Peek-a-Blue
A family home with a newly created living space with dramatic changes in height and subtly defined nooks and zones supporting contemporary family life. Punctured openings create new connections and viewpoints between and through the new spaces. These openings are highlighted in a bold, bright ultramarine blue that contrasts with the earthy palette of other new and redefined elements.
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The rooms of the existing house were small and disconnected, both from each other and the front and rear gardens. A level change of a metre and a half from the front to the back of the house meant the living spaces were fragmented and didn’t allow the family to spend time together in one space. The house is aligned almost exactly North/ South and consequently spaces received either too much or too little direct sunlight. Our unique briefing game identified resolving these issues as key objectives for the family. It also captured a desire to create a home that reflected their own creative personalities.
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A key move for the project was to drop part of the front of the house to meet the garden level - creating one large living space for the family, flowing into the garden. This ‘plane’ of living space includes a new kitchen and dining area as well as a snug that is a focal point for the whole house; a place where the whole family can convene centrally and relax together. This snug spans almost two storeys in height: with hatches and windows providing a link to the higher front room and the staircase. These openings create better visual connections internally, and through to the garden. They also allow the different qualities of light at front and back to stretch through the house making it feel more coherent and connected.
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Materially, most new elements are earthy and textured in character: clay quarry tiles laid in a grid pattern, a corduroy clay render externally and natural/ pale paint finishes internally. Puncturing this palette are the bold, graphical openings between rooms and to the outside which are highlighted in a deep and rich blue colour. The kitchen too is playful and light in its use of material and colour. Baby blue doors and recycled plastic worktops contrast with the reds and ochres of the main house.
The final project creates a joyful new home that resolves the problematic spatial issues of the existing house with bold but simple changes. It introduces playful new visual connections internally and defines a new relationship with daylight, bringing soft northern light to the back and direct shadows to the front.
Quote from clients: “From the very beginning, there was a clear design rationale: to create a sense of connection throughout what was a highly compartmentalised building. This founding principle guided every decision, and as a result, everything now simply makes sense.”
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Structural Engineers: SD Structures
Main Contractor: TW Space Conversion
Photography: Jim Stephenson
Doors & windows: RAF Joinery
Kitchen doors: EasySpray
Island worktop: Diespeker
Floor: Ketley tiles
External Plaster: Clayworks
Kitchen worktop and
splash back tiles: Smile Plastics
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