The Spinney

Our client approached Kimble Roden to re-imagine an under used loft space above the garage of their main house and to create a self-contained apartment for their son and fiancé. The space had previously been used as a cinema room, was outdated in terms of décor and had essentially become a storage room.

Within the space we needed to provide a sleeping area, kitchen, dining space, living space, bathroom and dressing area as well as access to an external balcony – everything required for the young couple to work, live and entertain.

We met the brief for the project by creating a compact yet beautiful dwelling for the end users.

We needed to maximise the functionality of the available space whilst creating a beautiful annex to the main residence. The available space for the annex was defined by the existing floor plan of the roof space, which meant we had to be clever in maximizing the available space whilst acknowledging the height constraints of the vaulted ceiling.

To achieve this, we moved the entrance door into the apartment onto the centre line of the ceiling apex to create maximum impact in terms of height and long views as you enter the space. This meant that a central circulation zone was established, allowing the outer spaces towards the eaves to be used for the functional spaces.

The rhythm of the walnut screens on entering the space create a strong dynamic that accentuates the central height of the room whilst serving as the partitions to the most private zones - the bathroom and dressing room.

As you move into the space, another screen - this time in walnut and a metallic bronze finish, creates a backdrop for the TV on one side and bed on the other. The space then opens out into the kitchen and dining space with access via glazed doors onto the balcony.

The focus for us when designing was to ensure we made the most of the natural light sources for the main living areas by opening up the end gable with full height glazing and making the existing windows bigger in the living and bedroom space. We also introduced a long rooflight over the kitchen area to make sure that this area was well provided for with daylight. The use of artificial lighting and floor finishes was also critical to defining the spaces.

The palette is a muted selection of cool walnut, concrete effect tiles and mole brown cabinets with highlights of antique bronze and mirror – a neutral backdrop to allow the client’s artwork and personal belongings to take centre stage.

The client is delighted with the project:-

‘We are obsessed with our new space – thank you so much!’

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