Nancy Gouldstone Architects Infuse Luxurious Bohemian Style into a Victorian Family Home

A grand Victorian, locally listed terrace house in a beautiful conservation area of North London served as the canvas for this luxurious Bohemian project. The clients, a judge and her international mediator husband, alongside their two young children, wished for a complete refurbishment of their home whilst respecting and restoring its original period features. The brief specified the need for additional storage alongside designing vibrant, personality-driven spaces throughout the house. The design needed to provide a tasteful and refined backdrop for the owners’ beloved objects and artwork, avoiding a formulaic or themed style.

Specific Requests:

– Dressing Room: A luxurious set of wardrobes providing ample space for clothing and accessories.
– Enchanted Garden Bedroom: A sweet, nature-inspired room for the younger daughter, creating a whimsical and serene retreat.
– Library in the Clouds Bedroom: A playful and imaginative bedroom for the older daughter, fostering creativity and exploration.
– Dramatic Shower Room: A striking and luxurious shower room within the mansard conversion, adding a touch of opulence.
– Living Room: A comfortable and intriguing space designed for entertaining, blending cosiness with captivating design elements.

The project brief was to create lots of new space by extending the property with a mansard roof conversion and to design gorgeous personality driven spaces while restoring and respecting the original grand Victorian home.

Restoration of Historic Features

Many of the original internal features of the home had been lost over time, such as fireplaces, doors, and coving. These elements were carefully reinstated, selecting items that matched the original Victorian design. Any remaining historic features were preserved and restored, including the beautiful original cornicing in the entrance hallway, a stained-glass window overlooking the back garden, and the original room layout and proportions. These meticulous restorations ensured that the historical integrity of the home was respected.

Luxurious Bohemian Interior Design

The interior design embraced a luxurious Bohemian style, featuring a bold and rich palette of greens, pinks, dramatic marbles, and pale natural oak chevron parquet floors. Key pieces of existing artwork, personal objects, and furniture were sensitively incorporated into the new design, ensuring that the style was not formulaic but personal and reflective of the clients’ unique taste. This approach created a home that feels both curated and lived-in, with each space telling a part of the family’s story.

Creating Additional Space

To accommodate their young family, additional space was created by converting the attic into a habitable area and extending it with a dormer mansard extension. This transformation provided a beautiful new bedroom, a shower room, and a large laundry cupboard. The traditionally detailed timber staircase was extended to the converted loft space, enhanced by a large new roof light that flooded the stairs with natural light.

Personalised Bedrooms

The new loft bedroom was inspired by the avid reading habits of the clients’ 8-year-old daughter. Designed to resemble a library that can be slept in, the room features a hanging chair and a large window bench seat, providing comfortable reading spots with views over the London rooftops and gardens. This design fulfilled the playful and functional requirements of the brief, creating a space where imagination and relaxation coexist.

For their nature-loving younger daughter’s bedroom, we created an ‘Enchanted Forest.’ This whimsical space features a large mural-style wallpaper of a peacock in a tree and golden bee handles on the wardrobe. The room’s design is both enchanting and functional, providing a magical retreat for a young child.

New Functional Beautiful Spaces & Details

To meet the clients’ need for ample storage, a huge new wall of full-height wardrobes was installed in the master bedroom. These wardrobes were meticulously designed with drawers, shelves, and hanging space to accommodate the couple’s extensive clothes and shoe collection.

In the new shower room, we used a dramatic palette of dark green marble, brass, and terrazzo to create a small but perfectly formed luxurious retreat.

Sustainability and Energy Efficiency

Sustainability and energy efficiency were key drivers of the scheme which we took seriously. The new roof used two types of high-performance insulation, ensuring excellent heat retention and low heating requirements. Double-glazed sash windows and roof lights enhanced thermal efficiency, making the loft bedroom both comfortable and energy-efficient. Existing damaged items in the house, such as floorboards, were donated to timber merchants for reuse, minimising waste and adhering to sustainable practices. The structural scheme was designed to minimise steel usage using a mainly timber frame construction, thereby reducing the carbon footprint of the renovation.

