Series 1: Specialised Fields within Interior Design
WOOLF Interior Design & Interior Architecture - OCEANIC HOUSE, Cockspur Street, London SW1
In this week’s Journal WOOLF Interior Design & Interior Architecture take a delve into the world of the interior designer and the many layers of skills required to create a beautiful space. As specialists in the interior design of historic buildings and hotels we are often asked to pull together the many facets of our industry in order to produce something that even on a large scale is detailed, considered and exquisite.
The interior design and interior architecture of a building, be it a home, hotel or residential development, incorporates not only the more obvious elements such as the soft furnishings, curtains and furniture (FF&E) but also the more subtle yet truly important elements such as lighting, room heating and cooling; as well as the attention to historic detailing and security.
At WOOLF Interior Design & Interior Architecture we delight in the transformation, alongside the sense of achievement in coaxing the best from a property’s rare old parts with careful restoration. We have Interior Design Studios based in West London and Bath, Somerset. Our Interior Design practice has years of expertise, sensitively designing interiors for Historic, Georgian and Listed Properties; both in the UK and abroad. We use our in-depth knowledge and wealth of experience in refurbishing and renovating beautiful period properties to bring a richness and elegance to the Interior Design of traditional or historic houses and hotels.
As experts in our field, WOOLF Interior Design & Interior Architecture have consulted and designed the refurbishment of hotels and large historic homes. As part of this process we often coordinate, instruct and work alongside any number of specialists concerned with the redesign of interiors.
WOOLF Interior Design & Interior Architecture - OCEANIC HOUSE, Cockspur Street, London SW1
WOOLF Interior Design & Interior Architecture - OCEANIC HOUSE Exterior Survey
Engineering and Costing
At the beginning of the process the first technical step is often to produce a measured survey of the property in question, if one is not already available. This survey then gives us our starting point and place from which we can start to develop beautiful layouts, look at the internal flows and structures. On larger scale projects or on homes that require fairly substantial internal alterations such as the opening up of doorways, new staircases or openings, we will draw upon the expertise of Structural Engineers and often Quantity Surveyors to ensure the technical detailing is correct and that build costs are accurately calculated. A QS will study drawings and specifications about a new building normally provided by ourselves, architects or engineers. From this information, they will be able to calculate the quantities of materials for the build. They must also provide accurate labour, materials and work costs.
Interior Architecture
Our interior architecture services use our wealth of knowledge and expertise to draw up room layouts and elevations, select furniture and to space plan the spaces. Following our initial appraisal of a project, we provide a complimentary design proposal outlining the proposed spatial planning, scope of services, a detailed fee structure, the timescale and broader anticipated project costs.
The building’s fabric, from staircases and internal doors, to cornices and built-in joinery are considered, so that every detail of the interior of a building is considered and connects together beautifully and seamlessly. We embrace the innate, unique character and era of each building, whilst also considering the ways in which contemporary owners of period properties will use them. Learn more about Interior Architecture.
WOOLF Interior Design & Interior Architecture - Project Management at Oceanic House
WOOLF Interior Design & Interior Architecture - Detailed Design at Oceanic House
Project Management
WOOLF Interior Design & Interior Architecture’s involvement in hotel and commercial projects means that we work closely on such schemes with highly skilled Project Managers to ensure that a programme of works is set out as early as possible in the process and that projects smoothly work to time and are completed as scheduled. WOOLF undertake a thorough due diligence prior to appointing contractors and sub-contractors and act as a single point of contact.
Collaborative work is essential for the success of streamlining the construction and procurement process. We take a meticulous approach to project management, coordination of construction programming, scheduling and cost engineering. Our role in sourcing world class artisans, makers and manufacturers is essential for designing unique and stunning interior spaces.
WOOLF Interior Design & Interior Architecture - coordination of joinery, lighting and AV specialisms
WOOLF Interior Design & Interior Architecture - coordination of lift , stone, lighting and AV specialisms
Heritage and Planning Specialists
As experts in historic and period properties, our work often involves listed buildings, we draw upon our specialist knowledge of Planning and/or Heritage to advise on the conservation and listed building town planning implications of any work. While the aim of the listing is to prevent anyone from carrying out insensitive alterations to these historically relevant period properties, it does not necessarily mean they cannot be altered, extended or refurbished, but it does mean that any changes to Listed buildings must be carefully considered and executed with care. Through these changes we can then bring new levels of modern comfort and luxury interiors to beautiful historic buildings. See WOOLF Georgian and other Period Property Projects.
WOOLF Interior Design & Interior Architecture - Bespoke FF&E at Harlington House
WOOLF Interior Design & Interior Architecture - FF&E at Harlington House
Soft Furnishings – Upholstery, Window Dressings
When it comes to historic homes the detailing of furniture, fittings and soft furnishings can be fundamental to the success of a project. We use our experience and our substantial list of specialist suppliers with whom we have longstanding relationships to create custom made furniture, upholstery and window dressings. Suppliers such as Watts of Westminster have intricate collections of Textiles, Wallpapers, Tableaux Sceniques, and Passementerie that span 400 years, allowing for the perfect combination of "contemporary history." Tailoring designs to each client and project’s individual needs. Watts’ early fabric designs drew inspiration from a variety of sources, including the geometric neo-Gothic wallpapers of Augustus Pugin, the sumptuous fabrics depicted in fifteenth-century paintings, the naturalism of William Morris, and grand late seventeenth-century damasks.
