We absolutely love working on restoration projects for Period & Listed homes. It is such a treat to delve into the history of the building, the previous owners, the styles of furniture and all the craftsmanship details. We’re currently honoured to be working in some Listed buildings, crafting furniture to help restore the homes to their former glory.
One current project involves making some Edwin Lutyens inspired pieces for a home where the originals have been removed by previous owners. Sir Edwin Lutyens (1869 - 1944) was an English architect, widely known for designing many English country houses. He was quite unusual in that he designed both the outside of the building & the furniture inside. The esteemed architectural historian, Gavin Stamp actually described Lutyens as “the greatest British architect of the 20th or any other century.”
Using a photograph of a display cabinet designed by Edwin Lutyens, we are crafting similar joinery to suit the house. Lutyens work has influenced the proportions, materials & details of our work. A beautiful feature is using the same mouldings through the furniture (top, middle and bottom) and continuing the same mouldings around the room. We’ll share photographs when the restoration is complete.
Listed buildings make fabulous homes, absolutely bursting with character. Listed homes have different levels of grading depending on how important English Heritage feel the building is. Grade I is the highest level of listing applied to homes “of exceptional interest”. If you have a Grade I listed home then not only will you have to keep the exterior of the house the same, it is possible that even the interior, down to the light switches, also has to remain untouched. If you live in a listed building it doesn’t mean you can’t make any changes, it just means that you have to apply for listed building consent to make any changes which might affect its special interest.
Installing a kitchen, cabinetry & joinery in a listed building takes care. Shere Kitchens have experience of listening to clients wish lists, working in Grade I and Grade II buildings; and moreover love to do so. Every project is personally designed and overseen by Andy, Mike & Ella. They love to design cabinetry with understanding and sympathy to the architecture of each individual property. The period details, mouldings, cornices, ironmongery and proportions of each piece of furniture is thought through carefully so that it fits seemlessly into its home. The listing process can make building and renovation work more complicated, but ultimately in our experience the end result is worth it.