Stickland Wright

Transforming spaces sustainably: Read on to find out how low-energy products and sustainable sourcing shaped this workspace interior design project ↓

1️⃣ We use recycled or natural materials wherever possible. These footstools are in Mainline Flax by - a natural fabric made from wool and flax, which is naturally flame resistant (no chemicals required to flame proof), and processed locally in the UK
2️⃣ A statement blue sofa in Synergy fabric by , featuring 95% natural wool.
3️⃣ The Working Lounge chair by is made with 80% recycled content and is 99% recyclable, and is made in the UK.
4️⃣ Worktops by . They source plastic from everyday items, from cosmetic bottles to yoghurt pots. 100% recycled. 100% recyclable.
5️⃣ The Elliot table is made of 63% recycled material and this and the Remind chair are both 100% recyclable.

This project was created alongside

Recent changes to Permitted Development Class Q offer new opportunities for converting agricultural buildings into homes in rural settings. Read more in our blog post here: https://sticklandwright.co.uk/changes-to-pd-rights-for-barn-conversions-permitted-development-class-q/

Key updates include:
⭐ Increase to 10 dwellings (previously 5)
⭐ Expanded conversion space to 1000 m² (from 465 m²)
⭐ Inclusion of "former agricultural buildings", opening the door for many more buildings
⭐ Buildings can now be extended as part of the conversion

Contact Stickland Wright to learn how we can assist with your conversion project.

We were thrilled to receive two awards at the Sussex Heritage Trust awards last week.

Woodland View, in collaboration with Southern Contractors, was awarded in the Small Residential Category. This is what the judges said:
“Fits very well into woodland. The most positive thing about this project is the inventive remodelling of a very simple linear single storey house. This project is a very special home with an intelligent and sympathetic connection to the environment around it. The client, architect and main contractor team have worked symbiotically together to create a superb home. The clients enthusiasm for their home is palpable and the interior and exterior work so well together.
We enjoyed the close collaboration between contractor, architect and client. The contractor's expertise and the client's excellent eye for details has made this a very special home. We like the attitude to the nature and environment surrounding the house. The pride of the building/contractor for the project is obvious.”

Our Coleridge Street workspace project received a Highly Commended in the Commercial category. The judges said:
“The design was innovative in balancing work and down-time. Good use of a former industrial building and blended extension to create a light airy environment.”

Thank you very much to as well as everyone we collaborated with on these projects.

Woodland View:
Contractor: Southern Contractors
Engineers: BLB Group
Contract Administrator:
Interiors: By our client .fearon.art.and.soul

Coleridge Street:
Contractor: Woodmans Construction
Joinery:
Engineers:
Project Management:
Planning:

One of the goals of this project was to establish a strong connection between the interior space and the beautiful rear garden view. The ‘before’ image shows the only doors to the garden in the existing arrangement and a dark interior dominated by the heritage beams. We saw an opportunity to transform this space: by positioning the kitchen here, we could fully embrace the uninterrupted countryside vista revealed by the new extension. Additionally, a rooflight and clerestory glazing was incorporated into the extension maximise natural the light levels within the spaces of the original building.

The kitchen design was key to unifying new and old. To overcome the challenge of low ceilings and varying beam heights, we kept the perimeter joinery the same colour as the walls to create a sense of spaciousness. We specified beautiful bronze handles by and “v groove” style cabinet fronts – details that we continued in other joinery throughout the interior. The central oak kitchen island grounds the airy space and balances the historic beams above.

Kitchen and cabinetry:
Contractor:
Photos:
Styling:

We are thrilled to unveil the transformation of a historic Sussex pub into a sophisticated modern home. Balancing the preservation of historical charm with contemporary functionality was paramount in this architecture and interior design renovation.

