concrete pendants, Foscarini. Hi Pad bar stools, Jasper Morrison for Cappellini.
More light floods into the kitchen from a skylight above the island, but this threw up the challenge of how to illuminate the island after dark. “We had an incredibly patient electrician,” Gary laughs. “There was a lot of adjustment to get the pendants lined up perfectly.”
Garry chose to paint the whole room in almost the same colour. “If I’d picked out this part of the ceiling in white,” he says, referring to the cathedral-style area above the island, “it would have dominated the space. This way, the architectural shell stands out.”
Silestone Vortium worktop in suede finish, Cosentino. Aplomb mini concrete pendants, Foscarini. Hi Pad bar stools, Jasper Morrison for Cappellini.
A Scandi-style dining table and chairs sit under a double-height space. “You can see the slightly unusual architecture – a big atrium – above,” Garry says. “We couldn’t have a light hanging down here, so a double articulated-arm wall pendant is there for that reason.”
OVO dining table, Foster + Partners for Benchmark Furniture. Applique Pivotants wall light by Serge Mouille, available at Twentytwentyone.
OVO dining table, Foster + Partners for Benchmark Furniture. Applique Pivotants wall light by Serge Mouille, available at Twentytwentyone.
“On a clear day, you can see for miles,” Garry says. “The view is extraordinary.” A comfortable seating area spans the windows in the open-plan area to capitalise on this, including a curved sofa on this side…
…and a roomy armchair on the other.
Inspired to revamp your home? Find an interior designer in your area.
Inspired to revamp your home? Find an interior designer in your area.
Garry designed the hall’s cabochon floor, made from moleanos stone and limestone. “It’s a contemporary update, but it sits well in this older part of the house,” he says. “It marries the two parts of the building [this and the new extension], as we also used the moleanos in the kitchen, but in a different way.”
On the right here is a large glazed screen designed by the architect; it looks into a formal sitting room and pulls additional daylight into the hallway.
Walls painted in Canvas V; ceiling and woodwork painted in Stone II, both Paint & Paper Library. Limestone and Moleanos floor, Artisans of Devizes. Bomma Soap pendant lights, Hector Finch.
On the right here is a large glazed screen designed by the architect; it looks into a formal sitting room and pulls additional daylight into the hallway.
Walls painted in Canvas V; ceiling and woodwork painted in Stone II, both Paint & Paper Library. Limestone and Moleanos floor, Artisans of Devizes. Bomma Soap pendant lights, Hector Finch.
This is the formal sitting room that can be seen from the hall and is also in the original, Edwardian, part of the house. There’s no TV in here – it’s designed as a quiet space.
“The fireplace was added by us,” Garry says. “It’s in Bath stone and was made by a local stonemason. There was a fireplace here before, but the surround was awful.” Contemporary furniture was chosen, as per the brief, to juxtapose with the traditional architecture.
The walls are covered in grasscloth. “It has a lovely texture to it and makes for a warmer, more inviting feel.”
Garry explains the bonsai tree seen here. “What I love about bonsais is how slow they are to mature and develop. It echoes my thoughts on how to create a lovely interior – that also takes an investment of time to get it right.”
Walls covered in Taluk Sisal, Thibaut. Ceiling and woodwork painted in Stone II, Paint & Paper Library. Clarence wool sofas, The Conran Shop. OVO coffee table by Foster + Partners; Eleanor side table, both Benchmark Furniture. Artwork, Sulis Fine Art.
“The fireplace was added by us,” Garry says. “It’s in Bath stone and was made by a local stonemason. There was a fireplace here before, but the surround was awful.” Contemporary furniture was chosen, as per the brief, to juxtapose with the traditional architecture.
The walls are covered in grasscloth. “It has a lovely texture to it and makes for a warmer, more inviting feel.”
Garry explains the bonsai tree seen here. “What I love about bonsais is how slow they are to mature and develop. It echoes my thoughts on how to create a lovely interior – that also takes an investment of time to get it right.”
Walls covered in Taluk Sisal, Thibaut. Ceiling and woodwork painted in Stone II, Paint & Paper Library. Clarence wool sofas, The Conran Shop. OVO coffee table by Foster + Partners; Eleanor side table, both Benchmark Furniture. Artwork, Sulis Fine Art.
The owners already had this bookcase. “We designed the space around it while it was in storage, so we couldn’t measure it,” Garry says.
