Residential: Victorian
The Project: Ben and Vanessa Anders’ five-bed Victorian semi-detached home in Dulwich had not undergone any significant maintenance for 45 years. The couple decided upon a major refurbishment of the south London property that included extending the rear to accommodate a new open plan kitchen, as well as restoring many of the property’s original features in a traditional style, while ensuring it was functional for them and their young family.
The Brief: With both Ben and Vanessa having a background in interiors, they had a strong sense of the style and design features they were aiming to achieve. The extended kitchen was set to be the focal point of the home with a deVOL Classic English Kitchen the star, topped with luxurious Arabescato Marble worktops – famous for its dramatic black veining – and finished with Bella Antique Brass cup handles and catches that perfectly complement the brass fixtures, including taps and light fittings. Working with Farrow & Ball to create the perfect colour palette throughout the home, the kitchen units were finished in Off-Black, with the wall cladding balancing the dark tones in School House White.
For the wiring accessories, a traditional low-tech solution was more in character in terms of style, but the functionality needed to support all the requirements of a modern family. They approached Hamilton at international interior design show Decorex to see if the British family-run company could assist with products that gave them both the look and functionality they were after.
The Solution: From an aesthetic perspective, the Anders were set on a brass finish to be in-keeping with the kitchen and theme of the property’s design scheme, but they needed to source something that was cost-effective for their budget – Hamilton Hartland in Antique Brass was the perfect solution. The classic high-quality finish was exactly what they were looking for and it was priced competitively. The pair selected the more traditional plate style that features visible screws – better known as ‘box fix’ – as it complemented the period and style of the home rather than the more modern screwless option.
For functionality and flexibility, the home is predominantly fitted with 1, 2 and 3-Gang Rotary Dimmer Switches that allow the zonal lighting to be adjusted to the levels required by the family and their changing requirements. Meanwhile, at the entrance hall, 4-Gang 2-Way Toggle Switches are used due to their traditional style that is in-keeping with the period property and creates maximum visual impact as you enter.
In the show-stopper kitchen, the Antique Brass finish of the plates perfectly matches the hardware and fixtures, as well as the brass light fittings that also nod to the traditional style. The finish of the plate works beautifully when sat against both the School House White kitchen cladding and the Off-Black deVOL kitchen units.
For a modern family, the kitchen area is the hub of the home. No longer just an area for food preparation and cooking, it is somewhere that the children can do homework, relax with the rest of the family and play. As a household with a lot of devices, functionality was important and easy access to charge smart devices a must. Hartland sockets with dual USB 2.4A charging capability were placed in specially selected areas of the kitchen area, such as the corner of the centre island, where people will often be seated and need charging capabilities.
In the other areas of the five-bed home, the Antique Brass finish looks stunning against both the light and dark shades from the bespoke Farrow & Ball interior colour scheme: the Shaded White of the light and airy lounge, the dark and dramatic hallways and landings in Down Pipe, and the elegant blue of the De Nimes cladding in one of the bedrooms.
Not only do Hamilton’s switches and sockets flow throughout the property, they extend into the garden, too. Hamilton’s Elemento exterior wiring accessories range with IP66 rating, which ensures the prevention of water and dust ingress, allow for safe and flexible outside functionality. Elemento double switched sockets were installed in the front and rear of the property and enable, for example, the easy use of festoon lighting on the rear terrace.
The Result: The Anders are thrilled with their finished home. Hamilton’s wiring accessories provide the perfect finishing touch for the traditional look and feel, while supporting all the functionality requirements of a modern family.
“We absolutely love the Hamilton products and how they integrate into the finished décor,” says Vanessa Anders. “We looked at so many brass options that were in-keeping with the traditional style, but found that the quality and finish of many were not to the standard that we wanted. It was not an easy task, especially as we had a strict budget to keep to. However, Hamilton gave us exactly what we were looking for – the right look and feel in a high-quality product. I’m particularly pleased with the kitchen and how the switches and sockets perfectly match all the fixtures and fittings to give a really cohesive look.”
Ben Anders added: “As well as finding the product we were searching for, it was an added bonus to receive such fantastic service. We had a brilliant experience working with Hamilton after being introduced to the company at Decorex. I felt that the team really understood what we were looking for and advised us on the best products to suit, providing brass finish samples so we could get a real feel for how it would look before purchasing, while also advising on the more technical elements of our requirements.”
Tony Long, Project Manager, Electrio Limited said: “I’ve worked with Hamilton numerous times and have always been impressed with the quality of work they bring to a project. Knowing Hamilton’s ability, and I must say willingness to take on a brief for short run custom-made plates, sets them apart from other companies. A British manufacturer working on a very British project, it couldn’t have been a better fit – the dependable and trusted partner you need when working to such exacting standards.”