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This week’s instalment of the Project of the Week series features a luxurious and wellness-focused apartment design by 2023 SBID Awards Finalist, Design-Art LLC.

Residences Kierland is a prestigious multifamily development that places an emphasis on wellness. This project effortlessly blends indoor and outdoor living spaces, providing residents with a luxurious and wellness-focused environment. Designed to be able to offer a comprehensive spa menu, residents can indulge in various treatments and services, including tranquil relaxation spaces, private massage rooms, saunas, steam rooms, and secluded outdoor hot and cool pools. With its emphasis on wellness, luxurious amenities, and captivating surroundings, Residences Kierland sets the stage for a life of unparalleled comfort, luxury, enjoyment, and wellness through its thoughtfully designed amenities.

What was the client’s brief? 

To create a multifamily living experience that focuses on wellness, sophistication, and luxury. And, feels like an extension of the neighbouring Kierland Commons retail development. The project should consist of 294 homes including 8 town home style units in a six-story “podium” and take advantage of the Westin Golf Course views.

What inspired the design of the project?

When thinking about wellness, we immediately thought about Spa Resorts, and started talking through how we could incorporate a wellness resort lifestyle into our multifamily project. We, additionally, wanted to bring some luxury living elements into the project, so residents didn’t have to go far to get their nails done, go to the gym, or store their wine. So, we worked with the Architect to include a beverage fridge in every unit, as well as additional rental wine lockers in the wine bar inspired clubroom. A full-service spa and fitness facility were added to the project as a luxury amenity that really rounded out our luxury wellness lifestyle concept.

What was the toughest hurdle your team overcame during the project?

Due to the global pandemic, many of our construction walks for this project were done electronically, due to the team’s inability to travel to the site and/or gather in large groups. We had what we called “paper box walks” for the bulk of the units, which made it challenging to know exactly what we were going to get, once finally on-site. The pandemic also affected the supply chain, which caused several project delays. And, additional tariffs were added to receive goods, which increased our costs beyond what was originally budgeted. However, everyone stuck together. And the teamwork across trades was incredible to achieve a final product that everyone is immensely proud of.

What was your team’s highlight of the project?

Designing, and helping to program the full-service spa, was incredibly rewarding. I had an opportunity to work on a few spa designs while previously employed with hospitality design firms, designing hotels and restaurants around the world. So, it was wonderful to bring that knowledge and experience to this project, and create an amazing, one-of-a-kind, amenity space, for these residents.

Why did you enter the SBID Awards?

We saw entering the SBID Awards as an opportunity to further showcase this amazing project/development and provide international exposure of what our local design and development teams are working on.

What has being an Award Finalist meant to you and your business?

Being an Award Finalist has been such an honour. We are so grateful that we have an opportunity to be recognised as part of the greater international small design business community. And feel a sense of pride to be included among such amazing international projects and teams. We can’t wait to attend the ceremony in November!

This week’s instalment of the Project of the Week series features a playful and whimsical public space design by 2023 SBID Awards Finalist, Lulie Fisher Design Studio.

Lulie Fisher Design Studio was commissioned by Regent International School Dubai to convert areas of the school into Primary, Secondary and Early Years Libraries. The Early Years library is based around the theme of an enchanted whimsical forest which encourages exploration and captivates the child’s imagination. A central reading circle with mirrored ceiling creates a curious environment. In the Primary and Secondary library zones are defined to appeal to both age groups by creating petrol blue surfaces and joinery in the primary zone and a dark red ceiling with a central red “living room” in the secondary.

What was the client’s brief? 

The project brief was to convert areas of the existing school into Primary, Secondary and Early Years Libraries. The Early Years Library at Regent International School was located in a small, tired and uninspiring classroom and our brief was to convert an existing gym into a dedicated Library for the school’s Early Years students aged from 4 to 7 years. The existing Primary and Secondary Student Library which dated back to 1993 was too small and out-dated for current needs and we were tasked with creating a fun environment that supported learning, collaboration and discovery. To expand the footprint, an adjacent staff room, pantry and corridor were amalgamated into the new library creating an L-shaped space which then lent itself to a natural division into two main zones: the primary students’ zone and secondary students’ zone, each tailored to the students’ age group, aesthetic and their dedicated book collections and study materials.

