England, Wales, Scotland & Northern Ireland
Interior Design
Wellness Rooms To Incorporate Into The Home
Black & Milk
This year, Black & Milk is finding that in-home wellness rooms are trending now more than ever, with the firm seeing more spas, saunas, and home gyms being included in home renovation plans. They recently completed a unique garden house in Hampstead where they transformed a garden shed into a home full of treasures, and also their Soho Loft which was exclusively designed about the Japandi principles of Feng Shui.
Olga, the Creative Director suggest some of her tips/feature angles below:
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With mortgage rates finally dropping, tips for those wanting to sell and buy on home improvements to add value to the home (such as an outhouse)
Garden House - Hampstead
Having successfully completed the first phase of the Modern Home in Hampstead, the client approached Black and Milk to complete the second phase of the outdoor area. Sitting amongst the secluded garden, a unique garden house was designed that doubles as a holistic sanctuary, featuring a sauna, bucket shower, and plunge pool. Black and Milk worked closely with the architectural firm Cooke and Fawcett on this unique project, which earned a spot on the shortlist for the ‘Don’t Move, Improve!
Taking inspiration from the surrounding woodlands, the holistic language of harmony and relaxation was distilled and applied to both the architectural and interior design. Black and Milk took a creative approach when designing the cabin's structure as the location of the existing trees dictated the architecture of the house garden design, as they are a part of a conversation area. An irregular shaper was brought to life to allow the existing trees to sit gracefully around the garden home while contributing to the sensory effects of the cabin's interior design.
Black & Milk
The overall spatial flow was configured to allow for the space to be multifunctional. While the garden home functions as both a guest house and a hidden retreat for the client, many notable points within the modern cabin allow the user to feel one with nature. An ample roof light was cleverly implemented within the design to wrap to the rear, providing a dramatic framed view of the woodlands and a sensory experience to the dining area. Honing in on the holistic approach of spa traditions, the glass allows the user to feel immersed within nature, offering a sanctuary for relaxation whilst sipping on herbal teas. Continuing with the holistic language, a traditional wood burner sits amongst the timber-finished interior. As you use the Banya Sauna during the colder winter months, the featured interior wall designs with wood allow a snug, warm abode to relax. A clever pull-out bed system by Clei has also been implemented within the design to accommodate bed space for guests with a double bed.Other notable areas within the garden house design include a bespoke shower that shares the same holistic approach as the roof light. A large glass panel has been introduced into the design amongst the vast woodlands to bring the outdoors indoors and allow the user to feel encapsulated by the picturesque surroundings.
Black & Milk
Soho Loft - Designed Around Feng Shui Principles
Black and Milk were appointed to design and implement the interior and spatial design of a one-bedroom apartment in Soho, the heart of London's West End. The space provided a unique set of challenges, primarily due to the size, layout, and our client's particular needs. Although small, the apartment lends itself very well to a Japandi interior. As a converted warehouse with floor-to-ceiling windows, we had the advantage of the light and airy ambience it provided the space.
Black and Milk focused on enhancing the natural light by configuring the loft apartments' spatial design while seamlessly incorporating our client's love of Asian design. As an added challenge, our client was a musician and required a soundproofed space for his grand piano. Who also had a keen interest in feng shui, the idea that optimally balancing your environment's energy can help you feel happy, healthy and at home.
Black & Milk
To maintain the spacious open plan feel, sliding and bifold screens were incorporated throughout the loft apartment's interior design to separate the bedroom and dressing room from the living area. The screens were made from Japanese rice paper, a material that transmits light yet allows the rooms to be separated.
The existing beams of the loft apartment were exposed, and the ceiling was raised to curate a vertical space which makes up for the relatively small footprint. The exposed beams make a beautiful statement, especially when they are in a contrasting colour to the rest of the home. We used low-level furniture to open the apartment further and incorporate Japanese design principles. The low-level furniture instantly provides the apartment with a relaxed and welcoming feel. In this apartment, we used colour and sliding screens to separate the living from the sleeping area, the yin from the yang. Yang spaces, such as the kitchen and living area, are active and social, whereas yin spaces are rest-orientated. The black walls and accents in the bedroom help separate the yin sleeping area from the bright and neutral yang living area. Contrasting colours and Japanese rice paper screens allow the rooms to be divided if needed. More subtle feng shui principles can be seen elsewhere in the apartment. The large, rectangular dining table is framed and balanced by rounded pendant lights, while a sleek black handrail and soap holder takes up the often-wasted area of wall space next to the bathroom basin.By incorporating both Japandi and feng shui principles, we were able to create a tranquil space for our client, a calming respite from the chaotic energy of Soho.
Black & Milk
