A mixed bag for you this week. A bit like the weather really. I have gone from putting the heating on and putting my sandals in boxes to getting them all out again and wondering if I can get away with a pair of shorts.
So to start with we are off to Dorking, to this very modern house, which seems like another contrast to me but perhaps that’s because my Great Grandmother lived in Dorking and I find it hard to think of it as a place where young and contemporary things are happening. My apologies if you are reading this from Dorking, while stroking your hipster beard and eating cereal, it’s an association rather than a considered opinion.
Anyway, the house, yes the house. If you need to know it’s £2,000,000 via Strutt & Parker but I decided a while ago that the prices were irrelevant. It’s more about the ideas that we can pinch for our own homes, or the inspiration to be gained from having a good old nose around other people’s places.
So let’s start with this kitchen, which is a really good way to stick a practical kitchen in a large space. And, incidentally, a pretty good design for a small kitchen as everything is to hand. I have a friend who extended her kitchen and ended up putting units all along one wall with a massive island in front of it. She later complained that she spent all her time walking from one end to the other as everything was so far apart. So this, on balance, is a good idea as it looks spacious but everything is within reach and there’s masses of worktop too.
If you want to know more, I wrote about how to plan the perfect kitchen here which might help if you are redoing yours. My own kitchen, which is in a large room, is also quite compact in terms of the actual cooking, washing, refrigerating part with the things I don’t use as much on the outside of the cupboards, as they probably are above.
Back to this house, which has six bedrooms, five receptions, four bathrooms, a gym and a lake. Did I mention the cinema? At least you know what you’re getting for all this money. I rather love those blue sofas, perhaps not with the blue walls, although I would probably end up spending more time in this room below with that amazing wall of glass out onto the deck. This is clearly my dream house with a winter sitting room and a summer one. In which case I would make the blue one much darker by painting the walls in indigo.
Moving on, but sticking with blue – it’s been a theme this week; did you see the post about the new collection of blue paints coming from Little Greene in a couple weeks? The Cube House, in London (between Kings Cross and Angel) is on the market with The Modern House for £2,650,000 and while I’m pretty sure most of us don’t have enough room to erect a giant cube in the middle of the house it actually wraps round the staircase.
But what a fabulous idea to paint the stairs in a really strong colour. You can do that in any house. A good match for this would be the new Dock Blue from Little Greene. See the link above.
Staircases are often woefully ignored in our homes, but they’re the backbone of the house and, for most of us, the first thing you see when you come in. Make a statement with yours. After all, you’re only passing through going from up to down, or vice versa, so you can afford to be bold as you aren’t there for that long so there’s less chance to get bored with the colour.
It also means that the rest of the decor can be quite plain/monochrome, which is also easier to live with than lots of bright colours. Well it is for me anyway. I like the colour to come from pictures and books and the odd cushion all layering over a neutral background.
This is a detached four bedroom house with two bedrooms on the lower ground and two on the first, which won’t suit everyone but has made the best use of the space.
The garden is narrow but wraps around three sides of the property. There is another terrace for the lower ground floor bedrooms too.
I particularly like how the cube around the staircase also doubles up as bookshelves for the study area. In these shots it looks a bit more like the new Ultra blue, which is a very intense but gorgeous colour.
I have just made my first foray into blue decor with the new bathroom in the loft conversion, which is painted Hague Blue by Farrow & Ball, and a navy blue sofa bed. Then I bought my first pair of blue shoes, so I can see that this may be something that may expand. You know what they say: if you’re happy wearing it you’ll be happy with it on the walls. So if you’re stuck for colour inspiration always look to your wardrobe first.
And finally, this speaks to my delusions of grandeur. It’s a Grade II listed house in Cumbria and is on for £1,500,000 with Jackson Stops & Staff. The oldest part of the building dates from Tudor times and it has been continually occupied for the last 500 years.
It still has many original features, including a christening cupboard – no I don’t know either. I have googled it and can’t find any references. Is it somewhere to keep the baby until after it’s been baptised? Do you need a whole cupboard just for the presents? For the outfits to wear to the ceremony? Any historians reading this do tell….There are also several 17th century spice cupboards too.
These walls appear to be a very on trend shade of blush pink, which looks fantastic with the dark wood and it’s a wonderfully large kitchen. Just look at the width of that door.
And then lastly, because this turned into houses with a blue theme, look at this room below. Again it’s quite a confident shade, shall we say, but it might be food for thought for anyone who’s thinking of moving away from pale colours to something more dramatic.
And that’s all folks. Who’s moving where this week? My fantasy lottery win is taking me to Cumbria for weekends and London Monday to Friday, what about you?
We particularly love the use of blue as an accent!