Interior design and architecture in perfect harmony

No man is an island, and that includes interior designers! We have recently completed this stunning contemporary design in Cambridge, collaborating closely with NRAP architects, who share our vision of creating vibrant, imaginative spaces that are a joy to inhabit.

The project was a simple late-Victorian villa that had been extended in the 1980s. The owners wanted to replace the existing garden room with a new space that could open up directly into the garden, and to refurbish the rest of the house.

At Home senior designer Diana Trower respected the clients’ wishes to retain the character of the original rooms at the front of the house and upstairs, while breathing new life into the kitchen and the stunning new garden room.

Diana planned and oversaw the installation and decoration of the new kitchen and living spaces, adding soft furnishings to the library and piano room. The owners wanted to retain their traditional paintings and here Diana expertly showcases her skill of mixing old and new, ensuring even the most contemporary space feels like a much loved home. White-stained birch ply was used to line the staircase, hallway, and kitchen units, to provide a calming flow.

At Home Principal Designer, Hugh Jamieson said: ‘We are the link between you and your architect or contractor. We speak their language and can head off design misses. We are delighted to have worked with NRAP and together we marry aesthetics and practicalities, which is crucial in managing the client’s time and money, and avoiding hassle and headaches.’

At Home Interior Design www.athome-interiors.com

NRAP Architects www.nrap.co.uk

10 reasons why you should hire a professional interior designer

By Hugh Jamieson, At Home principal designer

The idea that interior designers are just for the rich and famous is as out-moded as the avocado bathroom suite. So I’m sharing my thoughts on how we can save you a great deal of time, money and hassle – and give you the home you’ve always dreamed of.

Clients approach us for a number of reasons: Some don’t know where to start, or need help understanding their personal style. Others have a crystal clear dream  - and just need all the strands pulling together. Most At Home clients have one thing in common – they are simply too busy to think about it!

1. THE BOTTOM LINE: WE SAVE YOU MONEY

‘Yes, of course you would say that’ I hear you mutter. But many’s the time I’ve rescued a project that the client had started themselves. They usually got into a mess juggling all the elements, or got part way through and realised their plans didn’t work but they couldn’t put their finger on why.

2. WE STICK TO THE PLAN

We’ve seen it so many times – at the first glitch, a client’s plan has gone out of the window and suddenly costs spiral. We ensure this won’t happen. Our professional assessment will lead to a solid plan of action. This effects the budget and helps you spend it more efficiently. We are trained to see and notice things that you may not.

3. WE KEEP HOLD OF THE PURSE STRINGS

We keep you on budget and save you time and effort – that’s a promise. We source everything, researching products, brands and prices. So you don’t have to.

4. IT’S GOOD TO TALK

We are the link between you and your architect or contractor; we speak their language and can head off design misses. We marry aesthetics and practicalities, crucial in managing time and money. For example, if your living room sofa is to be placed in the middle of the room, you want to make sure you have a floor plug in exactly the right spot.

5. IT'S WHAT YOU KNOW AND WHO YOU KNOW

In short, we have access to trade accounts that you don’t. We tap into elements that are not available to the general public in terms of connections, resources and merchandise. Then we pull them all together to make your space unique.

6. WE HAVE A PRICELESS LITTLE BLACK BOOK

Finding good workmen is like searching for a coin down the back of a sofa. Then getting them all to work together, on time, without disappearing off to other jobs can lead to a full head of grey hair. We have built up a great team of skilled and reliable contractors, plumbers, electricians and carpenters, saving you time, heart-ache and many a sleepless night.

8. IF YOU'RE THINKING OF SELLING YOUR HOME...

...The first impression is the ONLY impression a potential buyer will get, so make sure it sweeps them off their feet! We can add to the aesthetic of your home, which can increase showings and clinch a sale.

9. A TRAINED EYE

We know if something is wrong or right with a space, the result of years of experience. Often homeowners try to tackle problems themselves, and get frustrated when they’ve thrown money at it, only to find it’s still wrong, just in a different way.

10. WE TELL YOUR STORY

We interpret your taste and ideas to create an interior that looks beautiful and feels right for you. We don’t impose our taste. Our skill is to enhance the space and the quality of your life, elevating your house into a home while telling your visual story. 

Please contact us to discuss your interior design project.

I have a dream...

Every great design project starts with two things: A dream, and a decision to make it happen. 

So, if you've decided to turn your dream into a beautiful, livable reality, please contact us. 

Because we do all the hard work for you...

Technology that cooks your supper

This is SO cool. We are very excited to be working with Vimar, providers of home automation technology. 