What inspired the design of the project?

The Early Years library is based around the theme of an enchanted and whimsical forest, aiming to encourage exploration and captivate the imagination. The elements and materials employed create a warm, welcoming yet exciting environment. Alongside this, the layout and forms of the space were based on the topical forms of an ordinance survey, adding a 3D dynamic to the library. Unlike many spaces designed for children, the expected use of bold primary colours have been eschewed in favour of a base palette of neutral and earthy tones employed across a variety of surfaces including a robust vinyl plank on the floor cut into waves of soft greys, browns and greens to mimic the forest floor, a soft polka dotted rose toned inset carpet invoking the coat of a whimsical animal and a soft mushroom colour for the exposed ceiling surfaces and services. Blue/green lacquered shelving lines the perimeter, softened with back panels in warm oak. Although small in size, every corner of the library has been carefully imagined and designed to its full potential. The space is divided into three zones: the centrally located Story Time Circle; the Communal Activities Corner; and the gently stepped and striated Shelving and Reading Platforms resembling the topographical contours of an ordinance survey map. These functional and ergonomic feature elements have been custom designed for these zones to enhance learning and participation and to spark the imagination.

The experience is further magnified by a mirrored ceiling, creating the illusion of endless volume. Special attention has been paid to the treatment and design of the ceiling as young children are most comfortable lying on their backs when reading. The Early Years library is a calming and enchanting space which through its carefully considered layout, colour scheme and both functional and whimsical design elements, encourages curiosity, discovery and learning.

In the Primary and Secondary library there was a need to clearly define each space to ensure they appealed to each age group. The primary students’ zone on the right at entry is clearly defined by a petrol blue ceiling, walls, carpet and joinery elements. An exciting yet functional series of bespoke, tiered platforms, create an interactive versatile environment for students to sit, gather or recline while reading. The books are integrated within the risers of the steps and are mindfully grazed with soft LED lighting. A large, custom-designed, organic-shaped table anchors the space centrally and is used as the main gathering point for communal activities under the delicately preserved indoor tree.

The secondary students’ zone on the left, is defined by the dark red exposed ceiling and the red “living room” in the centre of the space which is flanked by long communal work tables either side. The “living room” element is a self-contained room with raised floor, walls and ceiling which has been created as a device to transport the students into a cosy residential environment where they are surrounded by warmly lit bookshelves, comfortable lounge seating, rug, pendant and glowing wall sconces.

What was the toughest hurdle your team overcame during the project?

Early Years Library: The requirements for the library were as large as the given space was small. A large volume of varied book sizes had to be stored whilst ensuring accessibility to little readers. Rather than line the space with shelving, we wanted to create various zones for play as well as study. Being able to store books within the raised platforms and animal shaped bookshelves helped take care of this factor along with storing large books within playful low level mobile storage units. The custom joinery had to be carefully studied and ergonomically designed to suit the young readers.

Primary and Secondary Library: The library needed to house a set volume of books together with future expansion potential while creating a welcoming environment for collaboration, self-study, group study, presentations and lectures for two very different age groups. It was a challenge to zone and balance the space for these various functional requirements along with visual focal and this was overcome by the clever use of materials and colour blocking.

What was your team’s highlight of the project?

Early Years Library: As the children enter the library, they are drawn towards the striking central feature – a pale blue story circle surrounded by books, acting as a cocoon with a soft carpeted floor, cosy leaf shaped blankets and crowned by a vibrant and enchanting rain cloud feature composed of colourful felt interspersed with twinkling rain drop shaped pendants. The experience is further magnified by a mirrored ceiling, creating the illusion of endless volume. The contoured reading platforms nestled into one corner of the library contain books tucked below the steps and this element acts as a connection to the story time circle, creating spill out for larger groups to congregate around the teacher and different seating and reclining options.

