WandsWorth home
Redesigned rooms and an excavated basement have ensured a spacious home for easy family living Report: Felicity Borthwick Photography: Rachael Smith Styling: Tamsin Weston
52 kitchens bedrooms & bathrooms
WandsWorth home
W
hen Sarah and Nick Hallam discovered they were expecting their fourth child, it immediately became apparent they required more space. However, the couple were undecided whether they should relocate to a larger property or extend their existing home by excavating the basement. Both Sarah and Nick loved the area and their older two children were reluctant to change schools, so following much deliberation the decision was made to redesign their home. “If we moved it would only have been just a few streets away, so it made more sense to stay put and expand,” explains Sarah. “We enlisted the help of Will McGuinness from UV Architects and interior designer Genevieve Hurley and renovated the rest of the house at the same time to make it more contemporary and open plan.” With the new basement accommodating additional rooms including an office, playroom and cinema room, the couple wanted to retain the previous functionality of the ground floor but rearrange its structural layout to replace five rooms with three significantly larger ones. Thus, a formal sitting room now spans the front of the house and a more relaxed ‘family room’ occupies the centre space, while a vast open-plan kitchen-diner is sited at the rear alongside a well-manicured garden. And, as only glass separates the kitchen from the family room and garden, much of this level appears as one continuous, free-flowing space leading outside. “Using white porcelain tiles on the kitchen floor and similar coloured paving in the garden facilitates a seamless transition between indoors and out,” Will says. The kitchen furniture is rich and dark with an expansive bank of graphite grey oak cabinets lining one wall, a large, glossy, black granite-topped island in the centre and a dark grey oak dining table beside that coordinates with the units. However, to ensure the room remains light and airy, Will suggested building in a ‘ribboned’ skylight that runs the length of the ceiling, while glass doors at the end of the room filter in plenty of natural light. The kitchen itself is from Boffi and the Hallams knew it was perfect for their home from the moment they laid eyes on it. Its streamlined bank of handleless units accommodated their desire for plenty of storage and a modern, minimalist feel, while the dark colour palette provides a pleasing contrast to the traditional kitchen that previously stood in their home. Furthermore, the central island fulfils a wish for a place where the older children can eat breakfast or guests can gather for a drink, and its strategic position affords views of both the family room and dining area while preparing food. “Nick and Sarah had very definite ideas about the kitchen so I suggested they choose this first and I would use it as a starting point for the rest of the house,” Genevieve elaborates, “although I did assist with the layout in here and several design u www.kbbmagazine.com 53
WandsWorth home
Much of this level appears as one continuous, free-flowing space leading outside 54 kitchens bedrooms & bathrooms
WandsWorth home
Left: A glass panel acts as a visual divide between the family room and kitchen while still enabling a fluid open-plan design Above: The sink is placed in the island directly opposite the hob at the back of the work space for functionality Below: Despite opting for all dark furniture, the kitchen-diner remains light and airy thanks to pale walls and flooring, a long ribboned skylight and glass doors at the end of the room
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WandsWorth home
56 kitchens bedrooms & bathrooms
elements such as the pale grey textured wallpaper to balance out the room.” Turning their attention upstairs, the couple decided to leave the master bedroom and ensuite in their original position at the front of the house, but re-planned the bathroom’s internal layout and design to create an opulent private retreat. A large marble-encased bath and spacious shower area reside along the far wall providing an intimate bathing zone, while a spectacular vanity unit featuring double ‘floating’ mirrors above ‘his and hers’ basins takes centre stage. Echoing this symmetry and design on the opposing wall, two mirror-fronted wall-hung cabinets provide a stunning yet practical solution to storage. This storage is divided neatly from the WC by a partition wall, and here a recessed area – thought to be an old fireplace – presented an ideal spot for a WC, with several glass shelves built above it to personalise the space. Most of the ensuite is adorned in an opulent grey Carrara Blanco marble, which the Hallams selected for its sleek, luxurious feel, “and Will and Genevieve really helped pull this room together with lots of creative suggestions,” Sarah acknowledges. “For example, using walnut trim on the furniture to bring warmth to the space and building small lights under the sink to create a stunning pool of light across the floor.” The walnut trim and purple beaded blind in here also create a cohesive aesthetic with the master bedroom, which is essential given that the glass doors linking the two rooms are usually left open to filter light from the bathroom window through to the bedroom. “Sarah stipulated that she wanted a sophisticated and luxurious hotel-style bedroom, which incorporated a bold colour and wasn’t too feminine,” Genevieve recalls, “so I presented them with several options and she and Nick agreed on a rich, warm purple, which I then teamed with walnut for its opulent look and feel. “The Hallams like everything to be coordinated so we used the same colour throughout but in various textures and tones to keep it interesting,” she continues. “I used horsehair panels and gem amethyst handles on the bespoke walnut cupboards flanking the bed, custom-made fabric cushions with a beaded trim near the pillows, and wall lights encased in silk – all in the same vibrant purple.”
