This transitional kitchen designed by Normandy Designer Stephanie Bryant has some of the clean lines of contemporary styles, and is blended with accents of traditional styles, such as mouldings and corbels. The chunky countertop on the island offsets some of the finer details and helps land this kitchen in the transitional style. To see more work from Stephanie or for more information on the talented designer, click the following link: http://www.normandyremodeling.com/designers/stephanie-bryant/

Mid-sized urban red one-story metal exterior home photo in Atlanta

B E D R O O M After finalising the living room and dining areas, we moved onto the master bedroom. My client was clear on the type of colour palette and atmosphere we should achieve in this room, so my main goal throughout the design process was to keep this top of mind and focus. The other very important need in this room was storage. There had to be enough storage space in the room to ensure clutter was kept to minimum, if any at all. I also believe that a decluttered home helps to keep a decluttered mind, and the bedroom should be a place to fully relax and have the stresses of the day disappear. And, don’t forget those lazy weekend mornings when you decide the day can wait and you sip coffee in bed whilst reading, watching TV, or browsing on your laptop. We thought about space everywhere. Thinking about things like “where will seasonal clothes be kept?”, “where do I store extra duvets, pillows and linen?”, and simply “where are my everyday clothes going to be and will they be easy to keep tidy?” are really important questions to consider to make the most out of your bedroom, particularly in smaller spaces. First of all, thinking about the clothes being used every day, we needed smart, space saving solutions when it came to the wardrobe. I’ve divided it into sections of hanging and folded clothes, and anything not used every day was put right on the top of the wardrobe as everyday access is not needed. To separate things and keep your wardrobe tidy, drawer and shelf-dividers and boxes are the best! Lastly, we decided to “hide” the seasonal clothes under the bed. So, we have chosen the bed with enough storage for all of those things. It’s always better to utilise this space rather than letting it gather dust. Because our room had an existing carpet and wardrobe, we really wanted to have a statement piece of furniture in here to once again create that luxury look and feel in the room. So, following some lengthy research, we chose this amazing chest of draws which is like a piece of art itself. Also, we couldn't resist the matching bedside table. Functional lighting is extremely important in a bedroom. Without it you’re left with two choices when the sun sets - light on or light off. What if you want to read a book, but don’t want the glare of a main light? If you’re in a relationship and you need to be up early the next morning, how does your partner get ready for bed without shining a thousand-watt LED bulb in your eyes, or waking you up with the noise of trying to find their PJ’s in the dark? I always say, and I’m confident the majority of interior designers would agree, that to create good and balanced lighting in the house you should be using three “types” of lighting: general, mood, and functional. In this room our functional light is in the form of a reading lamp next to the bedside. I’ve also chosen some mood lighting for the chest of drawers, standing against the opposite wall of the bed. So, if the client ever wants some low-mood light then this is exactly what he will be using. Also, if you are using a reading light, but want to keep the balance in the room, you can turn on your mood light on the other side of the room to create a cosy, low light atmosphere. Justin wants to take a LAGOM (a Swedish term for “just the right amount”) approach to living in his home, so many of our minimalist decisions were made based on this. To achieve better Justin already had a mattress that perfectly suits his sleeping positions. To support that we had to choose bed linen which is 100% cotton so your body can breathe and transfer moisture away from the skin, also it is preventing moisture from building up between your skin and sheets. And then to make everything work in harmony, my favourite part of any room, we chose some soft and fitting textiles which would allow Justin to easily match to the season and the type of feeling he wanted to convey. The curtains are black out, which will help Justin to achieve a good quality sleep as, due to his work pattern, he often has to sleep during the day. We have also considered for the future some of these amazing electric black out blinds - you can either have them wake you up more naturally by letting in light slowly, or simply open them up when you're ready by remote control. Perfect! I finalised the interior with some accessories and feature pieces. As I said before I didn't want to clutter the room so, with this in mind, I opted for some very simple but outstanding accessories made from marble to create this beautiful luxury-feeling space. Lastly, by adding some wall art which introduces a vibrant and exciting blue into the room, the colour theme is continued around the home.