Key considerations included:
1. Enhancing Natural Light: Historic buildings often have small windows, resulting in dark interiors. We introduced new glazing and reconfigured the internal layout to maximize light flow throughout the home.
2. Sympathetic Extension. We designed a modest extension to the rear which is clearly distinguishable yet harmonious with the original structure . The lounge space created feels connected to the garden and helps to flood the living spaces with light.
3. Material Authenticity: Where possible, we used original materials. When unavailable, we sourced sympathetic alternatives to maintain the historical aesthetic.
4. Energy Efficiency Retrofit: We upgraded insulation, improved airtightness, and installed a sustainable Air Source Heat Pump to enhance energy efficiency.

Discover more about this remarkable transformation on our website - https://sticklandwright.co.uk/project/heritage-residential-conversion-sussex/

Contractor:
Photos:

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Hospitality design: Creating memorable spaces through aspirational design

Its holiday season! These pages from our hospitality brochure focus on the unique spaces we have created for relaxing weekend breaks, family holidays and celebrations.

Click to see more: https://issuu.com/sticklandwright/docs/hospitality_by_stickland_wright

Photos: ,

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Reviving a heritage brewery: Some site photos from an exciting new project in Burton on Trent. We’re working on feasibility ideas to create new facilities to both honour and showcase the heritage brewing practices, and bring the site into the 21st century. We’re looking forward to sharing more soon

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Making historic homes warmer and more energy efficient:
We’ve got a new post on our blog outlining key points to consider when undertaking the retrofit of an historic building. Click to read more:
https://sticklandwright.co.uk/the-retrofit-of-historic-buildings/

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A few of our favourite interior design moments in the new café in Worthing.

1. wall lights paired with bronze framed mirrors
2. pendants hang over the copper worktop to the café counter, faced with tiles
3. Chocolate leather banquet seating with beautiful recycled table tops by
4. Signwriting by
5. Beautifully arranged faux planting by
6. Dramatically aged timber rescued from local sources
7. Timber laths used to clad the walls behind another Kava table top
8. pendants over the Dekton pass.

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We had a trip out to last week and enjoyed a fantastically informative tour of their headquarters and training facility. OHM specialise in the installation and integration of renewable heating technologies and the electricity generation from solar power into homes and businesses.

We returned armed with best practice tips and guidance to relay back to our clients!

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The photos capture the innovative construction methods of this project in Newhaven. Designed in partnership with modular homebuilder and OSM Construction, this project replaced a disused council office building with 13 cutting-edge apartments providing much needed homes for local families. The aim of the development is to create desirable high-quality, sustainable and affordable homes using MMC.

Click here to see photos of the completed project - https://sticklandwright.co.uk/project/fort-road/

Photography by Boutique Modern

Some exciting onsite photos showing the completion of the steel work which opens up and connects some of the ground floor spaces of this lovely home in Ditchling.

The new space will allow the original features to be appreciated whilst providing a practical pantry and bootroom from the kitchen. New external openings make the most of the southern aspect and garden and will flood the interior with daylight.

DM for more info . .

You often hear designers talking about the ‘flow’ between spaces which essentially is how the design makes you circulate through the interior.
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We see many homes which have plenty of space but are not great to live in. Too many corridors, too many door openings and walls preventing enough room for all the family to gather and socialise. We love being able to unlock the potential in homes and create spaces that foster wellbeing in every sense, whether it’s a greater connection to the outdoors or re-configuring rooms to allow families space to connect or find a quiet place for work and concentration.
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We’ve been working with the owner of this lovely country home to unlock the potential and are excited to see this unfold on site.
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Follow us to see some behind the scenes onsite photos later this week . . .

Three of our architects attended Futurebuild 2024 last week and were impressed by the variety and quality of the exhibits, including some new material discoveries we are looking forward to including in our projects. It was great to see companies addressing the need for suitable air source heat pumps that could solve the issue of how to service apartments and large housing developments efficiently.

We attended talks on methods of construction and the roll out of sustainable energy sources - the general consensus was that these changes need to happen faster and we need to do better as an industry.

Sustainable design is at the heart of every project at Stickland Wright and we are constantly looking for new and better ways to improve the efficiency and reduce the impact of the buildings we work on. It’s so important to take part in the conversations at shows like Futurebuild to share with and learn from our contemporaries, so we can work together to improve our industry.

