sourcing artwork

A recent commission to source original artwork for a client's Islington penthouse apartment.

Our client is a keen collector of Modern British artwork, and we have already worked together to find some really interesting pieces for another property, with a particular emphasis of female artists such as Elisabeth Blackadder and Sandra Blow, but this time they wanted to look for something more contemporary for this modern apartment.

The beautiful series of woodcuts 'Nachtfahrt' (or literally translated, Night Drive) by German artist Christiane Baumgartner immediately stood out for their beauty, originality and haunting narrative quality.

About the artist: Her chosen format is monumental monochrome woodcuts taken from her own video stills. She combines the earliest and the latest processes of visual reproduction: woodcut and video.

Speed and the passage of time are recurring themes throughout her work.The notion of time is also embodied in her artistic process, which involves the lengthy and painstaking medium of handmade woodcut, with all its inaccuracies and mistakes. Transforming the fleeting video stills into these confusingly complicated and delicately flickering woodcuts can take up to a year, and the results embody both this sense of the chance moment, and the solidity of crafted exactitude.

Whist the series works beautifully hung as a block (see above images from the artists website), we chose to hang them in a linear fashion around the room, which works to capture the video still nature, with the story being told sequentially, and the works travel towards and under a bridge for example revealing itself as you move around the space. The environment of the apartment itself, its linear architecture, and the light and views over the cityscape serve to highlight, converse with and contrast with the work.

More about Christiane Baumgartner from Alan Cristea gallery: "Christiane Baumgartner was born in 1967 in Leipzig, Germany, and studied there at the Hochschule fur Grafik und Buchkunst before completing her Masters in Printmaking at the Royal College of Art in London in 1999. She now lives and works in Leipzig.

Baumgartner is best known for the monumental woodcuts based on her own films and video stills. She first came to public attention in the UK in EAST international in 2004 and a year later with a major solo exhibition at the Ikon Gallery in Birmingham. She was included in the groundbreaking exhibition at MoMA, NY, called Eye on Europe and her work is held in over 30 public collections around the world including the Albertina, Vienna; the Museum of Modern Art, New York; the Bibliothèque Nationale de France, Paris and the Staatliche Museen zu Berlin."

Other links:

Click here for a video of the artist talking about her work courtesy of the Alan Cristea Gallery, showing footage of her stunning exhibition Reel Time there. Also this review "Artist of the Week" from The Guardian newspaper.

An in depth review of her work by Paul Coldwell from "Art in Print" with great images.

a north oxford house

Drawing room and dining room >

In this drawing room (a proper, first floor affair) light and the huge windows are all. We wanted to create a design that played with formal traditional drawing room style, and messed about with it, adding colour and fun. A huge element of the room is the floor to ceiling shelving structure, which is constructed from ash with an ebonised hardwood that delineates and configures the structure. This was designed to house various elements including books, objects, TV and media and a stereo with space for cd's. This was a one-off item which we created for the client. It holds your attention and commands the space that it lies in. There is an almost art deco feel to it, with the dark and light woods and polished finish.

detail of shelving

The sofas were sourced from Fran at Liscious Interiors, and re-upholstered in striking fabrics in soft brushes cotton. The colours reflected the dining space but lifted and lightened. The Chesterfield grey sofa has a purple running through it and we applied very bright violet buttons to the piece and dressed with lime accents. The lime - or chartreuse - Chesterfield was very simply dressed and as such we reversed the colour works and had predominantly purple striped cushions in a deep velvet. 

A small day bed wrapped in a defined purple inhabits a space close to the book shelves and near to the distinctive sash windows.

A  balance between privacy and letting the light through was achieved by way of full length linen curtains with a silk floral motif running through, and a sheer roman blind that drops down (colourfully) to frost out the background, again in natural linen but with colourful stripes.

