Projects in detail......
Extension
I was fortunate enough to be offered a second bite of the cherry here - being invited back 15 years after my first kitchen make over for these London based clients. This time round, we completely remodelled the rear of this Victorian terrace, considerably extending the footprint whilst dealing with some site specific planing considerations and conundrums. Whilst most kitchen diner extensions involve incorporating the side return, these guys were brave enough to extend to the rear too.
As with most couples, differing opinions and priorities needed carefully managing to reach compromise without the often associated lack of coherence.
I've had the pleasure of working with these clients on numerous projects over the years - our mutual trust shines through; giving space for genuine expression, courageous eclecticism and tangible practicality and order.
There are four comfortably but distinctly separate areas of furniture in this space:
1.A minimal matt white floor to ceiling wall of hardworking storage, with an automated tambour cabinet as the central feature. Everyone has to hide their commercial grade Italian meat slicer somewhere.......... .....don't they?
2. More traditional deep Lava grey, shaker base cabinets with antique brass pulls, strongly ground the busy working corral. The pale stone worktop ensures that all that hard won daylight isn't wasted.
3. The "client side" F&B Radicchio sideboard cabinets are gratefully adapted and reused from the 15 year old original kitchen. Given a new lease of life with solid oak framing.
4. Bespoke oak cabinetry and joinery for both accent and display were commissioned. The glazed "press" for the glassware, includes a drinks cabinet below. If you look closely, you'll see the dwarf wall holds a secret - a bespoke pasta making board.
They let me loose on the garden too - honoured and delighted to help.
"If you like, you can employ a yes man for your refurbishment project. Alternatively, there's Matt. Incisive detective work followed up with rigorous execution. Top notch."
Hugo Read
Clifton Penthouse
Nearly every internal wall, every pipe, every cable - it all had to go. A shame in a way as this 60's built apartment had certainly seen much better days - the penthouse, sat on top of a rare low-rise block and afforded incredible views in all directions - reasonably, the architect who built the block kept the best bit for himself.
Whist my client was keen to see stylistic references to the original fit out, sadly, very little was genuinely salvageable. Some strong references were used and a few pieces of fitted Sapele furniture sneaked back in to the final fit - a drawer cabinet re-used under a desk, some pull-outs in wardrobes.
I came to this project, with an outline plan and various permissions in place - my job? - to tweak, reconfigure, flesh out, detail, finalise, schedule and manage. Bespoke solutions required in every aspect.
Considering the risks and expense of working 6 storeys up, it was important to have every twist and turn detailed prior to commencing the job - luckily, I don't really understand how anyone starts anything without having it all worked out. Flexibility, sure, but a solid plan is required.
The fixed limitations of the space and it's original use, lent themselves to building with storage and fitted furniture in mind - a place for everything, and everything in it's place. Given the most incredible qualities of this apartment lay in the view and the light - to reflect where possible was, to me, obvious; to let in the light and play with it. Fresh finishes, mirrors, continuity and brave material choices.
For me, this project represents a highly successful collaboration; uniquely parading the virtues of clear but creative communication between an experienced, capable client and a practical design professional, trusted with the freedom to produce results.
"With my own experience in property and architect’s plans in place, I had a design ‘ready to go’ when I engaged Matt to oversee this comprehensive project for me. In addition to delivering what was, logistically, an extremely challenging project, Matt added hugely to the quality of design, not just in detail, but in the overall layout, thoughtfully reviewed with me in advance. Matt's time paid for itself by result several times over"
Ben Dossett
Self Build
Mr and Mrs Matt Lamb Design (that's us) built a new home on the site of a disused and inaccessible garage in the garden.
So the cobblers son is not always the worst shod.
Grateful as always to the brilliant Ben Mason of Mason Architectural Design for calm planning advice, red pen services, and technical construction details - professional collaboration at its best.
Much more text to come when energy levels are returned to normal.
“Matt has transformed our family kitchen into an incredibly stylish but hugely practical space. With real passion, a fantastic eye for detail and no small amount of humour, he was always conscious of our budget and hugely responsive. I couldn’t recommend him highly enough.”
Kathie Auton
Georgian Re-route
This historic Georgian gem badly needed help in order to flow to suit modern living. A now irrelevant passage stood in the way of a pretty big kitchen linking to a very big dining space.
Honestly, my clients had the makings of a brilliant idea, but the devil's in the detail (and somewhere near the bottom of the over-stretched pocket).
Understandably reluctunt to replace an entire maple kitchen, we looked for ways to give them the storage and surfaces they needed, without mimicking a kitchen that wasn't their choice and would one day be replaced. Referencing the maple kitchen in the worktop of a modern island, with Birch ply in a wall-mounted drinks cabinet, and for shelving in a new built-in larder, all helped to marry the differing styles.
Clean, simple panelling paid homage to the existing finery, without trying to compete with it - there's a considerable difference between careful respect, and clumsy pastiche. Keeping the cost of this down without compromising the overall quality was no mean feat.
Pleasing simplicity. Colour, texture, style without great expense.
“A tight budget to achieve fundamental change meant we only expected to get physical alterations done, and perhaps in a rather mundane way. When Matt became involved, we realised we could do much better, without spending much more. Careful use of materials and colour transformed what could have been dull, into something elegant; beautifully balancing the old with the new. We are thrilled.”
Peter & Ben
PEOPLE SAY THE NICEST THINGS......
Matt has designed the most spectacular flat, bringing light and space to a dull warren of a basement. All my friends are pretty envious. I was recently housebound for 2 weeks - what a lovely place to be stuck.
Catherine Jones