There are remodels and then there are REMODELS. This home definitely falls into the latter. A project that Grand Designs would have to create a mini series for is without doubt a very special project to be involved with and a privilege to photograph from an interior design standpoint.
Having been in the States for so long, I hold up my hands and say I really missed the history and culture that characterizes so many of the beautiful historic buildings that are across the British landscape. It's a strange one - you take it all very much for granted when it is on your doorstep, take it away and you start to realise what a special thing it is we have here. This project for sure scratched an architectural photographic itch I had, to shoot a historic building with bags of character.
This amazing 17th century grade II listed home was in desperate need of an update to bring it inline with the needs of a modern family. Dated plumbing, heating, electrics, decor and strange floor plans all needed to be addressed, meaning this project was nothing short of massive. Being the photographer you never get to fully appreciate the size of the task as you always swan in at the end. With that said though it was fully apparent how much work and effort has gone into transforming this beautiful historic building into the stunning family home it is today. I shall take the time to namedrop a few of the guys that worked on this project as they truly are at the top of their game… BMA, Chiselwood, The House Painting Company and Samantha Waterhouse Interiors to name but a few.
From an interior design photography point of view, a building like this offers a slightly unique challenge in that much of what you would usually use to align your verticals and horizontals within the composition might not have been built originally with a spirit level due to the fact the original builder might have been dead for 300 years. Ceilings can seem to slope off in odd directions, while walls and floors can often be anything but flat - 17th century English builders eh?
I’m only sharing a handful of the content at this point in time as this is one for a series of visits in what is an ongoing project. Most of the photography utilized natural light with the lights off - my go to from which I always start and then look to build from. A big plus point for me was the amazing shutters that were present throughout the home allowing me to control each and every window, effectively acting like giant barn doors. For the utility the natural light was on point so I literally just had to point and click - that gorgeous single light source from the window again making my life super easy. In places where the natural light was lacking I brought in some flash to supplement, most notably in the downstairs teal bathroom with the incredible wallpaper. The only natural light in this space was from a small window behind the camera which wasn’t able to illuminate the space so it was necessary to punch some flash into the ceiling and control the light within that space. Bundle those files into photoshop and spend some time chewing through a good portion of an audiobook and it's a wrap.