We strongly felt that this huge space did not need a central ceiling light, but to light the space with soft accent lighting at lower level would create better intimacy and harmony in an evening. The Alega glass table lamps (designed by Vico Magistretti in 1970) sits on Platner side tables, each a stainless steel spoke framework with a glass top created by Warren Platner for Knoll in the 1960's. 

Platner side table with Alega lamp

The beautiful carrera marble fireplace is a focal point, its gas fire supplementing the classicv column radiators (in anthracite) we put in, and the alcoves either side are wallpapered with a fantastic Jocelyn Warner design. Period chairs were limed and re-upholstered in a funky silk, and an Elizabeth Blackadder piece catches the eye above the fire.

Dining Space >

glass table reflecting the window

Previous to its present incarnation, this was a jumbled space, cold and dark and possibly with mixed use. In its present form we decided to change shape a little. Keeping the 'hand made element' we made something a little more formal i.e  an evening dining space for guests.

Our client wanted a dark, intimate and rich palette, but with linking colour from the drawing room next door. Assisted by our client the colour we chose was a plum colour, in a proper flat matte, not cold. It sits more in the red spectrum. This gives it a deep lushness that with the addition of evening candle light, brings in a grandiose quality.

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Of the candelabra; it is hand crafted by French makers Benoit Vieubled and acquired through Cameron Peters Fine Lighting. Its artisan qualities shine out. Made from brass and copper and french glass yoghurt jars and crystals. It was further modified by myself with deft assistance by the owner, converting it from electrical to hold candles. Furthermore, it hangs by sash cord which is fixed via a pulley system and tied off near the dumb waiter. This allows the piece to be raised and lowered when necessary. Secondary lighting is via the picture lights overhanging the inherited pieces of our client.

On first entering the room from the hallway it becomes obvious that the dumb waiter is no longer functioning. Due to modifications in the past it had become a non viable restoration project. This left us with the awkward shape in the corner! As the owner wished to house some of his wine collection we decided that the best purpose of the woodwork was to turn it into a wine rack. I think this works especially well and looks rather neat and perfect as well as being architectural and fun.

wine storage

The carrera marble fireplace needed extensive cleaning to the marble to bring it up to a gleam. The hearth was simply of limed concrete and as such was painted black. A writing bureau, hand painted by Maitre Allegre now sits in the alcove closest to the window.

A collage of mirrors that we collected from a host of places hang in a pattern above the fireplace.

detail of candelabra with mirrors behind

Under foot, the carpet is a fine boucle in a light grey that adds a level of luxury to the rooms. It runs through the dining and lounge space and spills on through the hallway and staircase.

Below is a picture of the hallway with the dining space chimney wall framed in the antique mirror.

a really luxurious bathroom - victorian house

The owners had recently moved into the house and required it to be modernised throughout. 


Many of our customers enjoy the need for the works to be staged, rather than to be carried out all at once. This affords them the ability to assess the scheme and its direction without being bombarded with a great many decisions all at once.  


The starting point of this particular project 2004,was to be one of the main bathrooms and culminated in the overhaul of the 25m garden area, completed in 2010 on the back of a special extension.


1st stage: master bathroom.


palette: > thin strip oak, lemon marble tiles, mirror, flint grey.

This is a great space for relaxing, that's set in the heart of the top floor, between 2 bedrooms. The room doesn't have a window, however it makes up for the lack of natural light by using light and reflection.  There is a spectacular floor to ceiling marble wall with an alcove inset that is lined with the narrow strip oak. This is also lit from above with 2 dedicated dimmable spot lights. The bath is freestanding and is painted on the outside in a light green grey, and the whole thing is sat on two oak cradles. The colours are all complimented by the colours in the natural stone. The lemon marble tiles fitted tightly to each other and the appearance was more monumental rather than 'tiled'. The colour on the walls and the ceiling were painted in a satinwood finish and allowed light to reflect off it for further space and light enhancement.