This previously neglected Grade II listed Georgian semi-detached cottage on the end of an eclectic terrace in a Sussex market town has been transformed to create a stunning long term home. The house had been extensively extended in the early 20th Century creating a hotchpotch of additions to the rear, and a warren of small rooms internally. After lengthy but successful planning negotiations, mindful of the listed nature of the property, and considerations of the conservation area, we gained permission to demolish the rear of the property – to the rear wall of the original Georgian Cottage – and add a contemporary ‘pavilion’ extension at the rear. Developed with the original proportions of the existing cottage in mind the new addition is a scaled down modern re-imagining of the original cottage, offset from the original house and only connected to the existing fabric by a wraparound glass link structure. Internally the well-proportioned rooms of the cottage remain as sitting rooms, and guest bedrooms, but the new focus of the house becomes the extension. On the ground floor the open plan kitchen and dining room look out across the garden to a garden room beyond, and the sitting room within the glass link offers views of the castle. The first floor houses a generous master suite, accessed by a feature timber stair which bridges the void within the glass link to access the guest suites within the cottage through an existing uncovered window opening. The three elements of the project are intentionally materially different. The cottage retains its original materials with new elements clearly distinguishable from the original – brick sizes and bonds differ on the old rear elevation with the joint between the two clearly visible. The new pavilion is a mix of clean white render and locally sourced sweet chestnut cladding. Within the glass link the external materials are exposed so new can be clearly distinguished from the old. Successfully combining the heritage of the listed building with the ultra-sleek contemporary lines of the new build extension is key to the interior design of this project. Striking feature wall papers, bespoke wood veneer joinery with antique brass handles, and bold colours reflect the personality of the clients and their family in the cottage. Whilst the focus in the new build is on the architectural lines and materials which are at the forefront of the design. A minimal aesthetic was introduced alongside a clever lighting scheme to pick out key features of the design. The rear garden, designed to compliment the architectural design, was by esteemed garden designer Lucy Cotes of BG Design Studio.

B E D R O O M After finalising the living room and dining areas, we moved onto the master bedroom. My client was clear on the type of colour palette and atmosphere we should achieve in this room, so my main goal throughout the design process was to keep this top of mind and focus. The other very important need in this room was storage. There had to be enough storage space in the room to ensure clutter was kept to minimum, if any at all. I also believe that a decluttered home helps to keep a decluttered mind, and the bedroom should be a place to fully relax and have the stresses of the day disappear. And, don’t forget those lazy weekend mornings when you decide the day can wait and you sip coffee in bed whilst reading, watching TV, or browsing on your laptop. We thought about space everywhere. Thinking about things like “where will seasonal clothes be kept?”, “where do I store extra duvets, pillows and linen?”, and simply “where are my everyday clothes going to be and will they be easy to keep tidy?” are really important questions to consider to make the most out of your bedroom, particularly in smaller spaces. First of all, thinking about the clothes being used every day, we needed smart, space saving solutions when it came to the wardrobe. I’ve divided it into sections of hanging and folded clothes, and anything not used every day was put right on the top of the wardrobe as everyday access is not needed. To separate things and keep your wardrobe tidy, drawer and shelf-dividers and boxes are the best! Lastly, we decided to “hide” the seasonal clothes under the bed. So, we have chosen the bed with enough storage for all of those things. It’s always better to utilise this space rather than letting it gather dust. Because our room had an existing carpet and wardrobe, we really wanted to have a statement piece of furniture in here to once again create that luxury look and feel in the room. So, following some lengthy research, we chose this amazing chest of draws which is like a piece of art itself. Also, we couldn't resist the matching bedside table. Functional lighting is extremely important in a bedroom. Without it you’re left with two choices when the sun sets - light on or light off. What if you want to read a book, but don’t want the glare of a main light? If you’re in a relationship and you need to be up early the next morning, how does your partner get ready for bed without shining a thousand-watt LED bulb in your eyes, or waking you up with the noise of trying to find their PJ’s in the dark? I always say, and I’m confident the majority of interior designers would agree, that to create good and balanced lighting in the house you should be using three “types” of lighting: general, mood, and functional. In this room our functional light is in the form of a reading lamp next to the bedside. I’ve also chosen some mood lighting for the chest of drawers, standing against the opposite wall of the bed. So, if the client ever wants some low-mood light then this is exactly what he will be using. Also, if you are using a reading light, but want to keep the balance in the room, you can turn on your mood light on the other side of the room to create a cosy, low light atmosphere. Justin wants to take a LAGOM (a Swedish term for “just the right amount”) approach to living in his home, so many of our minimalist decisions were made based on this. To achieve better Justin already had a mattress that perfectly suits his sleeping positions. To support that we had to choose bed linen which is 100% cotton so your body can breathe and transfer moisture away from the skin, also it is preventing moisture from building up between your skin and sheets. And then to make everything work in harmony, my favourite part of any room, we chose some soft and fitting textiles which would allow Justin to easily match to the season and the type of feeling he wanted to convey. The curtains are black out, which will help Justin to achieve a good quality sleep as, due to his work pattern, he often has to sleep during the day. We have also considered for the future some of these amazing electric black out blinds - you can either have them wake you up more naturally by letting in light slowly, or simply open them up when you're ready by remote control. Perfect! I finalised the interior with some accessories and feature pieces. As I said before I didn't want to clutter the room so, with this in mind, I opted for some very simple but outstanding accessories made from marble to create this beautiful luxury-feeling space. Lastly, by adding some wall art which introduces a vibrant and exciting blue into the room, the colour theme is continued around the home.

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Street view to black vertical timber screened entry gate | Photo: Nic Granleese
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