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Design details
One of the house’s defining features is the double-height entrance hall and staircase, which gave Kul the chance to exercise her creativity. ‘As the upstairs landing was to change shape anyway, I said to Oliver, “Can you do me an S-shaped balustrade?”. He came up with the most elegant of curves that fades seamlessly into the wall,’ she says. ‘His plasterers were prepared to spend time working out how to achieve the smooth curves – most tradesmen are reluctant to take on anything but straight walls.’
The hall was widened by moving the wall 60cm to the left. ‘It doesn’t sound a lot but it gives you the extra cubic space,’ says Kul. There’s also a practical aspect to this widening. ‘We wanted to future-proof the place,’ Kul adds.
‘If either of us end up in wheelchairs, the hall, corridors and doorways downstairs will accommodate that, so neither of us should ever have to move out.’ Curved corners on the entrance to the lounge and dining rooms provides what Kul describes as ‘an easier walk-in’. A load-bearing wall between the lounge and sitting room was extended and now houses a double-sided fire, therefore making it a focal point. ➤