Bespoke oak also features largely in the floating vanity unit which rogue-designs created to fit into the space. The vanity unit itself has 2 sliding mirrors that give the illusion of more space. It was imperative to create the feeling that the space was light and that it was expansive in nature.  Behind the sink; a mirror and above this, another one-off unit that was over 1.5m in length and had 3 long sliding glass panels. Above this unit another glass panel that hit the ceiling. The illusion was cemented further by being able to see the ceiling spots in the mirrors.

light and spring...victorian house> extension and garden

This project was stage 5 and 6 of the complete overhaul of the victorian house: the extension and the garden.

the extension with planters

The extension was a longtime in planning. Although not a large extension it was a slightly problematic one, as a basement excavation. There were many issues to address in the design and during the build. The garden is long and relatively thin and the building is very tall (5 floors). This tends to lock out some of the light during the winter months. A leaky old conservatory was to be replaced, and the back wall of the house knocked out to lead into the new space. 

We recommended our clients commission Ifor Rhys RIBA architect to design a structure that would give a better aspect on to the garden, a space for dining, and incorporate an existing small utility room. Ifor is a great architect, fun to work with, and konws Oxford houses well. The idea was to open up the vista from the kitchen to allow some more light in and create a space that could work as a slightly more formal dining space. We also commissioned garden designer  Rose Lennard to plan a garden that would take into consideration the new building. With Charlotte as project manager,  Ifor and Rose, the design that was settled upon looked fabulous. There was an introduction of a roof that ran back towards the house, slightly curved, that allowed a view to the sky from the kitchen and a glass structure over the main area where the extension meets the old building. This light well designed to bring more light in. In tandem, a corner window assists in this endeavour. Rose created ideas around zoning the planting, creating raised beds local to the house for immediate drama, and in the garden, curves along a lawn that took in the old apple tree and reflected the curve of the steps.

gently curved copper roof with overhang

side view of corner window and cedar screen

A key part of this project was going to be the negotiations with the neighbours. One of the obstactles to overcome was the party wall ownership.  Over time the wall had become destabilised by invasive ivy and the washing out of the lime mortar by the elements. This mean't the wall closest to the house was leaning some 30 degrees over the neighbours garden. It took some time in agreements to gain the necessary permissions to rebuild it whilst the extension was taking place. This prolonged the project somewhat, but didn't affect the overall vision.

The beautifully restored wall

The building contractors, Blackford Builders, were very sensitive to the age and nature of the building and its surroundings and as such kept the wall looking authentic. They reused the bricks that were salvaged from the wall, cleaned off the mortar and reset them. In total 9 metres of wall was rebuilt. They also took great care not to disturb the planting of the neighbours garden and the look and feel of the wall from the neighbours side. The contractors were fantastic throughout the project, really wonderful to work with, and it shows that they really enjoyed the skills used to make and finish every element so precisely; the achievement of this project was only possible through their skill, commitment, and attention to detail. Thank you Jim!

Another concern was the use of copper (looking too bright) that was to cover the roof.  This dulled very quickly and had brassed down to a lovely patina within 4 months. It now fits in beautifully and is a worthy addition to the overall vision.

Part of the plan of the extension was to make sense of the space directly outside. This was conceived as an outdoor living space, and an extension to the dining area designed for entertaining in summer. This area is defined by the raised borders, the curved steps rising to the ground floor and the decking area. All the top edges of the borders were capped with copper to tie in with the whole theme. Copper lighting from Lighting for Gardens were used in various ways to light areas of the garden. We used inset lighting on the steps, spot lights either side of the doors and spike and mushroom lights in the borders to light the path and the trees.

The external rendering was carried out by a specialist coating company: using a very specialist product called Sto. It was a pure white finish designed to reflect the light around the area local to the extension. It has a special polymer that gives the material a stronger structure. It is also versatile in as much as it can be overpainted in future should it become necessary.

The decking is Ipe hardwood (colour akin to the copper roof) and was placed down on a 42 degree angle to the back doors. It is raised by 40-50cm with a drain away insert to avoid waterlogging. It also works seamlessly with the interior floor level.

