Schema Studio

A rear garden garage/workshop with rear driveway access. The structure was designed in a classical style with a roofed portico acting as a backdrop to the entire garden. A pool with water plantings separates the outbuilding from the rear patio of the house creating a beautiful water feature as a focal point in the rear garden.

As the coronation of King Charles wraps up and I head off to a 10 day family holiday - a Rhine River cruise - I want to say I was honoured to meet King Charles (then Prince) a few years ago at a charity gala at Dumfries House in Scotland, one of his several estates. He was very kind and interested in speaking a bit to each guest. And as a bonus I met actor Clive Owen in the Gents loo!

We had the opportunity to renovate a flat in an existing loft building in central London. Whilst the building was indeed a loft the flats were vanilla without any internal detailing whatsoever.

We opened up the floor plan and employed materials such as thin "slip" bricks and false steel elements to simulate a loft-like environment. Another feature was a vintage style master bathroom.

Today is a technical announcement, so no interesting photos I am sorry to say. As shown on my details I am an accredited architect in the USA, licensed in several states. The National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB) establishes one's credentials to be licensed state by state.
It is great news that earlier this year the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) has entered into a reciprocity agreement with NCARB, recognising one's professional status on both sides of the pond.

Here is an example of a recently completed rear extension on a 3-room wide home which now features and open kitchen, dining area and lounge; all overlooking a new rear patio accessible by windows and bi-folding glass doors.

Many old unused pianos have been repurposed in London transport stations for passerbys to entertain by playing a tune. I thought this derelict grand piano was creatively used and it certainly fits the popular UK "shabby chic" aesthetic.

Every project has tile work, whether it be in the kitchen or, of course, bath and shower rooms.

Porcelain tiles are the most durable and extremely hard. They are best for floors and many are suitable for indoor/outdoor use so a kitchen floor could visually extend out to a tiled patio. They are more expensive than ceramic tiles. Using a large size reduces grout joints making cleaning easier.

Ceramic tiles are very suitable for walls. They are certainly durable but are much more easily cut and fitted around sanitary ware, taps, sockets, etc. They are the most cost effective type of tile. Again, a larger size reduces grout joints to facilitate cleaning but keep in mind the scale of the tile versus the size of the area to be covered. The tiles should not be too large if used in a smaller space.

Stone tiles are another option but are costly and, depending on the stone, they can stain easily. However there are some very realistic stone printed tiles available that are a good alternate. They tend to be glossy so most suitable for walls so as not to have a slippery floor.

My favourite tile to use for an accent is a mosaic tile. These are the most expensive but normally are used in smaller amounts as a feature wall or detail within the other tiled areas. They come in a multitude of colour combinations and many times combine an assortment of materials which could be glass, metal , marble, etc.
Gold leaf mosaic tiles are the most costly and luxurious. Using them for a smaller detail can be very elegant. The photo shows a simulated peeled back plaster with the gold mosaic as a background.

Christmas is upon us, and my tree advice may be late. Choose a nice full tree where one cannot see through to the back wall/window. A fir is a good bet. Of course, select the shape and size that best suits your space. A rule of thumb for LED lights is 100 lights per 1 foot of tree height, somewhat depending on the circumference. Light it up! Tuck lights way inside the tree to feature the branch structure and any baubles hanging in there. Add a tree topper and then some garland of your choice; beads, tinsel or another design. Hang the baubles.

PLEASE - do not follow the trend of inexpensive year-to-year themed trees. My German heritage dictates I decorate with the hand blown/painted glass ornaments of all shapes and designs. In this way these ornaments become heirlooms collected over the years and as one puts up the tree, they bring back memories of where and when they may have been acquired - or gifted. And they can be passed down to future generations.

Begin your collection NOW. Hit all the pre-Christmas sales to start your collection. Plan autumn 2023 trips to UK Christmas markets for more. The very best source is an excursion to an Eastern European holiday market. Poland is the best.

We are all facing an energy crisis and there is a low-tech simple solution to provide an easy way to reduce heating bills and increase the comfort of your home. A ceiling fan! American homes are generally well insulated and have very good heating and air conditioning systems. Yet a ceiling fan, with or without a light, is a ubiquitous feature in most rooms. Ceiling fans have not seemed to catch on here in the UK to the same extent.

Ceiling fans "sip" electricity so will not impact energy billls to any significant amount. Most fans should have a winter and summer switch which simply reverses the direction of the rotation. The premise of a fan is that set in the winter position it pushed the hot air that rises up into our high 3M Victorian ceilings back down into the room. The summer switch pulls the hot air upward bringing the cooler air to the lower portions of the room for relief of the summer heat. In all honesty this is a subtle difference and with the fan set to winter one still feels a cooling breeze in the summer. This breeze also helps circulate air in the room(s) to help fight issues of mould.