Everything in your home can be controlled remotely, wherever you are, including lighting, heating, security and it will even cook supper! (Well, not quite, but if you leave your prepared dish in the oven, you can set it to cook before you arrive home).

Contact Hugh for more details or click the link to watch the excellent video that shows you exactly what this system is capable of. http://www.vimar.co.uk/en/uk

Why Hugh is getting his kit off and becoming a Super Hero!

It's true. At Home's Principal Designer Hugh Jamieson has taken up the challenge to get his kit off - and on - four times in the space of a day! He and team mate Sue are in training for the Norfolk Super Hero Challenge, a gruelling test of stamina and fitness to raise cash for Wells Lifeboat.

The challenge requires teams to SWIM one mile, KAYAK for four miles, CYCLE for 45 miles and RUN for eight miles. As you can imagine, there are several fast-action kit changes to contend with (though sadly NOT a Superman cape) and a slick technique can save crucial seconds! Teams of two have entered, with combinations of mums and sons, dads and daughters, brothers, sisters, chums and spouses. Hugh is a member of the North Norfolk Wheelers cycling club and will be sporting the distinctive black and yellow kit during the challenge.

The challenge takes place on Saturday 6th June and the route meanders round the most beautiful parts of north Norfolk. Teams swim one mile from Gun Hill to the quay at Burnham Overy Staithe with the incoming tide,  kayak a four mile course through creeks, cycle a 45 mile circular route on north Norfolk's most scenic roads then run eight miles across tracks, sand, mud and marsh. 

Hugh and Sue hope to raise a massive £3000 for Wells Lifeboat which is manned by volunteer crews. If you would like to support them with a donation, please visit www.justgiving.com/NorfolkSuperHero112

The client doesn't have to know everything...

Sometimes you have to think round a problem: We were faced with getting a new bath into a bathroom of a house near Midsummer Common in central Cambridge. 

The new bath was much bigger than the one we took out (an old enamel roll top with feet) and would not fit through the bathroom door - it simply wasn't going to go! 

So... we ordered a fork-lift truck and lifted it directly into the bathroom through the front window. It caused quite a stir, and we are sure the neighbours enjoyed the show!


But the client did not need to know. It was not his problem, so why burden him with it?

We had the bath in and the fork lift was on its way back to Newmarket before the client arrived on site.

And that, of course, is the beauty of hiring a professional design team...

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A Norfolk garden inspired by Mies Van de Rohe's 1929 Barcelona Pavilion

By At Home Principal Designer, Hugh Jamieson

The Barcelona Pavilion by Mies Van der Rohe,
with Georg Kolbe's sculpture 'Alba'

I was looking for inspiration for a small area of garden on a project in the genteel seaside town of Sheringham in north Norfolk. We had transformed a modest bungalow into a smart, contemporary dwelling – but the garden remained untouched.

I'd recently visited The Barcelona Pavilion, designed by Ludwig Mies Van der Rohe, and fell in love with its serene simplicity, and especially the way the inside space flowed seamlessly into the outside. With the Sheringham project in mind, I could imagine large glass doors folding back onto a similarly serene but useful outdoor living area. Just add a rill of gently flowing water and fabulous night time lighting to create a gorgeous ambience.

Serene and sunny: The finished garden area on the Sheringham project.
The rill provides the gentle movement of water with stunning
night time lighting.

Mies Van de Rohe’s German Pavilion was built for the 1929 International Exposition as ‘a zone of tranquility’ for the weary visitor; the architecture itself was the exhibit. After the exposition the German government couldn’t sell it so it was torn down, not even a year after completion, the materials sold to cover costs.

This travesty was realised in the 1960s; luckily there were many original photos and the pavilion was faithfully recreated, using the same extravagant materials such as marble and travertine and Mies Van der Rohe's ideal of modernity expressed through rigorous geometry, precision and clarity, was brought into being once more. The curves of Georg Kolbe’s sculpture ‘Alba’ was the only contrast to the geometric purity of the building.

This was exactly the feel I wanted for the Sheringham project – a mix of modern and ancient materials used sparingly to create a place of serenity, blurring inside and out.

We created a walled area, providing a sheltered, sunny nook in winter, while in summer the doors could slide open to create a huge inside/outside dining area – perfect for parties and warm evenings. The neutral colours reflect year round light into the building and respect the home's coastal setting.

I have learned much from Ludwig Mies van der Rohe. Like many of his post World War I contemporaries, he strove for simplicity and order, coining the phrases "less is more" and "God is in the details,” both of which apply to this minimalist 1929 structure – and many At Home Interiors projects too.

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