Primary and Secondary Library: For the Primary area, an exciting yet functional series of bespoke, tiered platforms, create an interactive and versatile environment for students to sit, gather, or recline while reading. The books are integrated within the risers of the steps and are mindfully grazed with soft LED lighting. Decorative wall panelling and oversized pendant lighting not only help to contain any noise generation and disturbance at source but also add softness. The reception desk is clad in rich, turquoise-glazed tiles, acting as a focal point for young students who need the librarians’ support to administer the book check-in and check-out system. Two wall sconces in the form of owls (which have long been associated with knowledge and wisdom), look on from behind the desk, providing a quirky and humorous design element.

The “living room” element in the Secondary space is a self-contained room with raised floor, walls and ceiling which has been created as a device to transport the students into a cosy residential environment where they are surrounded by warmly lit bookshelves, comfortable lounge seating, rug, pendant and glowing wall sconces.

Why did you enter the SBID Awards?

We are a small, friendly and dedicated team continuously striving to weave our passion and enthusiasm to create unique captivating spaces. SBID Awards serves as an international platform for recognition amongst a wide spectrum of leading design studios and consists of a broad range of award categories. Being part of SBID can attract new clients who are specifically seeking out innovative and exceptional design.

What has being an Award Finalist meant to you and your business?

Being an Award Finalist with SBID can have a wide-range of positive impacts, from boosting reputation and credibility to attracting clients seeking innovative design solutions and to fostering growth by increasing team members morale. Award ceremonies and events offer excellent networking opportunities as well and can lead to new projects and partnerships.

Questions answered by Lulie Fisher, Design Director and Founder of Lulie Fisher Design Studio.

This week’s instalment of the Project of the Week series features an elegant and bionic villa design by 2023 SBID Awards Finalist, ISTO.

ISTO Architecture and Design Studio, originating from Ukraine, has crafted a private villa in Dubai spanning an area of 1210 sq. m. on Pearl Jumeira Island. The client of the private villa is an elegant woman. She traveled a lot and lived in Europe for a long time with her family. Inspired by the elegance and aristocracy of European lands, she wanted to strive to convey this atmosphere in her personal villa. The interior is dominated by voluminous, non-standard decorative elements, dynamic bionic forms, curvilinear shapes, and natural materials. Designers landscaped the house and created a spacious villa.

What was the client’s brief? 

The client of the private villa is an elegant woman. She traveled a lot and lived in Europe for a long time with her family. Inspired by the elegance and aristocracy of European lands, she strived to convey the atmosphere in her villa on Pearl Jumeirah Island in Dubai. One of the woman’s key requests was to create a home that is comfortable to live in, but where you can invite friends and organise parties at the same time. “There should be a luxury hotel lobby feel on the ground floor.” The ground floor is divided into two zones. The first zone is for family, and the second zone, which occupies most of the floor, is designed for a pleasant time spent with friends. The customer is also a connoisseur of bionic, curvilinear forms and materials. She strived to green her home and fulfill it with furniture and textures that would resemble natural figures. In addition, she has a passion for volumetric decorative installations of non-standard shapes and water, so the entrance area of the house is surrounded by water.

What inspired the design of the project?

We approached the project as the development of a new clothing collection. Our team was inspired by the best examples of world-famous fashion houses: Dior, Chanel, Hermes, Givenchy. Therefore, I can safely call this interior “haute couture”. All of the above listed luxury brands are of French origin. It was not for nothing that we pushed away from them, because our clients are tightly connected to this European country. But the phenomenon is that the villa itself will be located in the Middle East, as an elegant pearl on the Pearl Jumeirah Island, Dubai.

What was the toughest hurdle your team overcame during the project?

We never set ourselves easy tasks. Each of our projects is a manifestation of unique personalities (our clients). And the Monsella project was no exception. Therefore, in some sense, we were an obstacle to ourselves. Plenty of non-standard solutions, custom finishing materials, furniture and lighting. All these positions required meticulous work, time and effort from the team in order to get an impressive result.