Fans come in an extremely wide variety of styles, with and without lighting. As most homes have a single switch connected to a single light junction box in the centre of the room, I offer some pointers:

*Budget £200 minimum for the fan and try for a brand name one can trust. The most annoying thing about a fan is if it makes any sound while operating. It is relentless like a dripping tap! Cheaper models have much more of a tendency to make a noise, if not in the beginning, that develops over time.

*With ot without a light, choose a fan with a remote control. In this way one would switch on the wall switch and from then on use the fan remote control to operate the many functions of the fan. For example, fan on/off, light on/off, speed etc.

*It is imperative the fan has a secure support. One must be certain the ceiling junction box is secured well enough to the timber ceiling structure above the plaster board. For this reason, using a qualified electrician to install the fan is best.

Copper has been a metallic accent used often in the last decade or so. Whilst it is an interesting material and can create a warm feeling within a space .... one can never go wrong using a silver finish such as Chrome or Stainless Steel. As trends come and go; copper, back etc. The silver metals a never outdated or out of style. Here is a very nice hotel lobby making a LARGE statement with copper finishes.

I have posted this photo once quite some time ago but recently walked past this lovely and surprising building again, so I thought it deserved another go. My first office was in central London in the Clerkenwell design district. In the centre of this very historic Georgian district is St. John's Gardens. A pocket park if you will. The surprise is that at the north end is the very modern and very red Kurt Geiger Fashion House Headquarters. I always enjoy seeing the juxtaposition of bold contemporary architecture against the historic. London offers few opportunities for this! The Red colour and bold metallic detailing of the building add to the surprise and beauty.

The terraced house remit also included the design of an extra-special eye cathching front entry door.

Here is a case study of a top to bottom refurbishment of a Victorian terraced home in London.

A client required a small "bijou" side/rear extension to house a small exercise room and utility room. However, they wanted this small bit of architecture to be a focal point from the rear patio area of the house. A standing seam zinc roof slopes down the extension creating an exaggerated curve at the eave line and then sloping back to the wall line of the house. The aluminium windows will be a matching colour to the roof but in this photo have not yet been installed.

Have you a need for a bespoke built-in bookcase unit? Depending on the design these can costs thousands of pounds from a bespoke joiner. BUT.... a solution we have often used is the trusted IKEA "Billy" bookcase product which almost everyone has used in the past. With some judicious planning these units can achieve a very beautiful, clever built-in appearance. Some tips:

1. Choose the narrow width and deep dimension unit. This prevents the unsightly look of sagging shelves and no books will protrude over the edge of the shelf.

2. Have a carpenter construct a plinth of a height that allows the skirting in you room to go around the grouped bookcases AND hide their factory base.

3. Add a cornice moulding of your choice at the top.

4. And finally, to enhance a bespoke appearance align the shelves unit to unit for an organised appearance.

Note that the "Billy" bookcases also offer a shallow depth extension to the height. For more storage and a grander look this works well. However since these are only offered in a shallow depth an end panel from a DIY or kitchen supplier would need to be added to conceal the depth difference up the visible ends of the units.

Finally, if your installation should require an odd width dimension for a wall to wall fit the carpenter should be able to re-work a unit to fill the gap perfectly!

....and a metal cladding on the dormer is a nice relief from terra cotta or slate tiles!

Full dormer loft conversions need not be plain and simple. They might take on a more contemporary styling and/or include a Juliette balustrade. It is all based on the client's preferred design aesthetic.

This circa 1930's end of terrace house was substantially extended maximising the use and value of the property. Several types of planning applications were used in a particular sequence in order to get consent for a two-storey side extension with loft office room in the roof above and a full dormered loft conversion on the main house accommodating a new master bedroom and en-suite. An extra-long ground floor extension of varying depth extends into the garden space.

A Victorian terrace house refurbishment creating an open plan living space to the front sections of the house.

This is a creative repurposing of a 1960's era home. The sloping site and the fact the rear garden was 100% covered with a pool and patio mean additional floor space could only be created by a 2/3 height first floor extension and cantilevered bay windows on the ground level. Note the re-cladding of the house using weather proof fibre cement siding materials updating the style to that of a New England cottage.

Many times garden design is an extension to my architectural design for the home. Here is a before and after photo removing a lawn and replacing it with pathways and plantings. Integrated into the design is an overlaying layout of trees and the use of steel trellises to organise climbing plantings.

I really like this variegated coloured anodised aluminium vertical cladding at flats at the old BBC studios in West London

Stunning new family room for local client open to a large kitchen, bi-fold doors to tiled patio and newly designed landscaped gardens beyond.

Fabulous new bathroom design in Ramsgate; box room converted to en-suite master wet room.