The clients were downsizing from a large Victorian house and wanted a space that was practical for them to live in and gave them high quality storage for their book collection and possessions. The house had already lost most of it’s original features, so the challenge was to create a sense of character and warmth on a blank canvas.

The storage wall is the largest and most prominent feature, visually linking the living area at the front of the house with the kitchen at the rear. It includes a mixture of open, fixed and adjustable shelving for maximum flexibility. At the kitchen end, the shelves are an open screen; a nod to the original Span House aesthetic. In the middle, there is a door to the utility room. It is fully integrated into the cabinetry and is finished in the same oak veneer as the shelves, so they all read as one.

In the kitchen, the client wanted the hob and sink discreetly tucked out of view from the dining table. The wall units wrap around the corners and ceiling beam, making a virtue out of what could have been an awkward corner and it’s compact size makes it easy to work in. Over the sink, a strip of mirror at high level helps bounce natural light back into the room and increases the sense of space.

Uncommon Projects last major task was to design and make the study. They did it with a bespoke storage wall and window seat around a new window. The open slatted base discretely conceals a radiator. A sliding door leads into the study and retracts neatly into the pocket formed by the bookcase outside.