What was your team’s highlight of the project?

All conceptual and creative solutions must be developed as organically as possible so that the design project can be implemented later. We do not only create concepts, we also calculate and consider the possibility of realisation to all the ideas. I guess that this moment was crucial.

Why did you enter the SBID Awards?

The international SBID Awards attracts with its prestige, status and main mission of researching new ideas and manifestations in design industry. It seemed that it was a great opportunity to showcase the Monsella project. This was the main driving force that motivated to apply for the competition. In addition, the participation was due to the desire to depict a subtle approach to the client. We at the ISTO studio pay special attention to personalised communication. It is like a session with a psychologist, where the client immerses you in his/her life, tells you what is important to him/her, and the design team listens to the subtleties and relays everything in every square meter.

What has being an Award Finalist meant to you and your business?

The moment of realisation that your efforts are appreciated on the international stage by judges from all over the world. This is recognition, confirmation of your importance and expertise. Of course, you should not become conceited, but simply continue to work: improve your professional skills, meet new obstacles, overcome them, learn new things and reach new heights of design development.

Questions answered by Oles Honcharenko, Lead Designer at ISTO.

Welltek is thrilled to represent Silen in their Clerkenwell showroom, which is in the heart of London’s design district.

Silen’s impressive range of phone booths, manufactured in Estonia are now available to buy through UK distributor Welltek. Welltek has over 20 years of experience providing market-leading phone booths to the UK’s major clients. With superior soundproofing, a silent ventilation system, and integrated technology that allows you to stay connected, these pods are among the best in the world.

The range includes space-saving phone booths, comfortable work pods and modular meeting booths to accommodate up to 14 people.

Who are Silen?

Silen are an experienced team of workspace privacy experts, actively trading in 60 countries providing workspace solutions for clients such as Airbus, Ernst & Young, Dell, and Volkswagen Group. As the first and only manufacturer to be awarded carbon neutrality across their entire range of products, it is now the global innovation leader in the industry.

Silen offers the most extensive range of phone booths and meeting pods and is now the #1 choice for the Fortune 500. Silen have been committed to providing human-centric workspaces for 25 years.

“In the world of interior design, especially in the modular office furniture sector, we have managed to establish a great reputation for the quality of our products. However, alongside the trust and recommendations we have earned, the customer still needs to see, feel and test the product for themselves and experience the efficiency of the sound barrier and ventilation. After all, your own ear is king.” – Co-founder and CEO Endrus Arge

Silen’s products will be showcased alongside other innovative, design-led, sustainable furniture solutions covering all major sectors including: hospitality, commercial, finance and healthcare.

Enjoy your own silence at Welltek: 26 Seward Street, London EC1V 3PA | Mon-Friday | 9:00am-5:30pm.

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This week’s instalment of the Project of the Week series features a comforting care home design by 2023 SBID Awards Finalist, Care Home Interiors Co.

Care Home Interiors were commissioned to design and specify the complete interior of a luxury purpose build care home Deer Park Care Home in Ledbury by Porthaven Care Homes. The design objectives of which were to apply thought and innovation focussing on innovative design features and aesthetics that enable easy navigation and accessibility whilst providing delight for every resident, visitor and staff member.

What was the client’s brief? 

The client’s brief was to create a home that went above and beyond the expectations of both the local community and visitors. They wanted the Porthaven Care Homes brand to be evolved through design that encompassed thought and innovation, choice and variety, comfort and homeliness, wellness and calm, as well as navigation and accessibility.

What inspired the design of the project?

Our inspiration for the project was deeply rooted in our commitment to the holistic wellbeing of residents. With an emphasis on emotional and physical wellbeing, we integrated elements that would resonate with residents on a personal level. Features such as the superior headboards and redesigned desk chairs were not just about aesthetic appeal, but also about creating a sense of comfort and familiarity. The unique lighting elements were designed to provide an ambiance that soothes the mind and uplifts the spirit. Even our gallery-style approach to artwork was envisioned to evoke positive memories and feelings, enhancing emotional wellness. In essence, every design detail was thoughtfully curated to promote an environment of comfort, care, and overall wellbeing for each resident.

