PHOTOGRAPHY SHARYN CAIRNS
PHOTOGRAPHY SHARYN CAIRNS
A compact space for two mature people. Storage was the key requirement of the brief. The space itself was unloved and dark. We transformed it by restricting structural design components, a minimal palette, allowing natural light to play its part, and a selection of simple decorative elements.
The central design element is the extended storage gesture from the entry to the bedroom, allowing the eye to travel the length of the house, increasing the perception of space and streamlining the functionality. A mirror at the leading end contributes to the impression of space and assists in ‘losing’ the visual impact of it as an element within the floorplate.
Budget inhibited structural work, joinery elements are central to the overall design, dominating as much as they recede. The extended joinery wall is white, reading as a blade, offering a huge amount of storage without intruding into the space. Panels open as doors to close off the bedroom and living room spaces : in one position they are part of the joinery; in the other they reveal oak lined shelving and act as a door would to enclose the space. In the kitchen the palette is comprised of very few elements, timber joinery lines both walls, furniture continues the same palette. Hand made tiles add some texture. Joinery panels wrap around the kitchen and hall to line the living room wall, leading the eye and blending the spaces. We elected to keep furnishings spare so the challenge was to maintain a sense of calm and elegance without appearing stark.