A new-build family home combining open-plan living, double-height spaces and strong visual connections between floors.
Location
Bromsgrove
Project Type
Bespoke Self-Build
Accommodation
5 bedrooms, and home office
Core Design Element:
Central fire place around open plan for large gatherings
The client’s requirements and objectives
The house was designed for a family who regularly host large gatherings and special occasions. They wanted generous social spaces with excellent connectivity, allowing guests and family members to interact while using different parts of the home.
Maintaining a visual relationship between the ground and first floors was also important, as was creating a home office that provided an appropriate place to work without feeling isolated from family life
The initial challenges and constraints
The principal challenge was to combine the openness required for entertaining with clearly defined spaces for everyday living.
The house needed to feel connected without becoming one undifferentiated room, while quieter areas such as the office and bedrooms still required suitable privacy.
The approach and design process
A welcoming entrance hall opens directly towards the living room, dining area and kitchen, immediately revealing the social heart of the house.
These spaces remain visually connected but are subtly defined by vertical timber slats and a central chimney breast. Rather than forming solid barriers, these elements organise the plan, frame views and give each area its own identity.
The chimney breast acts as the physical and symbolic heart of the home, anchoring the main living spaces and creating a natural focal point for family life and gatherings.
The living room features a dramatic double-height space and expansive front window. Together, these bring natural light deep into the house, create views between levels and give the principal living area a grand sense of scale.
Notable design results and successes
The defining success of the project is its balance between openness and enclosure. The kitchen, dining and living spaces each feel distinct, yet remain part of one coherent environment.
The central chimney breast, timber screens and double-height living room create a connected interior in which family members can enjoy their own spaces without feeling separated from the life of the home.
The completed design provides a spacious family home that can adapt easily between daily routines and larger social occasions.
