Louise Bradley transformed the rear of her Chelsea home with a calming, pared-back garden room.
As part of a project to completely refurbish her townhouse home in London, interior designer Louise Bradley chose to add an elegant and light-filled garden room to the ground floor. ‘I wanted to create a multi-functional room, perfect for dining and entertaining or a morning coffee with the papers,’ she explains.
Opening onto the secluded courtyard garden at the rear of the house, the garden room was built by Architectural Bronze Casements to Mrs Bradley’s specification. ‘We used bespoke bronze floor-to-ceiling windows and doors to create a sanctuary in the city,’ she says.
The structure is made from architectural bronze, a manganese bronze, copper and zinc-based alloy known for its corrosion resistance, durability and high tensile strength. ‘This bronze is also chosen for its timeless aesthetic appeal, as it has a warm, rich colour and develops a beautiful patina over time,’ explains Ken Lipsham, project designer for Architectural Bronze Casements. ‘It features undulations of tone that make it differ from other finishes, which can appear flat.’ The bronze is finished with natural wax for protection.
‘The materials give a relaxed, organic feel to the room’
The scale and symmetry of the design were carefully considered, combining two sets of tall French doors with fixed windows, with frames featuring slender glazing bars to introduce refined detail and elegant character. Mrs Bradley chose to combine the distinctive bronze of the structure with other natural materials, including Portland-stone flooring, which runs almost seamlessly to the outdoor terrace, and reclaimed timber shelves that ‘float’ on the walls, without visible support.
‘Together, the materials give a relaxed, organic feel to the room,’ she says. The bespoke console opens out into a dining table when needed, making it the ideal space to host dinner with friends. ‘In the evening, the outside space is beautifully lit, creating a wonderful ambiance,’ she adds.
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