DM for more info . . .

Our architecture team worked on this small but perfectly formed two-bed house from planning stage through to detailed design.

The design challenge was to create a comfortable family home on a restricted site: the simple building fits in with the traditional street scene and slots in neatly between two existing buildings. We designed the building to use a ICF (insulating concrete formwork) construction method to provide a highly insulated, airtight new build home.

Bookmark for later . . .🔖

OhSo Social Beach Club’s transformation has cleverly kept waste to a minimum whilst bold design decisions have ensured maximum impact.

The existing chairs have had a re-spray and the fitted seats have been refreshed using phthalate free fabrics.

The once dark interior now has a warm and inviting ambience with clever concealed lighting and feature handmade sustainable grass shades which complete the look.

Wall colour : ‘Faded Terracotta’ from the Californian Collection

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Double tap if you like ❤️

When a venue requires a refresh these are the questions we will always ask:

⛱ Are the materials re-useable?
⛱ Can we re-use elements of the existing fit out whilst updating and refreshing rather than throwing away?
⛱ Are there interesting characteristics to the building that can become a feature?

Oh So Social Beach Club is a great example of where we were able to transform the interior by working with the existing fit out rather than starting from scratch. The new colours and materials capture the sunshine vibe of a mediterranean beach club whatever the weather outside.

FOLLOW for more ideas . . .👆

The key to a venue refresh is not to lose sight of the values which make an interior an authentic experience whilst recognising areas which need to adapt to stay relevant to how you want to run your business in the future.

Here are some snapshots of the new colourways and propping at which successfully translated well to their branding and website.

Ideas when considering a hospitality refresh:

💡Speak to an expert - we specialise in creating authentic and atmospheric interiors. We can guide you to the most straightforward and effective way of lifting your current scheme and ensuring it reflects your brand and values.

💡Upcycle - use existing furniture and fixtures and re-upholster, re-stain, re-spray.

💡Greenery - plants can really lift a space and have a positive effect on wellbeing. Planting can be integrated into an existing scheme in many interesting ways.

💡Lighting - It goes without saying that lighting is one the most important elements in any scheme and can really elevate or change the feel of a space. It could be an exercise in changing lighting to reflect new opening hours and shifting the atmosphere from day to night or adding uniqueness and character to your brand through feature lighting.

Get in touch with us today to see how we can help you. DM or email us with the link above.

In a world where consumers are always keen to try new and exciting food and beverage concepts, it’s essential that a business keeps their venue fresh and relevant without resorting to re-inventing themselves.

Often an ‘evolution’ is required with small changes that can have a big impact. Sometimes a change in colours, a refresh of upholstery and adding new textures or propping is enough to re-fresh a space and doesn’t resort to wasteful strip outs.

We loved helping The Chilli Pickle give their restaurant a face lift with a shift to warm and inviting colours with strong connections to the Indian street culture, whilst introducing tiles and upholstery to complement the new colourways.

Our clients from a recently completed refurbishment and extension of a bungalow in a rural setting, had lovely things to say about us.

We’re waiting for finished photos, but swipe for some project drawings and we will share more later in the week ⬅️ . . .

Kava is an organic, plastic free material made from coffee waste, and is mixed with other natural materials or by products to create unique colours and patterns.

It made perfect sense to incorporate KAVA table tops within our designs for the new Trading Post Coffee Roasters café at Western Road as their own coffee waste is used in the process.

The tops have been mixed with copper to create a rich colouration which works beautifully with the reclaimed timber and natural leathers in the scheme.

"We adopted a “fabric first” approach to designing this new build home, with high levels of insulation and airtightness levels, and are very proud of the fact that it has now been shown to achieve an A EPC rating. It uses ASHP and PVs for heat and electricity, with MVHR to ensure air quality is maintained, and has high performance glazing throughout.

In the early stages of the design process we work with consultants to ensure the correct plant will be incorporated into the scheme, making sure we reserve sufficient space."

