Tales of The unexpected
Behind a traditional façade, Kate Bedbrook’s home has been remodelled into a gleaming contemporary space that inspires at every turn
Every now and then, a visitor who is not familiar with Kate Bedbrook’s interiors style has the pleasure of stepping through her front door. ‘The most common reaction is, “Wow”,’ she says. Replacing the previous muddle of small cottage rooms, the ground floor is now almost entirely open-plan. ‘I love the feeling of space, light and being linked with the garden beyond,’ explains Kate, a retired teacher and school counsellor.
The kitchen-diner, which is where Kate spends most of her time, is nominally divided from the front sitting room by a piece of bespoke cabinetry with central doors that can be closed for privacy, if necessary.
colour craft
Off the sitting room is a more intimate study, one of several spaces that feel distinct, thanks to the use of warm blocks of colour. A deep green wraps around the study, while a wash of brass coats the back wall of cabinetry in the kitchen. The adjoining utility room is cast in a hazy rust-red and the grid of bathroom tiles is a gentle shade of pink set against strong black.
This colour-blocked palette, along with the property’s creative, contemporary design, was the work of Kate’s architect, Ashvin de Vos of Variant Office. ‘Ash encouraged me to step outside of my comfort zone with colour as, by nature, I’m a plain white walls kind of person – and I love the results,’ she reflects. Part of the reason why the colours work well in Kate’s largely open-plan home is because the shades are muted, softened versions: ‘They all have quite an earthy, natural feel.’
new beginnings
When Kate first saw this house, it had been a part-time London base for its previous owners, so had ‘an unlived in and slightly unloved air about it’, she says. It was a warren of small rooms, with a single-storey side extension.
Renovating this home involved gutting it and starting afresh. Adding a glazed extension
to the back of the house meant Kate lost a slice of garden but gained a wonderful light, airy and creative space. She already liked the idea of expansive glazing to help unite the inside and outside as much as possible so she was excited about the architect’s solution to install a very large pivoting door, set within floor-to-ceiling glazing. ‘It really does manage to merge the two areas,’ she says.
A further element that makes the design stand out is the brick lattice which partially encases the back cube of glazing. Rather like a mid-century-style screen, it adds a strong sculptural element while giving Kate privacy from neighbouring houses, so it’s little surprise that the brickwork design was shortlisted in the Brick Awards refurbishment category.
on the surface
Elsewhere in the house, Kate liked the idea of using Dalsouple rubber flooring, which is laid in the study and on the first floor. ‘It’s very versatile and has a seamless warmth underfoot,’ she says. It comes in a range of colours – rather like the material Valchromat, made from high-density wood fibre, which they have used on the kitchen’s island in a jet black shade to contrast with the matt sheen of the brass kitchen. ‘The idea to clad the kitchen cabinetry in brass started with the suggestion of using a brass trim on the units – and simply grew into something far richer,’ explains Kate.
The most personal element that has made a big impact on Kate’s home is her display of art and photography. ‘I’m not one for pretty-pretty landscapes – I prefer art that sparks an opinion or images that people can read in different ways,’ she says. And surrounded by interesting textures, earthy colours and a space that takes a cottage conversion to another level, Kate’s art choices look right at home.