“There were a few frantic conversations with the shop it had come from, using old photos of the bookcase the owners had, trying to confirm the design,” he says. “We were fairly confident, but if it had been 10cm taller, it wouldn’t have fitted!”
There’s also lighting built in behind it. “If the spacing had been wrong, the lighting would all have been out,” he says.
Barcelona chairs, Mies van der Rohe for Knoll.
“There were a few frantic conversations with the shop it had come from, using old photos of the bookcase the owners had, trying to confirm the design,” he says. “We were fairly confident, but if it had been 10cm taller, it wouldn’t have fitted!”
There’s also lighting built in behind it. “If the spacing had been wrong, the lighting would all have been out,” he says.
Barcelona chairs, Mies van der Rohe for Knoll.
This is the snug, a less formal sitting room where the family can watch TV together.
Walls covered in Shang Extra Fine Sisal, Thibaut. Ceiling and woodwork painted in Stone II, Paint & Paper Library. Céleste wall light, Maison Sarah Lavoine. Charles sofa, B&B Italia.
Walls covered in Shang Extra Fine Sisal, Thibaut. Ceiling and woodwork painted in Stone II, Paint & Paper Library. Céleste wall light, Maison Sarah Lavoine. Charles sofa, B&B Italia.
There’s lots of wood and natural elements in the room, from rattan baskets and the log pile beneath the wood-burning stove to woollen throws. “As much as it’s in Bath, it’s still a country house, so I wanted to have that nice textural element,” Garry says.
This room also features a fireplace in Bath stone designed by Garry. The shelf on which the wood-burner sits stretches across the whole wall. “Having the log-burner elevated makes it eye height – nice for watching the flames,” he says.
This room also features a fireplace in Bath stone designed by Garry. The shelf on which the wood-burner sits stretches across the whole wall. “Having the log-burner elevated makes it eye height – nice for watching the flames,” he says.
The master bedroom is wallpapered in a large floral design. “The motif is based on a three-square-metre panel repeat,” Garry explains. “If you put a large-scale pattern on too small an area, you don’t get the benefit. People are often nervous of putting a pattern all over a room, but there are so many windows here and it’s very light, so this large pattern just sings out.”
Foglie Di Vite wallpaper, Lizzo. Ceiling and woodwork painted in Stone II, Paint & Paper Library. 18th century Italian chest in bleached walnut, antique. Button chair, Julian Chichester. Odino curtains, C&C Milano.
Foglie Di Vite wallpaper, Lizzo. Ceiling and woodwork painted in Stone II, Paint & Paper Library. 18th century Italian chest in bleached walnut, antique. Button chair, Julian Chichester. Odino curtains, C&C Milano.
The dressing room area was one of the parts of the architect’s designs that Garry tinkered with. He moved the walls a touch and reconfigured the storage to ensure just the right amount of hanging, drawer and cupboard space for the owners’ clothes. He also made use of the space behind the headboard in the bedroom for concealed storage.
Crittall screens frame the entrance to the bedroom to demarcate the space and boost daylight (the bedroom door is to the right of the light switches). A new Crittall window, just visible on the left before the bedroom, overlooks the open-plan space below. This was previously an external wall window before the extension was added.
Salpertini wall light, Porta Romana.
Crittall screens frame the entrance to the bedroom to demarcate the space and boost daylight (the bedroom door is to the right of the light switches). A new Crittall window, just visible on the left before the bedroom, overlooks the open-plan space below. This was previously an external wall window before the extension was added.
Salpertini wall light, Porta Romana.
The bathroom is again a gentle combination of muted tones that reflect the setting and tactile textures. The woven rush mat is perfect for a bathroom, Garry says. “They love moisture – in fact, if you don’t have them in a bathroom, you’re advised to water them lightly to keep them in good condition.”
There’s a walk-in shower to the left of the bath, and the loo has its own cubicle, complete with a door, to the left of that.
Walls, ceiling and woodwork painted in Stone II, Paint & Paper Library. Oriental Stone floor and wall tiles, Stone & Ceramic Warehouse. Wanderwood stool, antique.
There’s a walk-in shower to the left of the bath, and the loo has its own cubicle, complete with a door, to the left of that.
