Homes and Gardens – The November Issue

November! N O V E M B E R for goodness sake. How did that happen? Night’s drawing in and cold ………… the cold I don’t even want to think about it!

I see many of our suppliers are out in force in Novembers Homes and Gardens magazine which has just landed in our showroom today (Nina Campbell, William Yeoward, Osborne and Little, Roger Oates, Matthew Williamson at Osborne and Little, Vivienne Westwood at Cole and Son, Chesney’s fireplaces, Mandarin Stone, to name but a few …) ensuring that those of you ready to attack the house post Christmas have all you need at your fingertips.

It’s always a challenge to get across how many suppliers we deal with and how many items we can source for our client’s homes. Rather than take on space the size of several aircraft hangers and fill it full of all that is on offer we as Interior Designers build libraries. Libraries made up of sprawling collections of just the right; sofas, wood finishes, stone samples, floor tiles, fabrics, bath taps, lamp shades, light fittings, stair runners, footstools, wallpapers, etc etc …….. . When Mrs Smith calls up desperate for a sofa for the snug, ‘this size, this colour to fit through this door with a high back and short seat’ if a source is not in my library today, it will be by the end of the week. Having earned the extremely unfair reputation of mass hoarder (I challenge any Interior Designer to be otherwise) I am vindicated when “et voila” the answer to the problem – the perfect solution to any interior design dilemma is sat here in my Library. (Or here in my head!) I have spent the past fifteen “professional” years….. Fifteen years? (Never mind November how did that happen?!) and many many more “untrained” years absorbing and amassing all things interior design in order that our clients may call on us for things they just do not see everywhere. Every outing I go on, holiday I take, meal at a restaurant, book I read, chair I sit on, handle I touch is an opportunity to find ideas and inspirations for our clients homes. The frustration is I just cannot fit it all in the showroom! So inevitably the showroom looks like a fabric and wallpaper book shop and everything else is hidden. So please anything you need, just ask! and I will continue pondering on how best to display what’s in my head and could be in your homes.

Cotswold farm house

Cotswold farm house

Brief

To remove an existing extension to the main house and build new extension to incorporate a service area consisting of laundry, office, cloaks with shower, back kitchen, main kitchen and a drawing room, with a master suite above. The existing house required remodelling and renovating to provide the remaining rooms required. The property is all about the views as it is surrounded on all sides by spectacular Cotswold countryside. The clients wished to create a country house feel, not over decorated but simple and stylish. The house had to be easy to operate, the client’s work in London and travel extensively – therefore the house needed to be ready to go, for use as a country base and for entertaining with the minimum of fuss.

RD Designs scope of services on this project were

Assisting the client with the appointment of the architect and the building contractor. Full interior design service to include design boards, layout plans, bathroom designs, specifying all surface finishes, sourcing and supply of lighting, bathroom fittings, furniture, soft furnishings, upholstery and flooring. Accompanied research, sourcing and buying trips country wide and in London. Overseeing installations. Remaining in contact and carrying out additional work for the clients at present.

Features

Kitchen – As the client entertains a lot and is also a professionally trained chef the details of the layout of the kitchen were specific to her requirements. Everything had to work efficiently in terms of working layout. The bespoke kitchen units and islands position, in conjunction with the units against the wall create the perfect ergonomic working arrangement. Design wise the island is curved and so follows the shape of the exterior wall and is positioned to take in the stunning views of the countryside beyond the large folding sliding doors. Discreet screen roller blinds protect the GPJ Baker curtains from the sun. The Mark Wilkinson piece was painted with a finish to compliment the scheme and the natural slate tiles add a “touch of rustic” to the cutting edge cooking equipment.

Entrance hall –  Hand printed fabric from Benisons was used to make up the curtains which frame the view perfectly and polished plaster walls form a perfect backdrop for the fabric and for the clients art work. The space is decorated to add weight. This was the new part of the house which needed to flow from the old house to be solid and take in the views over the rear gardens towards the woodland beyond. The Cotswold stone floor was chosen from a nearby quarry and was used throughout the ground floor with under-floor heating. Antique French wall lights were located either side of the door way. The new staircase was fitted with a Roger Oates stair runner available through RD Designs interior design showroom.

