Hello hello! Yes I know it’s been a while since I last wrote, but I have an excellent reason, I promise. In short, i’ve been mega busy keeping lots of plates spinning since lockdown has eased and now i’ve got five projects in progress. So I just wanted to check in and let you know what’s keeping me busy til the end of this year.
Here are some of the rooms in progress, the before photos and design concepts we’re working towards. Looks like there will be lots of final reveal posts coming in January 2021!
No. 1 – The Georgian Apartment project
Before – The Bathroom
As you can see it’s in a bad way, is a really awkward shaped room, with a hideous UPVC false ceiling and no storage whatsoever. Time for a re-jig:
Bathroom Concept
Before
The brief: A sleek bathroom with bath, shower, storage, wood details, underfloor heating and seamless concrete look walls and floors.
Completion date: December 2020
No. 2 – The 1980’s Project – The Ground Floor Remodel
Before
I’ll be writing this one up in more detail to show you how the ground floor of this 1980’s property is being remodelled. The existing layout doesn’t work at all with the current formal dining room being two sets of steps, and two hallways away from their large open plan kitchen/diner. So the the existing dining room is soon to become an open-plan home study instead:
Home Study Design Concept
With walnut slatted walls and hidden doors into oodles of bespoke storage space, i’m finally getting to use black valchromat people, three years after writing about it. So excited!
Before
The lounge which has now been knocked through from the kitchen/diner is to become the new formal dining room overlooking the rear garden. It’s where the dining room should have been all along and it’s going to make such a difference to how this family use their ground floor space.
Dining Room Design Concept
The old snug will become the newly refurbed snug with the layout adjusted slightly:
Snug Design Concept
Completion date: December 2020
No. 3 – The Victorian Coach House
Before – The Living Room
This is another project that will get a full write up once it’s all finished and it’s a property i’ll be working in for at least another year i’m sure. The room above used to be the old tack room in a Victorian Coachhouse. As you can see it’s now a living room and whilst it doesn’t look too bad from the before photo, it was in need of some love, feeling way too much like a new build for my liking.
The Living Room Concept
The brief: I’d love a room to sit in during an evening, a comforting, cocooning space to relax, listen to music and read.
Completion date: October 2020
No. 4 – The New Build project
Before – The Living Room
This living room, as with a lot of new builds needed a boost. With no immediate focal point or features to speak of, we’ve gone big on textures to create interest and give this space some real personality for the young couple that lives here.
Design Concept
The brief: A light and bright sitting room where we can watch TV, sit with friends and relax.
Before
The room off the kitchen/diner is to become a snug and music room:
Snug Design Concept
The brief: We’d love a room where we can sit, play music and have a drink before dinner. We also need this space to connect to the kitchen/diner.
Completion date: November 2020
No. 5 – The Victorian Terrace Project
Before – The Games Room
This attic room is to become a games room, for both computer games and table top games:
Games Room Design Concept
Brief: I need somewhere to store all of my board games, i’d like a fridge up here, a six seater table, an armchair and TV.
Completion: November 2020
Before – The Bathroom
The less said about this room the better. Let’s just say, it’s in a bad way and needed to be done about eight years ago. I’m so glad to see the back of this old student rental bathroom and create something more like this for the man of the house:
Shower Room Concept
And that ladies and gents, is your lot. This is all the stuff (and the 3 bed semi extension and refurb) that’s been keeping me out of trouble (and awake at night). I’m looking forward to sharing more with you as they all develop. Until then…. stay well everyone!
I like the sink/toilet unit in the concrete bathroom. Will that be custom made or are you building in off the shelf units?
Elizabeth
The wooden vanity is from Tikamoon and the rest of the unit will just be boxed in and tiled to give a seamless look. So a bit of both 🙂
Karen! You are totes a complete genius! These are all universally Utterly Gorgeous and Inspiring and Beautiful! Love, love, love, love, LOVE.
Good. Carry on…. and I will just potter about here in the corner and continue being awed and amazed by your extraordinary skill and artistry
Well that’s really cheered me up that has. Thank you very much indeed for the lovely comments, Tam! Very humbled 🙂
Wow these all look amaze balls! Love your colours and ideas. Karen what do you design your concepts in they look really good.
Thanks Ruth! 🙂
I hand draw everything in Keynote on my Mac.
This is such a great post! It’s the little things in life that mean the most and make up the larger moments in our lives! Especially the dinning room idea & their simplicity is really delightfull. Keep sharing this type of blog so we can learn form it.