A few months ago, I wrote about a penthouse interior by Alan McVitty in Room at the Top. The same designer has recently completed a garden flat. While garden flat can be a loose term ascribed to any basement with a patch of exterior space, the garden in this case is bigger than the flat, and can be seen from all the rooms, except the guest bathroom. On entering, even the lobby has glass doors straight on to the garden. In fact, more or less the whole of rear elevation is glazed, allowing light deep into the space. In a clever arrangement, the bedrooms have effectively become inner rooms, while still having plenty of light. In the master bedroom, the ensuite bathroom, shuttered for privacy, faces the garden, and connects with the bedroom via large sliding doors. The bedroom is made to feel like a cosy retreat as a result. Meanwhile the guest bedroom with its full height glazed doors, is set behind the study corner of the open plan living space.
As with the penthouse, the strength in the design here lies in the joinery and the detailing. The rich dark timber panels and doors, combined with the recessed lighting, give structure and definition to the open plan living areas, while also providing drama and contrast.
In the bedroom, the faceted cupboard panels animate what would otherwise be a very plain wall.
And in both the kitchen and the bathroom, light filters through white painted shutters.
