CHELSEA SET
Designer Sean Cochrane transforms a Chelsea townhouse into his dream home設計師Sean Cochrane把一間位於切爾西的市區住所打造成專屬的夢想家園
When house-hunting, there’s a moment you realise you’ve found the neighbourhood you want to call home. Sean Cochrane, the CEO and creative director of Cochrane Design, was so enthralled with the Chelsea location of his own home that he decided to redesign it from the bottom up, more than doubling its size and completely transforming the layout. “The location was perfect – just off the King’s Road, near a coffee shop,” he says. “We did everything from scratch. It’s one of the biggest, most complicated structures I’ve done.”
The townhouse was extended over three storeys to the side and rear, and a basement larger than the first level was added. “We kept the front wall and the roof, but we took every other wall out,” explains Sean. To make room for the basement, the existing foundations were demolished, along with most of the internal elements of the structure, from the staircases to the partitions. “Before, the home was like a series of boxes – lots of tiny, cut-up rooms,” he says. “I love having an open-plan layout, so I created a double-height expanse that joins the living areas together to get that feeling of space.”
The need for so much volume can be explained by Sean’s family of five, including three teenagers. “You want your areas to be close
尋找新居過程中，你總有一刻覺得自己終於找到最合適選擇，並想以此為家。Cochrane Design的行政總裁兼創意總監Sean Cochrane就在切爾西找到一個能把他深深吸引住的居所，並決定要進行一個翻天覆地的大改造，擴大住所原有面積一倍、徹底改變原來布局。「居所位置極佳，鄰近King’s Road，就在一間咖啡廳旁。」他回憶說：「我們從繪製草圖步驟做起，這是我處理過無數工程中最大型和複雜的結構之一。」
這個城內住宅共有3層，並加建了一個比一樓更大的地牢。「我們保留了正門的牆和屋頂，然後把其餘牆壁都拆掉了。」Sean說。為了加建地牢，原有地基和大部分室內結構也必須拆去，包括樓梯和分隔牆。「房子昔日就像一個個相連包廂，建滿多間細小房間。」他表示：「我喜愛開揚布局，所以打造出兩層高樓底，把各個生活空間聯繫起來，營造空間感。」
enough together – but not too close,” he says. A double-height garden room – dubbed the Coach House – was also added, accessible from the main house through a tunnel that runs under the length of the garden. Aside from providing a wealth of space, the new layout’s vaulted, symmetrical ceilings really open up the home and allow for plenty of natural light thanks to the floor-to-ceiling windows.
The luxurious style of Cochrane Design is evident throughout the space, but Sean also infused some of his own personality into it, too. “I like things slightly darker, while a lot of people tend to go
為什麼居所需要這麼大的空間？因為Sean和妻子育有3名正處於青少年階段的孩子。「你會想要一個可跟家人保持親密，但互相又不會太貼近的生活空間。」他說。設計師亦為住所加設了一間樓高兩層、名為Coach House的花園小屋，可從主屋沿著花園地底的隧道到達。居所除了空間寬敞，新建的拱形天花亦成功製造更開揚格調，落地大窗又能引進大量日光，使空間明亮溫暖。
very light,” he says. “Everything in the home piques the senses, too, from the fabrics to the lighting.” Each item was custom-made for the abode by the design studio, including the cabinetry and the staircases. While the aesthetic of the space is timeless and classic, it has been adapted for modern living thanks to a home-automation system by Crestron that allows the family to control the LED lighting, curtains and air conditioning with a simple swipe on their smartphone screens.
Walk through the home and you’ll find that everything has been carefully considered, right down to the last detail, but the most attention has clearly been paid to the bespoke kitchen, which is Sean’s favourite space in the home. Macassar bark and marble worktops combine with high-tech appliances and fixtures by the likes of Sub-Zero and Wolf for a kitchen that oozes sophistication, all the while providing everything a home cook needs to whip up a stunning dinner party. The layout of
家中到處都可找到Cochrane Design招牌的豪華風格，Sean也同時注入很多獨特的個人設計。「很多人喜歡光亮格調，我則偏愛較暗沉的空間。」他說：「由布藝到燈光，家中所有東西也能刺激感官。」不少精心製作的家品均由Crestron工作室創作，包括櫃子和樓梯。居所以永恆經典風為主，設計師亦設置了家居自動系統，讓家人們輕鬆撥動手機屏幕便能操控LED燈、窗簾和冷氣機，締造現代生活體驗。
環顧四周，不難發現家中每項細節也是貼心周到的安排，而當中最引人注目的要算是Sean至愛的廚房。Macassar Bark和大理石台面配合來自Sub-Zero和Wolf等品牌的高科技電器及設備，既
the kitchen not only allows for the entire family to move in and out with ease, but also makes the space an ideal location for entertaining and chatting with guests.
Indeed, the ingenuity of the home lies in how thoroughly each element has been infused with the family’s personality – from the art deco chandeliers to the carefully selected accessories, each piece reminds you that you’re in the realm of the Cochranes. //
富時尚精緻的格調，又能協助屋主們炮製大餐，與親友歡度快樂時光。廚房的布局寬敞，讓設計師一家能悠閒地進出，同時也是招呼來訪客人享用美食和閒聊的好地方。
這個漂亮家園的精彩之處在於所有元素也加入了家庭成員的個性，由帶有裝飾藝術風格的吊燈，到精挑細選的配件，每件家品也在提醒你——這裡是Sean一家的安樂窩。//