What was the toughest hurdle your team overcame during the project?

The toughest hurdle we faced was the significant project management required due to supply issues. This was a result of complications arising from Brexit, inflation, and constraints on availability. The challenges demanded more from our team in terms of logistics and problem-solving, ensuring the project remained on track.

What was your team’s highlight of the project?

A major highlight for our team was successfully reimagining conventional designs. For instance, the communal reception areas introduced individual seating pods that maintained openness while offering privacy. We also integrated innovative features like backlit 3D panels in the cinema room and inset light boxes in the private dining room. These design features combined functionality with aesthetic appeal, creating intimate spaces without compromising on the residents’ mobility.

Why did you enter the SBID Awards?

We entered the SBID Awards to showcase our innovative and holistic approach to care home design. We felt that the Deer Park Care Home project truly represented a fusion of design and care, and we wanted to share this success with a wider audience, recognising the team’s hard work and dedication.

What has being an Award Finalist meant to you and your business?

Being an Award Finalist has validated our efforts and design philosophy. Not just elevating our brand in the eyes of potential clients but also reaffirmed our commitment to pushing boundaries in care home design. The recognition has helped in gaining new opportunities and has positioned us as leaders in innovative design for the care industry.

Questions answered by Kerry Southern-Reason, Managing Director at Care Home Interiors.

The magnificent Grade-2 listed Georgian Cuckney House on the Welbeck Estate, one of the UK’s largest and historically important country estates, has been given a complete interior makeover by Rachel McLane Ltd.

The three-and-a-half-year project converted the vacant Cuckney House into luxury 15-bedroom holiday and event accommodation.

The 15,000-acre Welbeck Estate on the Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire border near Sherwood Forest has a history that can be traced back nearly 900 years and is run by The Welbeck Estates Company.

As the most prominent House on the Estate, it has been thoroughly but sensitively transformed during the £5m redevelopment project to provide a single high-spec property for extended holiday and event-related stays.

Its 15 bedrooms include family suites and a bridal suite, allowing the House to sleep more than 30 people, and it has three reception rooms, including a 28-seat dining room and a 40-seat function room. There is a large, well-appointed kitchen, games room, snug butler’s pantry, and outside, there is a large terrace with two BBQs and a wood-fired pizza oven, a walled kitchen garden and a tennis court.

The transformation of Cuckney House is part of the long-term Welbeck Project to re-purpose and breathe new life into the Estate’s collection of historic buildings.

The entire project was managed by the Welbeck Estate, which made it run like clockwork as the Estate has incredibly skilled teams across different departments, including stone masons and builders, some of whom lived on-site to see the project completed.

Working closely alongside the Estate team, we managed through internal and external structural design changes that included a reconfiguration of the walls on the first and second floors, complete re-roofing, insulation throughout, refurbishment of all flooring, including reinstated parquet flooring, and the raising of the ceiling height in the top floor rooms, as well as electrical drawings, lighting designs, colour scheme and fabrics.

We could respect Cuckney House’s listed status while giving each room its identity and personality, reflecting the original use of the building as a Manor House.

The design intent was to make Cuckney House feel like it had evolved rather than an overly designed modern interior. The overall look is eclectic and traditional, with a contemporary twist suited to today’s living expectations.

The interior design also features a new art collection that the Rachel McLane team procured to make it look like the collection had evolved. We worked with the Estate’s collections team on scans of artwork from the collections and also with a commercial art gallery, mixing traditional and contemporary artwork on the walls and around the rooms.

An added feel of the area’s landscape also comes from the work of a ceramic artist who rents a studio from the Welbeck Estate and whose work is on display in the House.

