Project in focus: Hendham
In a leafy suburb of south-west London, behind the facade of a pretty victorian terraced house, lies this remarkable urban paradise.
With Nostradamusesque foresight, our client and his wife spent the first few months of lockdown imagining what a summer staycation of dreams might look like. And didn’t they just nail it!
Bringing together some of London’s most coveted glazing specialists, garden designers, landscapers, and of course kitchen and joinery designers, this client was able to create a space within their home that meant they never wanted to leave!
Industrial style Crittall doors by glazing experts Bespoke Glazing Design provides a strong design backdrop as well as the all-important gateway to the garden.
As Ibiza aficionados with an earlier career promoting nightclubs, it’s clear that years of entertaining on the white isle and throughout the glamorous party hotspots of Europe have had a significant impact on the clients’ vision for the space.
From the relaxed seating area to the outdoor kitchen and dining area, through to the kids play cabin, this garden screams, come and have fun!
The showstopper within the garden is undoubtedly the outdoor kitchen.
The kitchen units are made from sustainably sourced Iroko timber. This African hardwood is a fantastic alternative to teak, particularly for outdoor furniture, as its naturally high oil content makes it incredibly stable and unlikely to crack as temperatures change. And unlike teak and oak, which tend to bleach and turn silver over time, Iroko starts as the soft yellows you see in these images and darkens to a deep, rich, coppery tone.
Fully kitted out with not just one, but two barbeques, these clients wanted the ability to cook for large groups and also ensure they had all the necessary toys to create restaurant standard fare.
Burgers, sausages and delicate fish work fantastically well on the Napoleon integrated gas BBQ. However, for a show-stopping reverse slow-cooked Cote du Boeuf, or a pulled pork or lamb shoulder extravaganza, the the ceramic Egg BBQ is the hero.
We chose to use large format Xtone porcelain tiles for the work surface of the kitchen. Xtone is a fabulous low maintenance and highly functional alternative to concrete or renders.
This large-format porcelain tile will maintain it’s colour over time and is both frost and heat resistant. An added benefit being that it is incredibly hygienic so can be used as a food prep surface. Perfect for this family who loves to make their own pizzas in the Ooni wood-fired pizza oven. Bellissima!
As parents relax over long lazy lunches, it is important to make sure that the children are equally well catered for.
What better place for them to hang out than this play cabin, complete with under-seat toy storage and blackout blinds for movie nights. Built less than 30cm from the ground to avoid the need for planning permission, we made sure to future-proof the cabin with all the technology these gamers of the future may require when they hit their teens.
So next time your mind wanders to the delights of summers spent abroad, take a moment to consider what adventures your own back garden could offer should you choose to invest in a staycation instead. Our eyes have certainly been opened!
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