There is no substitute for the beauty of bespoke. In fact, bespoke home design allows you to get exactly what you want, without compromise. Size, style, shape and colour can all be customised to create individual pieces that fit perfectly within your home, enhance your lifestyle and complement your personality. That’s because truly bespoke design embraces every fine detail. Therefore, no element is too big, small, or unimportant to make a difference. In visual terms, a unique bespoke space can be made to feel just how you want it to, using cabinetry, colour, lighting, wall coverings and window dressings.
Attention to detail
“Attention to detail always matters, and especially in bespoke home design,” confirms our director Mark Taylor. “With bespoke home design you can achieve an exact fit to the concept or ideas put forward. A bespoke interior stands out because it is unique, and can be very personal in a visual or practical way. For example, a study, kitchen, or utility room designed around your specific needs can make life so much easier.”
This bespoke study design allowed us to fit beneath this room’s existing coving – and above a cellar door – while still allowing access
Home design elements to consider
There are a number of factors to consider when choosing the different elements of any bespoke home design. “How bespoke you can go is usually led by budget,” notes Mark. “But if you have any areas earmarked for built-in furniture, it is much easier to [do justice] to this sort of space with a bespoke furniture fitting.”
He emphasises: “Dictating exactly what the required piece should look like – and what goes into it – means you can have exactly what you want.”
In this study we designed the units to hold pull-out files and lever-arch files. The doors, which feature wall lights, neatly hide a printer and electrical equipment
Full-room renovations
Bespoke home design can be harnessed to transform entire rooms, or smaller, specific areas within a certain space. “With bespoke kitchens, for example, there are no limits in terms of what you can achieve. This is apart from the limitations of the space you are working within, and the budget you are working to,” Mark observes. Everything else is up for negotiation. “Available options include changing the door style and shape, work surface detail, height, and most importantly fitting everything into the space you have.”
Bespoke joinery allowed us to accommodate awkward shapes and slanting ceilings in this Grade II listed mill house renovation, project collaboration with HollandGreen Architecture & Interior Design
Personalising smaller spaces
This bespoke seating has been crafted to fit neatly within this space, using our design specifications. We handpicked the fabric, which features a striking contemporary pattern and distinctive colourway
In fact, bespoke home design helps to bring your vision to life. If you can imagine it, we can create it, and that applies just as much to furniture as it does to cabinetry and joinery. “With upholstered seating, for example, you may want something that fits exactly within a space,” notes Mark. “Or you may require a certain shape or size to create a specific look. So, bespoke home design can provide a great sense of personal creation and uniqueness, which all help to make a truly personalised space.”
This luxury blue bar area is completely bespoke, from the stylish bar top and the curved leather-clad panels to the brass inlay detail on the walls
Introducing technology to your home design
Smart homes with connected devices can provide additional comfort and luxury in a bespoke setting. In fact, integrating technology into the home has become a key concern for bespoke interior design. So, we keep up-to-date with the latest design software and look at ways in which this can be advantageous to you and your home. At Mark Taylor Design, we can design intelligent homes, which will integrate innovative tech, to create an entertainment hub as the home is no longer just a living space.
Putting systems in place
We tend to work with clients who don’t want unsightly hi-tech equipment to be the main feature throughout their home. Mark explains: “Our secret is to keep your environment soft and welcoming by hiding some technology from view where possible. However, beautiful tech, such as B&O speakers, which resemble works of art, can also become an integral part of the room’s design, which will enhance its overall vibe.”
We designed pull-out filing drawers, and a tray for a printer, behind these cupboard doors to hide everything from view when not in use
Technology continues to advance at great pace where speakers can be plastered within your walls so they are hidden from view. Voice recognition apps allow you to operate your heating and lighting and you can set your dishwasher to switch on in advance via a Smartphone from a remote location. You can pre-programme autonomous vacuum cleaners and mowers, making housework and gardening less stressful and time-consuming.
A phone charging point has been built within this work surface, which blends old materials with new technology. The worktop has been crafted from a waney-edged piece of oak complete with bark. Place the phone on the oak top and, when you hear a ‘ping’, your phone starts charging.
