Our client wanted Artichoke to design a peaceful and atmospheric space for reading, conversation and watching rugby.
Following a detailed survey of the room, our first suggestion was to introduce a plasterwork coffered ceiling to the space.
This architectural decision injected a sense of grandeur to the room as well as allowed us to accommodate a staircase that rises from the Dressing Room to the Master Bedroom above.
Large panels of solid European walnut line the room Hardwood panelling creates a sense of warmth and seclusion, but the walls in this listed house were in poor shape and far from straight. To overcome this we fixed timber grounds to the walls first, creating a reliable framework which we could control and fix the panels to.
With controlling the grounds, we can ensure the room shape becomes perfectly square and level, despite the architecture being otherwise. This guarantees that we can deliver a crisp and superbly accurate finish.
Dog tooth shelving is consistent with the house’s 18th Century origins
Mouldings around the fireplace and elsewhere follow a strict hierarchy
All the panelling is solid European Walnut which expands and contracts over time and with the seasons. We made allowances for this during construction and applied finishes prior to fitting so that seasonal movement doesn’t reveal bare timber. The library is traditionally French polished using shellac and wax.
The room is entirely panelled in European Walnut which we hand-selected from Treviso in Italy. The walnut in this region is particularly beautiful and we have well established connections with the family-run sawmill there.
