Surrey Residence
Abandoned Victorian mansion reborn as a £1M+ luxury family retreat
Outstanding creative design with an eclectic feel and innovative use of colour have won the refurbishment of a prestigious Surrey residence a place as a finalist in the SBID International Awards 'Residential House over £1m' category.
The project, which clearly impressed the award's judges, as well as delighting the owners of the house, was carried out in a late Victorian property of just under 500 square metres set in around 1.77 acres of land in an exclusive location.
The property was last renovated 20 years ago and was empty for three years prior to the recent scheme with interiors created by Ana Engelhorn Interior Design.
Commenting on the SBID Award Ana Engelhorn said: "I have previously been nominated for these awards and have also won an International Property award. It always feels great to be nominated, as it is a wonderful reflection on time, passion and energy spent on a project."
The clients wanted to use the existing floor plan, with some changes to door openings and a new kitchen and bathrooms. A former library was turned into a girl's bedroom using the existing carpentry and changing door openings.
The house had five bedrooms, one of which was converted into a stylish and spacious shower room, as the master bathroom didn't have a shower. All bedrooms except one have their own bathrooms and there are two guest toilets on the ground floor.
Ana Engelhorn said: "Interior design-wise, in line with the Ana Engelhorn signature style, we aimed to achieve a perfectly imperfect mix of antiques and contemporary pieces that suited the clients and the house. The clients had a lot of eclectic art, as well their own pieces from Africa, which complemented the design perfectly.
"What stands out the most in this house is the innovative use of colour. The owners were quite relaxed in letting me choose a mixed colour palette and this has created many different atmospheres. The house feels textured in that the walls are quite velvety and rich."
All the lighting was new and signed off by a trusted lighting supplier, to ensure that it perfectly complimented the daring colour scheme.
The biggest job was the kitchen, which was overhauled completely, as the owners are avid cooks and wanted adequate cooking and prep areas.
The property's two outbuildings were converted into a gym and an office, with the same style flowing from the house to these spaces.
The look and feel of the house is quite eclectic, with a lot of different styles included which gives a sense of being at home rather than in a museum. The space is also very interesting with many art pieces or furniture items which are quite unique.
The house also has many entrances, giving a different sense depending on which entrance is used. For example, the main entrance is quite elegant, whereas the kitchen and boot room entrances are more functional.
Ana Engelhorn commented: "Despite the project being carried out during the first lockdown, it generally went very well. It was a very old house and had not been well refurbished previously, so remedial works were sometimes required, which delayed the program somewhat - yet despite this the project was completed in good time.
"The family absolutely loves the home and the previous owners also saw it and were impressed."
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