Cloakroom – Small tiles produced in stone from the same Cotswold quarry as the floor were commissioned to tile within the shower area, the window sill was also formed from the same stone allowing for the basin to be recessed into the sill for a seamless look.

Drawing room- Entered through double pocket doors leading from the hall means that the room may be opened up for entertaining allowing the dining room hall and drawing room to flow easily from one to the next, away from the working part if the house. A jib door located in the far corner of the drawing room allows for discreet access to and from the kitchen. The windows fold up and disappear into the ceiling to create openings full height out to the rear terrace and gardens. The fireplace was sourced from a company who import antique fireplaces from France (the client and RD Interior Design visited their barns and chose from the amazing array on offer) and the over mantle was commissioned by RD Interior Design using antique mirror glass and made to size. The fabrics were chosen from the showroom and the trims were carefully chosen to create the exquisite cushions mostly in wool and velvet. Mulberry, GPJ Baker and Colefax and fowler.

Dining Room- Here the clients existing furniture was incorporated into the scheme the existing dining room chairs were covered in a wool Colefax and Fowler fabric. The curtain fabric was chosen by RD Interior Design from a selection in their showroom from Ralph Lauren and trimmed with GPJ Baker trimmings. The beautiful stone  fireplace was sourced from an importer of antique French fireplaces to fit with the room. The walls were finished using a polished plaster finish to create drama and depth to the walls the perfect backdrop for the client’s collection of artwork. Handmade lampshades were commissioned to complement the existing bases and the room. The wall lights were chosen for their hand crafted simplicity

Snug – The sofas and chairs were commissioned using fabrics by Osborne and Little chosen from RD Design’s Interior Design showroom, the walls were finished in a polished plaster finish using tones from the curtains gradually building layer by layer to create the depth of colour required. The curtains were made by RD Interior Design using Ralph Lauren fabric and Designers Guild trimmings.

Guest cloaks – The tin sink was purchased by Rachel Davies on her travels in Morocco and was perfect for the guest cloakroom. As space was limited it called for something imaginative.

Rear staircase – The rear staircase was refurbished from its dark heavy original state to a light and attractive space running up to the guest bedroom and sons suite of rooms above.

Guest bedroom – With the spectacular views on both the front and rear aspects of the house, two bedrooms were made into one to make this beautiful guest room. Nina Campbell fabrics were used and the calming natural and grey colours from the fabrics were used to build a relaxing colour scheme incorporating the client’s antique French bed and existing rug.

Family bathroom – The free standing bath was sourced for its beautiful shape and sat in front of a slab of marble which was then used to form the top of the bespoke wash stand. The traditional nickel finish taps and shower were also set into the same marble to service the bath. The painted mirror style contrasts with the clean lines of this scheme. The simple marble small tiles were chosen to compliment the stone.

Dressing room – This beautiful bath was sourced for its feminine shape to stand alone in the dressing room, a space designed for pure relaxation and dressing. The underside of the bath was painted to fit in with the French silk toile curtains made by RD Interior Design using silk from GPJ Baker, complimented by the heavier silk used in the bespoke wardrobes and as the window seat cushion. The chair was an existing chair of the clients which was re upholstered using a Colefax and Fowler fabric. The bespoke wardrobes were designed and commissioned to fit with this French country style and the interiors were fitted out to house every shoe and bag perfectly for ease of access.

Master bedroom – The stunning space was created in the new extension with a spacious feel, high ceilings and the beautiful arched window making the most of the spectacular views out to the rolling Cotswold countryside. The fabrics and trimmings were chosen from Nina Campbell and Anna French so as to lead the eye outside to the view beyond.

Master en-suite – Kitted out with a huge rain shower and super stylish fittings this room was built with luxury in mind. To contrast from the dressing room this has a more masculine feel.

Son’s bedroom and en-suite – Decked out in simple blues, creams and reds this area will stand the test of time. The papers and fabrics were coordinated from Designers Guild, Nina Campbell, Colefax and Fowler and GPJ Baker available from RD Design’s Interior Design Showroom. RD designed and had made the sporting cushions to reflect the client’s son’s favourite sports, using a selection of trims and fabrics from the large selection available through the interior design showroom. The hand- painted tiles in the en-suite were commissioned in favourite clubs colours.