Our low energy home in Surrey is complete! Swipe for a before and after of the living area with a framed view of the soon to be landscaped garden beyond. We can’t wait to see how this new build, low energy building becomes a home. Our clients had some lovely things to say about us too:

“We were immediately impressed with Stickland Wright who concentrated on the aspect of the new house in its surroundings, considering how the light would shine through the house during the day and though the annual cycle of the seasons…. SW are well versed in state-of-the-art building processes so we have lots of modern elements including heat pump, very comprehensive insulation and mechanical ventilation. We look forward to moving in soon and enjoying the economic advantages of a beautiful modern house in a charming environment. Thank you SW.”

We’re very excited to be sharing a little sneak peak of a soon to be completed project: a new Trading Post Coffee Roasters on Brighton’s Western Road. Opening in a matter of weeks! It’s great to see the design coming together.

We always aim to use reclaimed materials and re-purpose what we can from the site - this project is going to be a fantastic example of that. The design highlights the unique features the building has to offer whilst also creating a unique space for the business.

Keep your eyes peeled for the reveal in February. . . .

We are very pleased to have secured planning approval for this residential extension in Surrey. This was a particularly challenging planning application due to planning policy restrictions on increasing building massing within the green belt, further complicated by the previous alterations that had been carried out to the building.

The cottage has been extended in a piecemeal fashion over the years and permitted development options have been limited by the unique orientation of the original building. By carefully calculating the volumes of the various parts of the building, we were able to demonstrate that the application was in accordance with planning policy. This will enable the clients and their young family to continue to live in their family home well into the future.

Our materials palette and some key views of our proposed kitchen glimpsed in our previous post!

The scheme pairs natural oak with bronze metal accents and beautifully veined marble.

Looking forward to seeing this starting on site soon...

* Pendant light :
* Green cushion :
* Orange & blue cushion :
* Bar stool :

MEET SOPHIE ✨

The final face in our Meet The Team series is Sophie Law-Smith! Stickland Wright’s Business Manager, Sophie has a background in events, communications, and business development and a strong network across the South Coast. As well as supporting Stickland Wright, Sophie is active across multiple platforms throughout the Greater Brighton region. She directed the local initiative founded by Stickland Wright called Design Brighton which was the inspiration behind the award winning national property show she is co-director of called FOOTPRINTPlus.

To further add to Sophie’s experience in the industry she managed a specialist property management company providing housing for homeless - BASE ONE and is a project manager for her family property development company.

Discover more about Sophie here:

What are you most excited about in the built environment industry right now?

"I am excited that as an industry we are innovating and working together more than ever before and towards a shared goal. I am also excited about the emergence of the next generation bringing forward fresh ideas and adapting for the future."

What made you want to enter this industry?

"The built environment is in my blood, my father has always been in construction and engineering, and I followed in his footsteps. It’s a fast paced industry where you can make such a difference to people and planet."

What part of your work do you find most rewarding?

"I love working with creative and inspiring people. Using my network to bring people together and seek out new ways of working towards a shared goal. Bigger picture stuff!"

MEET EMILY ✨

Brighton born and bred, our Interior Designer, Emily Howarth, is the go-to for bespoke detailing. Emily demands the highest quality of finish and is not afraid to put the work in to achieve it on schedule.

Emily answered some questions for us:

What aspect of design do you find the most rewarding?

"Nothing is more rewarding as a designer than creating spaces for my community that are enjoyed by both users and operatives alike, whilst also allowing businesses to thrive. I have been involved in some of Brighton and the surrounding areas best-loved restaurants and cafés, which have really given back to the community and positively affected people’s feelings, behaviours, and overall wellbeing."

What is important to you as a designer?

"We know that sustainable design positively impacts users of a space and I believe finding ways to implement this is rooted in good design practice. One of the most sustainable things a design can do is last the test of time. Through considered schemes we aim to create spaces that are adaptable, atmospheric and go on to foster successful, long-lasting businesses."



Interior Designer Sussex