The restoration of Cuckney House has also been emphatically sustainable with the provision of electric car charging points, renewable energy heat sources, and solar panels. In place of energy-consuming kettles in each room, each floor was designed with a communal coffee and tea pod.

Nigel Porter, Property & Rural Estates Director, said, “For me, the interior design and the quality of the craftsmanship stand out.”

If you’d like to feature your news or stories on SBID.org, get in touch to find out more. 

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This week’s instalment of the Project of the Week series features a colourful and retro restaurant design by 2023 SBID Awards Finalist, Wid Chapman Architects.

Wid Chapman Architects was commissioned to create a fun, colourful retro eating and drinking establishment in the heart of Times Square, NYC.

What was the client’s brief? 

The client was seeking a high energy experience and narrative to distinguish itself from other restaurants in a highly competitive market they believed that good food and great drinks were not enough to attract diners. They were keen on the 70s vibe, playful, vibrant and fun filled environment that would give life to one of the group’s strengths a fun, over-the-top beverage program, highlighting signature cocktail recipes that could not be found at your everyday bar or restaurant accompanied by family. Favourite foods that never go out of fashion.

What inspired the design of the project?

We came up with a concept that really gave life to the client’s brief and Peachy Keen is undoubtedly a memorable experience! As soon as you walk through the door, your senses are engulfed in excitement. The vibrant colours, textures, and curvaceous architectural elements combine with high-energy music and a bustling environment to instantly brighten your mood. The atmosphere is electric, yet uniquely welcoming, unlike anything Midtown Manhattan has seen in quite some time. Peace, love, and good vibes!

What was the toughest hurdle your team overcame during the project?

With any restaurant we design we have a particular owner/chef’s vision in mind. But with Peachy we were also tasked with giving effect to an entirely different era whilst keeping it contemporary and blending that with maximalism that can stand the test of time – all combined this created a major design conundrum.

What was your team’s highlight of the project?

At WCA we like to showcase colour as a concept versus as an accessory. With Peachy Keen our client was fully on board with really working with colour as a concept and utilising it to full effect in a bold and modern design that captured the 70s era but for today’s diner and today’s culture. We thoroughly enjoyed the utilising bold colours and materials to create many different and playful dining and drinking zones. The restaurant is full of fun and flair a rare combo in fast casual today. This restaurant with all its ‘70s vibes features comfortable space that captures the spirit of the city with a vibrant atmosphere that always feels familiar and right in the centre of the Theatre District.

Why did you enter the SBID Awards?

As an international hub of design professionals, it’s an obvious place to showcase our work and compete at the highest levels of the industry.

What has being an Award Finalist meant to you and your business?

We are honoured and privileged to be included as an awards finalist. As a hospitality firm we understand the competition for great design and in the era of mass content being recognised as global leaders in design through the SBID Awards helps channel our work and experience to new clients and provide further promotional benefits to existing clients. Hospitality design has become and ever important factor in restaurant attractiveness and success both in the U.S and internationally.

Questions answered by Wid Chapman, Founder of Wid Chapman Architects.

This week’s instalment of the Project of the Week series features an urban and minimalistic library design by 2023 SBID Awards Finalist, Xtendere Architecture.

“Mother’s House Library · Airport Library” is not only a library but also a bridge linking Quanzhou culture. Relying on the airport environment, it presents the form of a library in the new era, realising the transformation from a single function to a multi-integrated cultural display space, and expanding the attributes of a variety of scenes.

What was the client’s brief? 

Quanzhou Jinjiang International Airport is a 4D-level airport operated by Quanzhou Jinjiang International Airport Co., Ltd. The airport was originally established in 1955 as a military airport and serves as a bridge linking Quanzhou to the world and a driving force for development.

What inspired the design of the project?

The inspiration of this project comes from the vivid memory of urban culture in southern Fujian, and from the interpretation of hometown feelings. We hope to build an open and public library and gather people in the airport in various ways of social ceremony activities such as “physical presence, joint participation, emotional exchange and resonance” to create a harmonious interpersonal atmosphere, narrow the distance between tourists and urban culture, and stimulate tourists’ sense of identity with urban culture.