WandsWorth home
Above: With such a large room, a central statement piece was required to fill the space and this stunning marble vanity unit fits the bill perfectly. “Unlike most bathrooms in London where you’re trying to fit things in, this was a case of trying to fill the space,” explains Will. “It was really important that we laid it out in such a way that items didn’t look lost” Below left: A recessed area believed to be an original fireplace provided the ideal position for a WC Below right: The sleek simplicity of the ensuite switches to full-on opulence in the bedroom as you move from one space to the other Opposite page, top: The huge bath is encased in marble behind the partition created by the back of the vanity unit. This ensures a luxurious, private bathing space Bottom: The pared-down shower enclosure encases a large showering space framed in marble, while above, the showerhead fits flush to the ceiling to provide a generous downpour and atmospheric light
Elegant patterned wallpaper adds to the rich collage of design and, combined with a large bespoke headboard and cupboards, successfully completes the lavish hotel look the Hallams desired. “Although the bedroom and the rest of the house is now very clean and contemporary it’s also very warm and welcoming, which is important considering it’s a family home,” Sarah enthuses. “It’s like living in a completely different house – without having KBB to move.” www.kbbmagazine.com 57
WandsWorth home
Above: The Hallams wanted to create a luxurious hotel-style aesthetic for the bedroom with a bold accent colour running throughout, so Genevieve suggested marrying this rich purple with walnut for a warm, sumptuous feel
design Kitchen Boffi from Alternative Plans (020 7228 6460 or www.alternative-plans.co.uk) Architect William McGuiness of UV Architects (020 7490 3387 or www.uvarchitects.co.uk) interior design Genevieve Hurley Interiors (020 8871 9454 or www. genevievehurleyinteriors.com) Kitchen cabinetry Graphite grey oak and polyester grey, Boffi from Alternative Plans, as before Work tops Black granite, Boffi from Alternative Plans, as before taps main tap, X-Trend tap, Newform (0845 126 0731 or www.homecreations.co.uk); Boiling water tap, Quooker (020 7923 3355 or www.quooker.co.uk) Appliances Two ovens, steam oven and coffee machine,
Gaggenau (0870 125 4500 or www.gaggenau.com); Fridgefreezer, Sub-Zero (020 8418 3800 or www.westye.co.uk) dining table Grey oak, B&B Italia (020 7591 8111 or www.london.bebitalia.com) Bar stools Ryan (01427 677556 or www.martinryan.co.uk) dining chairs Grey oak/leather upholstery, B&B Italia, as before Lead crystal chandelier and wall lights The Italian Lighting Centre (0800 043 5014 or www. italian-lighting-centre.co.uk Vase Strada Globe, William Yeoward (020 7349 7828 or www.williamyeoward.com) Wallpaper Bali 98, Tektura (020 7536 3300 or www.tektura.co.uk) BedRoom Bed Selfridges (0800 123400 or www.selfridges.com) Fabric headboard Deanswood Interiors (01634 814444 or www.deanswood.co.uk)
Bed head and cupboards William R Pinchin (020 8521 5590 or www.williamrpinchin.co.uk) Wallpaper Graham & Brown (0800 328 8452 or www.grahambrown.co.uk) door knobs Florence Gem Amethyst, Haute Deco (020 7736 7171 or www.thedoorknobshop.com) Wall lights Mondrian nickel, Heathfield & Co (01732 350450 or www.heathfield.co.uk) curtains, cushions and beaded blind Deanswood Interiors, as before mini sphere vase William Yeoward, as before Faceted purple vase Louise Bradley (020 7589 1442 or www.louisebradley.co.uk) chest of drawers Walnut, Heal’s (0870 024 0780 or www.heals.co.uk) BAthRoom Vanity top Carrara Blanco
marble, Marble City (020 8871 1191 or www.marble-city.co.uk) Bath double-ended bath, Bette, Colourwash Bathrooms (020 8830 2830 or www. colourwashbathrooms.co.uk) showerhead RainSky M shower, Dornbracht (024 7671 7129 or www.dornbracht.com) Bespoke shower enclosure Hitchcock & King Glass Merchants (020 7381 4301) mirror cupboards Walnut and mirror, William R Pinchin, as before Brassware Dornbracht, as before Wc Vero, Duravit (0870 730 7787 or www.duravit.co.uk) Blind Deanswood Interiors, as before cost A similar kitchen would cost around £70,000, a similar bathroom around £30,000 and a similar bedroom around £19,000
WandsWorth home
Above left: The comforts of a smart hotel are introduced into the bedroom scheme with details such as this bench Above right: A chest of drawers was purchased from Heal’s to coordinate with the walnut veneers that are a feature throughout this home Below: The cushions, curtains and fabric bed head were all tailor made by Deanswood Interiors to ensure a perfect fit in terms of size and colour
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