The stairs that lead up to ground level, were cast in white portland cement and curved. Six steps take you from the Ipe deck to the ground floor. They are wide enough to sit comfortably on in summer and to make the use of in winter without the threat of slipping. A slightly brushed effect on top of the tread adds extra grip.

looking down at the ipe deck

Internally, the Muhuhu hearingbone flooring that you see was continued using the same blocks as the rest of the downstairs. A quantity was bought 3 years before, always with the sight on the extension taking place. We accomodated the idea by having the flooring run underneath the wall that we built, that separated the kitchen to the then 'lean to'. Removing the false wall when the extension was up and the external doors on, revealed the point at which we could continue with the internal flooring.

The ceramic wall lights are 'Hector' lights from original btc

The space speaks for itself! Light, stunning, and now vast, opening the whole basement from the front of the house, through the kitchen to the dining area and outside living space beyond. To see more of the internal work, have a look at the kitchen post.

The garden and stage 6 carried on when the extension was completed. Using Rose Lennard's scheme with a few alterations we carried out the complete overhaul of the garden.

The garden was completely stripped out during the harsh winter of 2009/10.  Work was carried out by myself and with additional works by a hard landscape company i.e. (re-turfing and the patio area to the rear).

The sweep of spar stones at the top of the steps are perfect for trampling across - they don't tend to move when walking over. The borders are now swelling with new shapes, textures and colours - It still retains much of its kitchen cottage style - due to Rose's planting scheme however her design gives wonderful emphasis to the more mature trees like the Magnolia and the Apple.

view from front to back

view from the back to front

3 months on

contemporary kitchen in Georgian house

Georgian house: kitchen 

features: minimalist Leicht kitchen, jerusalem stone tiling, cork flooring, corian and soaped oak worktops, artemide lighting

Our client for this project had taken on a big challenge: to transform a quirky and landmark Georgian townhouse from its slightly tired state into a sensitively 'modern' home with enduring design qualities. Along with local architect Richard Twinch she undertook major restoration and renovation works, including building a ground floor extension with a fantastic oval light-well as shown below. We were commissioned to work on the kitchen and bathrooms, which were required to be high spec but understated and timeless.

Working with Martin Williamson from In-House Design, we designed a beautiful Leicht kitchen that makes use of all available space. The kitchen is subtle, minimal and practical; all distractions are removed with handle-free doors and built in or concealed appliances, lending it a feel more of furniture than many kitchens. The doors are lacquered in soft matte olive and vanilla, with a cream corian worktop and built in appliances including a gaggenau extractor and Leicht induction hob. The kitchen opens up into the new extension space with its spectacular roof light, and double doors link through to the garden.

The island unit is designed as a stand alone piece of furniture, reminiscent of a  trunk or chest with its soaped oak wrap-around worktop and finger joints. 

The architectural lighting (fixed on what was once a support beam for a dentist's chair that was located in the room above) is a classic artemide design by Michele de Lucchi, and spots built in to the cupboards and shelves provide valuable task lightning. The pale laquered cork flooring compliments the soaped oak, and this other natural element ensures the space is warm with character despite its clean lines. 

The corian sink  is inconspicuously incorporated in the worktop, with a silk steel finished tap. 

Our client chose Jerusalem stone, full of character and fossils for the splashback tiling. it is perfectly fitted from worktop to underside of wall cupboards, and a huge single piece makes up the splashback behind the hob. Flat spate brushed steel sockets are unobtrusively set into the stone. Two soaped oak shelves that match the island worktop lighten and add interest to an otherwise dark corner. On display are some of our clients' extensive collection of fine basket making by makers such as Jenny Crisp, Matthew Lewis, Molly Rathbone and Felicity Irons. For more details about beautiful baskets please visit the resource at Oxford's Pitt Rivers Museum or the wonderful Basketmakers Association.

Clean, timeless elegance and practicality.