Walls, ceiling and woodwork painted in Stone II, Paint & Paper Library. Oriental Stone floor and wall tiles, Stone & Ceramic Warehouse. Wanderwood stool, antique.
“The owner came to us with a photo he’d found on Houzz of a vanity unit he liked in a very contemporary city property,” Garry says. “The question was: how do we make this ‘less city’?” So he got to work designing a suitable take on the idea, with a gentle palette and softer materials. The basins are made from the same limestone he used downstairs.
The up/down patinated bronze light fittings cast a glow in both directions. “They give a nice, indirect light,” Garry says. “It’s complimentary in a bathroom.”
Garry explains the precision required when choosing the tiles. The same porcelain ones are used on the walls as on the floor, but arranged differently. On the walls, laid in a diamond pattern, they had to be the perfect size to reach the vanity unit, leaving exactly the right amount of room for the beading, which runs around the vanity tiling as well as the wall tiling in the rest of the bathroom.
“When people ask, ‘Why employ a designer?’” Garry says, “it’s so you have someone thinking about that level of detail a year before the tiler turns up!”
Belvedere mirrors in Bronze, Vaughan. Pillar wall lights, Porta Romana.
Tell us…
Which details will stay with you from this grown-up country house? Let us know in the Comments section.
The up/down patinated bronze light fittings cast a glow in both directions. “They give a nice, indirect light,” Garry says. “It’s complimentary in a bathroom.”
Garry explains the precision required when choosing the tiles. The same porcelain ones are used on the walls as on the floor, but arranged differently. On the walls, laid in a diamond pattern, they had to be the perfect size to reach the vanity unit, leaving exactly the right amount of room for the beading, which runs around the vanity tiling as well as the wall tiling in the rest of the bathroom.
“When people ask, ‘Why employ a designer?’” Garry says, “it’s so you have someone thinking about that level of detail a year before the tiler turns up!”
Belvedere mirrors in Bronze, Vaughan. Pillar wall lights, Porta Romana.
Tell us…
Which details will stay with you from this grown-up country house? Let us know in the Comments section.
Related Stories
House Tours
Houzz Tour: A Midcentury Home With a Strong Indoor-outdoor Link
By Becky Harris
A nature-inspired renovation has given this ranch house a relaxed mood and a connection to the outdoors from most rooms
Full Story
House Tours
Houzz Tour: Warm Tones and Luxurious Surfaces in a City Townhouse
An earthy colour palette, hidden storage and well-placed texture add character and practicality to this London home
Full Story
Room Tours
Kitchen Tour: A Gorgeous Extension With a Leafy Glasshouse Feel
By Kate Burt
When the owners of this terraced house extended, they were keen to retain its period feel and highlight the garden
Full Story
Gardens
Garden Tour: A Bare Roof Terrace Becomes a Pretty, Sociable Space
By Kate Burt
A retired couple got help transforming their large rooftop into a gorgeous, welcoming, multi-functional retreat
Full Story
House Tours
Houzz Tour: A Smart Layout and Genius Storage in a Victorian Home
Flipping the standard layout and carving out excellent storage have turned this tired house into a brilliant family home
Full Story
House Tours
Houzz Tour: A Victorian House Brought Impressively Up to Date
By Jo Simmons
A cohesive layout and warm colours combined with energy-efficiency measures thoroughly modernise this terraced home
Full Story
Kitchen Tours
Kitchen Tour: An Open, Airy Space Made for Entertaining
Combining two separate rooms has improved flow and created a sociable open-plan kitchen, dining and seating space
Full Story
House Tours
Houzz Tour: A Family Home Inspired by its Seaside Location
Coastal colours and practical design combine to create a house that will adapt as the family grows
Full Story
Kitchens
5 Inspiring Before and After Kitchen Transformations
Whether you want to boost storage, incorporate original features or maximise your space, take ideas from these designs
Full Story
House Tours
Houzz Tour: An Airy, Scandi Finish for a Tall Victorian House
By Kate Burt
From a tricky inherited bath to a sticky-out staircase, on-site problem-solving led to a seamless update for an old home
Full Story
Love this home! So elegant. restful and calm. Particularly like the master bedroom and dressing room. Bravo!
Perfectly beautiful - I love pretty much everything about this house. I would like to see a couple of external photos to see how the new melds with the old.
beautiful refurbishment. I particularly love the Crittall frames leading into the bedroom, they create a stunning entrance.