Orchard House involved the renovation and extension of a working farmhouse and stable-block in rural Dorset into a family home and quilting studio. Working in close collaboration with architects Studio MAY, we were appointed to design the ground floor interiors, including internal finishes, bespoke joinery, lighting and furnishings.
Local and low-carbon products were carefully selected throughout, including Douglas fir Dinesen flooring and British Crawford Limestone slabs, which were honed to create variation in tone; rougher pavers are punctuated with a composition of large polished slabs, in reference to the client’s craft of quilt making.
The client’s existing furniture and artwork, including a Victor Passmore print, was carefully catalogued and integrated with new sustainably crafted and vintage pieces, with a focus the mid-Century period, such as a Kjersgaard sideboard and the 606 Universal Shelving system designed by Dieter Rams for Vitsoe. Lightning, which includes suspended Erco tracks, was selected to highlight artwork and create a range of atmospheres.
CBA also worked closely with sustainable joiner Somer Furniture on the kitchen and scullery, designing a bespoke free-standing solid oak kitchen, with naturally derived Forbo on the cabinet fronts and a brushed stainless steel worktop. The result is a generous and practical space that allows the architecture breathe – a piece designed for repair and reuse, in line with Somer’s cradle-to-cradle philosophy.
