Fine House Studios
Inspiration for a medium sized bohemian open plan living room in London with yellow walls, a standard fireplace, a stone fireplace surround and black floors.

A family-friendly, sociable kitchen and dining space within a side return extension. This eclectic space married contemporary finishes with vintage furniture pieces and biophilic design. The space was flooded with natural light after extending a victorian terraced galley kitchen out to the side and installing large skylights. The added space meant the dining area was included within the kitchen creating a space that was perfect for family life.

First floor home studio with seating area and meeting table to display owners Aboriginal artwork and design practice. Long highlight window over existing pitched roof. Kina pendant light designed by David Trubridge. photo by Jane McDougall builder Bond Building Group

Open hallway with wall to wall storage and feature map wallpaper

Side extension to provide new utility room
Design ideas for a medium sized bohemian two floor brick house exterior in Surrey with a half-hip roof.

Photo of a medium sized bohemian family bathroom in London with orange tiles, a single sink and a floating vanity unit.

We designed this cosy grey family kitchen with reclaimed timber and elegant brass finishes, to work better with our clients’ style of living. We created this new space by knocking down an internal wall, to greatly improve the flow between the two rooms. Our clients came to us with the vision of creating a better functioning kitchen with more storage for their growing family. We were challenged to design a more cost-effective space after the clients received some architectural plans which they thought were unnecessary. Storage and open space were at the forefront of this design. Previously, this space was two rooms, separated by a wall. We knocked through to open up the kitchen and create a more communal family living area. Additionally, we knocked through into the area under the stairs to make room for an integrated fridge freezer. The kitchen features reclaimed iroko timber throughout. The wood is reclaimed from old school lab benches, with the graffiti sanded away to reveal the beautiful grain underneath. It’s exciting when a kitchen has a story to tell. This unique timber unites the two zones, and is seen in the worktops, homework desk and shelving. Our clients had two growing children and wanted a space for them to sit and do their homework. As a result of the lack of space in the previous room, we designed a homework bench to fit between two bespoke units. Due to lockdown, the clients children had spent most of the year in the dining room completing their school work. They lacked space and had limited storage for the children’s belongings. By creating a homework bench, we gave the family back their dining area, and the units on either side are valuable storage space. Additionally, the clients are now able to help their children with their work whilst cooking at the same time. This is a hugely important benefit of this multi-functional space. The beautiful tiled splashback is the focal point of the kitchen. The combination of the teal and vibrant yellow into the muted colour palette brightens the room and ties together all of the brass accessories. Golden tones combined with the dark timber give the kitchen a cosy ambiance, creating a relaxing family space. The end result is a beautiful new family kitchen-diner. The transformation made by knocking through has been enormous, with the reclaimed timber and elegant brass elements the stars of the kitchen. We hope that it will provide the family with a warm and homely space for many years to come.

Rory Gardiner
Photo of a small eclectic open plan living room in Melbourne with red walls, bamboo flooring and a built-in media unit.

Grade II listed building renovation and extension in Notting Hill. EMR successfully managed to get planning for a basement under the front pavement and make alteration to this Grade II listed building. The client wanted to create 2 bedrooms with maximum storage space in the top floor which was a real challenge that we achieved. We also dealt with the Council, the Heritage statements, the arboricultural specialists, the Party wall, structural etc. The house was featured in the July edition of Living etc. https://www.livingetc.com/features/pastel-power

The brief for this project was to marry the traditional old Cotswold house with the modern extension. We used fabrics to translate this concept, through the use of bold colours and modern patterns, in order to unite the old with the new. Each room brings together new colours and patterns to evoke a new mood and story throughout the house.

The brief for this project was to marry the traditional old Cotswold house with the modern extension. We used fabrics to translate this concept, through the use of bold colours and modern patterns, in order to unite the old with the new. Each room brings together new colours and patterns to evoke a new mood and story throughout the house.