The Hallway First Impression: Enhancements That Transform Your Entrance
I’ve never understood why hallways get such short shrift in British homes. We’ll spend thousands on kitchen islands we rarely use and bathroom fixtures that wouldn’t look out of place in a boutique hotel, but the space that literally introduces your home to the world? That gets treated like some sort of architectural afterthought—a necessary […]
Maximizing Awkward Loft Spaces: Storage and Function Under Eaves
I’ve got a confession to make. For an embarrassingly long time, my professional advice about awkward loft spaces with sloping ceilings was essentially: “Put a bed under the lowest part and hope for the best.” Not exactly the insightful architectural wisdom you’d expect, was it? In my defense, the architecture course at Edinburgh covered deconstructivism […]
Creating Proper Dining Areas in Open Plan Spaces: Definition Without Division
The first open plan renovation I ever tackled was a complete disaster. This was back in 2011, when knocking through seemed the answer to every property’s problems. The clients—lovely couple from Didsbury with two young children—had just purchased a classic 1930s semi and were dead set on “creating flow” and “maximising light.” Their Pinterest board […]
Bedroom Lighting Layers: Creating a Space for Both Function and Relaxation
The worst bedroom lighting I’ve ever experienced was in my first London flat share. The landlord’s idea of adequate illumination was a single overhead bulb so harsh it made autopsy tables look cozy. My girlfriend at the time (now my long-suffering wife Charlotte) refused to stay over, claiming the lighting made her feel like she […]
Making British Gardens Truly Usable Beyond Three Days in August
The great British paradox: we spend all winter dreaming of long summer evenings in the garden, then when summer finally arrives, we discover it rains just as frequently but at slightly higher temperatures. I can’t count the number of meticulously planned garden parties I’ve attended where guests huddle under hastily erected gazebos or crowd into […]
Banishing the Interrogation Room Effect with Thoughtful Kitchen Lighting
When Charlotte and I began planning our kitchen renovation four years ago, I came home one evening to find her sitting at our dining table surrounded by interior magazines, meticulously cutting out pictures of kitchens she liked. As I flicked through her selections, something struck me—none of them featured the ubiquitous grid of recessed spotlights […]