Hi-tech lighting control
Lighting is one of the most crucial elements, which will add atmosphere to a room and Mark explains: “Lighting control can alter the mood of a room with a verbal instruction or via a Smartphone. You can create party vibes or add interest to a child’s bedroom with colour-changing lights. You can also change the warmth of your light without the need to change any bulbs. ”
The importance of lighting design
As mentioned, the role of lighting within bespoke home design cannot be overstated. “We have learned a lot about lighting over the past few years, by attending lectures with specialist lighting companies, and working with lighting experts,” Mark reveals. “Lighting is recognised more, and we know that it changes our moods, and can be used really effectively to enhance the spaces we live in.”
“Principally we look at light temperature, using mainly warm lighting in people’s homes. We also consider the direction of lighting, and the intensity, which can be controlled by dimmer switches.”
This room incorporates a great variety of lighting, including alcove lights, wall lights, and a circular light that glows down on the side table
Practical home design elements and aesthetic finishes
We believe the best bespoke home design combines practical benefits with appealing aesthetics. In other words, think about what you need, what you’d like, and how everything should look. After all, different lifestyles require different priorities. For example, at Mark Taylor Design, we can customise home office furniture to hold everything from lever-arch files to printers. We can also design hall units to accommodate coats, school bags and hockey sticks. Kitchen cupboards can incorporate concealed storage space to maintain a clean, clutter-free look. In fact, bespoke design is all about making life easier – and easier means different things to different clients.
Making less to mean more
Bespoke home design tends not to shout. Often its objective is to help elements blend in, not stand out. What you don’t notice can be just as important – and finer details play a key role.
Here the Quooker tap, soap dispensers and waste disposal buttons are all colour-matched in an antique brass finish, which ties in with the kitchen’s light fittings, door handles and faceplates
In size terms, it’s a small element, but the right brassware, for example, can make a big difference when coordinating metallics in the kitchen. “Keeping handles small and discreet will ensure they won’t detract from and overpower furniture doors,” notes Mark.
Being creative with colour
Colour impacts, influences and enhances bespoke home design. “In all our projects, we allocate time to achieve the right colour combinations,” Mark confirms. “This involves mood boards, and usually site visits to check that the colours, fabrics and textures we have chosen work in natural light.”
In this bespoke bar area, the deep gold colourway in the alcoves and mini spotlights instantly help to enhance the display statues. These niches create contrast against the blue wall, yet tie in beautifully with the solid brass inlay detail
Bright or contrasting colours can really make a space pop, as can combining different colours and textures. However, colour minimalism can also make a serious style statement. “Using one colour on the skirting, walls and furniture within a space really makes any detail stand out,” Mark explains.
This bespoke interior features one colour on the skirting, walls and furniture. We added oversized mouldings to the latter, and tongue and groove panelling on the walls. These elements help to create more texture and depth and we have carefully created shadows through our lighting design
Adding texture
The brick slips on this kitchen wall add texture, which helps to create more depth in this room design. These also provide contrast against the bespoke mid-blue cabinetry
Texture is key in interior design in terms of adding dimension and comfort to a room. After all, the way in which a surface or material looks or feels and layering the look can help to add depth to a space. Mark notes: “Texture adds another dimension, beyond colour and space. It provides a way to cast positive shadows to accentuate corners or to reflect light in a different way. Texture will add visual interest and will drive the eye to various parts of the wall or surface. Finally, in larger space it does more and works harder than flat colour.”
This bespoke bookcase features a wallpapered back panel. The tone is darker than the room’s wallpaper to add a pop to this piece of furniture. We added discreet lighting, too, which helps to highlight featured ornaments on the shelves
Versatile functionality in home design
Both ambient, accent and task lighting have a key role to play. “For ambient lighting, we might create a background light from ceilings or LED strips running around a room,” Mark explains. “Accent lighting aims to highlight areas or items such as paintings, bookcases, pieces of sculpture or joinery.
Backlit shelves in this home office instantly add warmth and these help to create a distinctive display
“As its name suggests, task lighting helps to highlight an area where you carry out specific tasks, such as a kitchen work surface.” Mark concludes: “When you turn off task lighting, ambient lighting can take over, which will help to make the area feel softer. This is especially relevant when you use a space for different activities, or at various times of the day and night.”
For more information about our bespoke home design services, or to discuss a forthcoming project, please contact us here.