Surrey Hills Family Home

At Pfeiffer Design, our principal expertise is new-build interior architecture and design. The best possible results are always achieved when our full service is utilised, so that as interior designers we can positively the shape the end result. This way, our clients can be assured that all the interior elements work seamlessly together and have been considered with the bigger picture in mind, rather than on an individual basis where gaps and inconsistencies may occur. This particular residential project was the perfect example of this. As interior architects and designers, we were involved in design and specification from the ground up. The clients elected Pfeiffer Design to work alongside a team involving an architect, main contractor, structural engineer, quantity surveyor and subcontractors to deliver a beautiful new build timber clad family home nestled in the Surrey Hills in Guildford. We are still working on putting the final touches to the design, in the form of bespoke and off-the-peg furniture and furnishings, window dressings, soft furnishings and accessories. but simply couldn’t wait to share.

As lead designer on this project, Jenna initially produced a design concept and layout options, followed by technical detailed design packages in the form of detailed lighting, electrical and smart home layouts, joinery, sanitary and specification of fixed elements, such as tiling, flooring and ironmongery. We really got to flex our lighting design muscles and provided a full lighting package for this project – which included design and specification of both the technical and decorative lighting throughout the home. We loved working as part of a wider team on this project, attending monthly site meetings and liaising with the main contractor, O&D, as well as subcontractors, suppliers, tradesmen and specialists throughout the build.

The beautiful spiralling timber-tread oak staircase was an integral part of Jenna’s vision. She enlisted the help of Smet Staircases to help bring her vision to life. They designed and built the incredible bespoke staircase in their workshop to her exacting specification and installed on site. Using our specialist lighting design expertise, we worked alongside Smet to integrate LED strip lighting within the walnut handrail for that wow-effect and ambient glow.

In terms of style, this beautiful family home reflects its Surrey countryside roots. Classical and neutral, its timber-framed exterior influenced the design for the interior spaces. Pfeiffer Design specified timeless finishes such as herringbone-format engineered pale oak flooring, classic dado-height panelling, and a neutral colour scheme throughout, whilst introducing a nod to the contemporary in the form of dark smoked bronze ironmongery, electrical accessories and contemporary technical and decorative lighting. Walls were painted in Farrow & Ball Strong White, woodwork in Cornforth White and the panelled snug in Downpipe to create a cosy, intimate space in which to spend time together watching TV and films. The Martin Moore kitchen fit the brief exactly, emulating the classic contemporary style so befitting of a Surrey Hills family home.

We worked with one of our favourite and most trusted lighting suppliers, Rothschild & Bickers, to create a bespoke ‘Pick-n-Mix’ stairwell pendant which created a striking focal point with the home. Henny has been really busy in our workshop making bespoke curtains and Roman blinds to complete the scheme and bring some softness and colour to the contemporary neutral palette. We are hoping to  to specify and procure off-the-peg furniture and accessories as well as designing and making bespoke upholstered furniture for the home in the new year.

We really loved working as part of a large collaborative team on this project, attending monthly site meetings with main contractor and clients, ensuring that we were all on the same page month to month and working to schedule and within budget. Our technical skills were really put to the test on such a major project, where every detail counts – our exceptional attention to detail becoming paramount to its success and the cohesion in the design throughout. We think the results really speak for themselves!