Serene Surrey has been an absolute pleasure to work on. Our first design meeting was back in April 2020 and we have just finished and photographed. It has been a joy to work with clients who have known what they wanted, but trusted in our expertise to be guided at the appropriate points.

We were involved in this project right from the start, working along side a structural engineer. This project is a perfect example of why using a designer before planning is key. The clients were keen to use their favourite antique dining table in the main space. From our “Drill Down Chat”, we established the wish list and uncovered that a large kitchen with more storage than average was required. Once we had slotted all these factors into our detailed spatial planning, we could see that circulation space was tight & the extension needed to be pushed out a further metre for the full wish list to be realised.

The extension created challenges, the new space was very long & light was already reduced at the property. We also had an existing lounge that would need to be incorporated and there was a long wish list of how every family member wanted to use the new space.

The material palette was key, we inherited a dark, walnut dining table which we needed to link to the design, but walnut is dark & hard to bounce light from. We decided to tie the dining table to the stain of the island and team it with a light, beautifully veined, quartz worktop. The lighter top bounces the light around and the walnut stain is a consistent red thread seen subtly around the space. The rest of the joinery we finished in Little Greene’s Slaked Lime, a beautiful warm off-white. Brass hardware and lighting also created cohesion and warmth and we made sure a large percentage of pendants and wall lights incorporated clear glass to maximise on light.

Zoning was key in this project, we created a cosy zone to the front of the house, with a wood burner. Our client is a keen crafter, so within this zone we incorporated a corner desk with specially design alcoves and cupboards for all her sewing baskets & accessories. The kitchen is in the centre of the house, we designed lighting in all the joinery to elevate it both practically & aesthetically. We selected a beautiful green range cooker, which tied-in with the existing fireplace tiles & we repeated this colour choice with our island stool selection.

The dining zone is positioned by the bifold to enjoy views of the newly landscaped garden and continues through to a lit bar with cocktail seating, which was a dream of our clients. We chose to leave the lounge open plan from this space, the bespoke bar linking the lounge to the rest of the extension.

Our lighting design was all about layering and zoning. Every zone is lit independently and we used multi light sources to bring intrigue and to elevate the interior elements in the space.

This kitchen was designed in-house & we are thrilled with its timeless beauty & sophisticated layering. Subcontractors are usually amazing, but in this case we had a disappointing joinery team. Some weeks we virtually lived on site to snag, problem solve and build relationships with new contractors we could trust. Every project runs into problems & unforeseen obstacles, but we believe there is always a solution & we work tirelessly to find a way through.

We also worked on the newly extended kids bedrooms to make sure the spaces were zoned and the interior choices represented their personalities.

As with any project, once we start clients often decide to upgrade other areas in the home. We also designed in house, a walk-in wardrobe in the principle bedroom to make the most of a difficult layout & maximise the storage requirements.

Projects take time, if you would like the to change your home or business, make sure you start early. Like anything in life, it’s all the planning. We love working with new clients, so if you would like to know more about how we work, then get in touch.

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