The Brief
Set within a beautiful estate owned by a client with a passion for classic cars, our goal was to establish a cohesive design narrative that connects the entire ground floor layout. The brief called for us to carefully respect the character of the original stately home, ensuring that everything from the practical boot room to the striking new kitchen and media lounge extension feels like a completely natural, fluid evolution of the property.
The Invisible Door
The expansive back wall is designed as a seamless run of dark cabinetry, perfectly integrating the Gaggenau appliances. However, the uniform cladding conceals a secret panel – a hidden entrance leading through to a discreet prep kitchen. This clever use of space allows everyday culinary activity to be entirely closed off, ensuring the main open-plan environment maintains its minimalist, gallery-like aesthetic.
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The Details
The material palette leans into a dramatic, monochrome aesthetic. Crafted from slatted, stained ash, the linear timber cladding introduces a rich texture that interacts dynamically with the natural light – preventing the dark finish from appearing flat. This is paired with a substantial, tactile surface of Clay Caesarstone to complete the scheme, perfectly balancing the dark joinery.
The Double-Height Lounge
The architecture of the media lounge is defined by its impressive vertical scale. To prevent the expansive space from feeling cavernous, a substantial media wall – clad in bespoke slatted ash – anchors the lounge while establishing visual continuity with the adjacent kitchen, effortlessly concealing all tech and wiring. Below, the seamless terrazzo flooring features a striking structural glass panel – a deliberate design detail that looks straight down into a subterranean spiral wine cellar.
The Boot Room
Situated within the original wing, the design honours the heritage of the property with a space tailored for classic estate life. High-capacity, floor-to-ceiling bespoke cabinetry provides extensive storage that feels like an inherent part of the room’s architecture. By pairing a dark herringbone timber floor with a log burner and comfortable seating, we transformed a practical transition zone into an inviting destination – a quiet sanctuary to unwind after walking the grounds while the dog dries off.
The Finished Project
Introducing ambitious contemporary architecture into a country estate always requires a delicate touch. In reality, the rich textures of the slatted ash and custom details across the entire ground floor plan ensure the new additions never feel stark or cold. The resulting space strikes the perfect balance between a modern structural showpiece and a functional, inviting home – demonstrating that bold modern interventions can sit in total harmony with the heritage of the original estate. See more of our full house projects.
Questions About This Project
Behind a secret panel in the dark cabinetry along the back wall, so everyday cooking can be closed off from the open-plan room.
Slatted, stained ash cladding with a Clay Caesarstone surface, and Gaggenau appliances integrated into the back wall.
A double-height media lounge with a slatted ash media wall and a glass floor panel over a spiral wine cellar, and a boot room in the original wing.
