6,180,512 Brown Home Design Ideas, Pictures and Inspiration
YARD ArchitectsThis project inverts the typical side-return extension typology. By extending only to the rear of an end of terrace Victorian house, the side-return space becomes an external courtyard which acts as the focal point of the entire ground floor.
This project started from a Don’t Move, Improve consultation in 2017. Here, Natasja and Grant arrived with two young children, looking for more living space, without any fully formed ideas as to what this might be. Initial design exercises highlighted the courtyard option as a strong proposal. A tall flank wall to the north meant that overlooking was not an issue. The path of the sun also meant that the existing side-return space was the sunniest in the house for most of the year, benefiting from south-westerly sun, otherwise obscured to the rear garden due to the tall boundary walls. It made perfect sense to extend into the rear garden and retain the side-return as a courtyard suntrap.
The huge amount of height in the back half of the existing house was put to good use with an extensive plywood bookshelf on the north flank, with cupboards below to store toys for the children. The slim white structure of the extension was referenced in the design of the balustrades and new curved steps leading down from the formal living space at the front of the house.
The kitchen roof was designed predominantly around the concept of allowing existing views of the trees and direct sunlight through into this courtyard. Large plywood fins provide both structural support and a softening and reflecting of the light within the kitchen space. Although the roof of the kitchen is almost entirely fully glazed, the plywood feels both warm and massive, adding a comforting weight to what is otherwise a lightweight insertion.
The extension is entirely timber framed, constructed using prefabricated panels slotted together inside the existing brickwork boundary walls. This light touch approach had great environmental and cost benefits. The composition of the main courtyard elevation of the extension continued the sense of the lightweight and is inspired by minimalist Japanese architecture – also beloved of the clients, one of whom was Dutch and the other half Japanese.
Full height sliding glass doors to two sides of the courtyard were essential to provide fluidity in the flow and usability of the space, with a sliding window at worktop level in the kitchen providing a servery to the outside.
Additional work throughout the house included a refit of the master en-suite bathroom, wc, and family bathroom on the top floor. The master en-suite incorporated a deep Japanese soaking tub, and white oiled oak joinery which continued the language established on the ground floor.
McLean QuinlanDesigned in 1805 by renowned architect Sir John Nash, this Grade II listed former coach house in the Devon countryside, sits on a south-facing hill, with uninterrupted views to the River Dart.
Though retaining its classical appeal and proportions, the house had previously been poorly converted and needed significant repair and internal reworking to transform it into a modern and practical family home. The brief – and the challenge – was to achieve this while retaining the essence of Nash’s original design.
We had previously worked with our clients and so we had a good understanding of their needs and requirements. Together, we assessed the features that had first attracted them to the property and advised on which elements would need to be altered or rebuilt.
Preserving and repairing where appropriate, interior spaces were reconfigured and traditional details reinterpreted. Nash’s original building was based on Palladian principals, and we emphasised this further by creating axial views through the building from one side to the other and beyond to the garden.
The work was undertaken in three phases, beginning with the conversion and restoration of the existing building. This was followed by the addition of two unashamedly contemporary elements: to the west, a glazed light-filled living space with views across the garden and, echoing the symmetry of Nash’s original design, an open pergola and pool to the east.
The main staircase was repositioned and redesigned to improve flow and to sit more comfortable with the building’s muted classical aesthetic. Similarly, new panelled and arched door and window linings were designed to accord with the original arched openings of the coach house.
Photographing the property again, twenty years after our conversion, it was interesting to see how once-new additions and changes have long settled into the character of the house. Outside, the stone walls and hard landscaping we added, are softened by time and nature with mosses and ferns. Inside, hardwearing limestone floors and the crafted joinery elements, particularly the staircase, are improving with the patina of wear and time.
DecorbuddiWe were tasked with the challenge of injecting colour and fun into what was originally a very dull and beige property. Choosing bright and colourful wallpapers, playful patterns and bold colours to match our wonderful clients’ taste and personalities, careful consideration was given to each and every independently-designed room.
HomeconceptsLuxury London Mayfair Refurbishment by Award Winning Contractor / Builder and Designer - Living Room
Nicky Percival LimitedCompact shower room with terrazzo tiles, builting storage, cement basin, black brassware mirrored cabinets
Emil Eve ArchitectsA sensitive remodelling of a Victorian warehouse apartment in Clerkenwell. The design juxtaposes historic texture with contemporary interventions to create a rich and layered dwelling.
Our clients' brief was to reimagine the apartment as a warm, inviting home while retaining the industrial character of the building.
We responded by creating a series of contemporary interventions that are distinct from the existing building fabric. Each intervention contains a new domestic room: library, dressing room, bathroom, ensuite and pantry. These spaces are conceived as independent elements, lined with bespoke timber joinery and ceramic tiling to create a distinctive atmosphere and identity to each.
6,180,512 Brown Home Design Ideas, Pictures and Inspiration
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