What was the toughest hurdle your team overcame during the project?

How to break through the traditional expression techniques of Minnan culture and express Minnan culture with modern design techniques, so that Minnan elements can be presented in a more comfortable and gentle way in the new era and space, which will infect every visitor invisibly. At the same time, affected by the epidemic, how to ensure the smooth and perfect landing of the project is also an obstacle we face.

What was your team’s highlight of the project?

The landing of this project is a demonstration of regional culture and the spread of local spirit. It presents the form of a library in the new era, absorbs the artistic form of multi-culture, and connects with the direct value realisation of urban development empowerment, opening a window for Quanzhou culture to spread abroad.

Why did you enter the SBID Awards?

SBID Awards is a platform for displaying design works and talents. On the one hand, I want to establish a good reputation in the industry through this award and increase the wider publicity and promotion of my works. On the other hand, it is an opportunity for learning and development, and I can learn the latest design trends and improve my design skills and knowledge through the competition.

What has being an Award Finalist meant to you and your business?

Being shortlisted for the SBID Awards finals means that the jury recognises and affirms our professional ability and creative level for me and my enterprise. This also gives us greater responsibility and obligation to explore local culture and endow traditional culture with new expressions and communication forms through design.

This week’s instalment of the Project of the Week series features an uplifting biophilic retail design by 2023 SBID Awards Finalist, The Secret Stylists.

The Secret Stylists were commissioned to design and specify the interior architecture, fixtures, fittings, soft furnishing, lighting and finishes for Moss and Moor Garden Centre Ilkley.

What was the client’s brief? 

The clients provided me with this new brand’s guidelines and the architectural drawings of the building before they broke ground and asked me how I would imagine their garden centre to feel and look. The words that I took from that brief were: Lively natural. Social, Friendly. Down to earth. Uplifting. Camouflage. Plants & People Honest, ethical, intriguing. Natural Vibrancy. So, I set about how I would imagine I could communicate these ideas within essentially an industrial shell.

What inspired the design of the project?

The View. Moss and Moor looks out onto an iconic landmark in Yorkshire, “The Cow and Calf”. I looked at the geology of the rocks, the heather moorland, the rivers, the stone walls, and sky and tried to figure out how I could relate this to Moss and Moor. I feel I achieved this with the plywood edging, the polished concrete floors that add a depth to the space when the sky is reflects on it at different times of the day, the layering of fabrics, colours and textures in the restaurant. My upholsterer thought I was crazy when I plotted out a random shape to be repeated as the bench backrests to allude to a Yorkshire stone wall. The handmade porcelain lampshades were pressed into hessian to create an organic finish. The cork wrapping the bar is akin to a topographic map and contributes a sound proofing function to this area. The rubber and cork flooring used to wrap the tills (as they needed to be very durable) is akin to soil.

What was the toughest hurdle your team overcame during the project?

We were building it during the pandemic, which did bring challenges, but generally we had a great flow of communication throughout to trouble shoot any issues that arose.

What was your team’s highlight of the project?

The welcome desk… I had wanted to introduce one obvious natural element into an otherwise modern environment and that was in the form of a large tree as our reception desk. The fact that my sculptor friend happened to have a seasoned tree which was the perfect size, that he (luckily) hadn’t started cutting into, filled me with joy. We took the bark off, cut it down, made a perfectly flat top with an arctic mill saw, carved a space as the desk, and mounted it on large metal supports. Everyone tends to run their hand over it when they arrive, and the natural undulations of the trunk are very welcoming to lean against.

Why did you enter the SBID Awards?

I have always followed the awards and just by chance thought I would submit Moss and Moor as I am very proud of this design, as I know it achieves everything I had set out to create for the owners and the customers.

What has being an Award Finalist meant to you and your business?

It has given me more confidence to put my work out in the public eye and I feel very privileged to be included in the awards.

Questions answered by Cliona Harkin, Brand and Design Director at The Secret Stylists.