WOOLF Interior Design & Interior Architecture - Furniture Design at Poundon House
WOOLF Interior Design & Interior Architecture - Furniture Restoration Harlington House
Furniture Design and Repair
One of our favourite aspects of Interior Design is the magic created by bringing back to life an old piece of furniture. In many of our projects our clients have pieces of antique furniture that have been well loved and are in need of some help in getting them back to their best. Here at WOOLF Interior Design & Interior Architecture we have many contacts in the Upholstery and French Polishing business that can work an absolute wonder with a piece of furniture in need of restoration expertise. Explore bespoke design & upholstery by WOOLF
WOOLF Interior Design & Interior Architecture - Bespoke Joinery at Belgravia House
WOOLF Interior Design & Interior Architecture - Bespoke Joinery at Belgravia House
Working with expert crafts people such as expert joiners and ironmongers who can help repair, replicate and create beautiful detailing on doorways, furniture and windows. The expertise of authentic plaster moulding manufacturers is employed, particularly in Georgian, Regency and period properties to create classic cornices, ceiling centres, corbels and dado rails. Fireplaces, that can create a real and focus point within a space, also need special consideration and knowledge of environmental, architectural, building and design issues together with engineering expertise so that even the most challenging of projects can have an interesting and effective outcome.
We work with the very best suppliers and the most skilled crafts people in the UK and internationally, who provide exacting standards of execution and delivery. Our bespoke textiles, lighting and furniture pieces are tailored to suit the space. At WOOLF we design interior architectural details and bespoke joinery schemes which are unique to each interior design project and manufactured to the highest quality of finish.
WOOLF Interiors - Lighting scheme Night & Day in collaboration with John Cullen
WOOLF Interiors - Lighting scheme Night & Day in collaboration with John Cullen
Lighting Consultant
At WOOLF Interior Design & Interior Architecture we take a multi-sensory approach to design, which is carefully considered in every detail; creating intriguing and integrated spaces with a timeless character. Lighting design is a fundamental area of expertise required for the design process. At WOOLF Interior Design & Interior Architecture we sculpt each interior using lighting to form a seamless flow within a home or hotel. We compose richly layered, luxurious interiors, individually and beautifully tailored to create complex and practical spaces.
As Interior Designers in Bath and London, we consider lighting schemes which can adapt to both Historic Listed and Contemporary spaces. Having worked in both the Residential and Hospitality Interior Design Sector, we have accumulated a number of key techniques which have evolved from our experience over many years. We light spaces for function, mood and to enhance ergonomics. In a Residential or Hotel setting, we look at the lighting layers required for each space, these generally fall into four types of lighting: Ambient, Task, Accent and Decorative.
Over the years we have worked with many lighting consultants and lighting specialists which have taught us valuable lighting skills both for design and technicality. See WOOLF Georgian and other Period Property Projects.
WOOLF Interior Design & Interior Architecture - Curation at Harlington House
WOOLF Interior Design & Interior Architecture - Curation at Harlington House
Curation
At WOOLF Interior Design and Interior Architecture we approach designing interiors like a curator, we have an exceptional depth of knowledge of both historic and contemporary art which very often informs our approach to designing interiors. We are fluid with styles and cultures, high and low art, elegance and edginess, always ensuring that our client’s aesthetic gains expression in carefully curated spaces, which we tailor to an individual artwork focus. We have worked with many existing client collections, sourced and purchased art for most of our projects. We look at local regional and international artists for inspiration to source artwork for interiors
Sourcing great artwork is an essential part of the WOOLF studio design process. Our little black book contains hundreds of artists and gallery owners from which we select beautiful pieces, artwork and sculptures. Learn more about our Curation for Interiors.
WOOLF Interior Design & Interior Architecture - Acoustics, Security, Heating, AV Integration - Oceanic House
WOOLF Interior Design & Interior Architecture - Acoustics, Security, Heating, AV Integration - Oceanic House
Acoustics, Security, Heating, AV Integration and Entertainment
The integration of modern technologies into the fabric of a period property carries with it its own set of challenges and we will work together with specialists who can advise and implement the most up to date and discrete security, entertainment and home integration solutions that sit seamlessly with the fabric of the building and our client’s aesthetic. Acoustic specialists are able to advise on the incorporation of privacy and sound proofing solutions into our designs and M&E consultants are able to carry out heat calculations and enable us to address any heating or cooling issues encountered in a building and ensure plumbing and electrics are well placed and discrete.
Garden Design
Woolf Interior Design & Interior Architecture thoroughly enjoy our collaborations with garden designers and landscape architects, as they ensure that the overall design and aesthetic of a home reaches its fullest potential. To ensure projects, period, listed and contemporary or otherwise, are truly congruent and consistent we relish the opportunity to work with great garden designers, to enable a natural and seamless flow between the inside and out of a property. Explore WOOLF Projects.
From an interior architecture perspective, the internal layout and architecture should aim to tie in with what is going on outside. It can, where design permits, determine where you want your windows, the type of light you get, and what you are going to be looking at from the exterior of the house, as well as of course the views from the interior.
Where the interior designer leaves off, the landscape designer picks up and vice versa. WOOLF Interior Design and Interior Architecture will collaborate with the garden designer or landscape architect, alongside the Client, to discuss views, glimpses, the transitional areas near the thresholds of a home and the overall design aesthetic. Through a solid working relationship garden designers and interior designers can ensure that critical elements such as materials, colour schemes and planting correspond to create a cohesive aesthetic throughout. This knitting together of materials, views and colour palettes, is what creates a scheme that is truly connected.
