When exploring the housing market in 2021, James Sharpe was quickly drawn to the original historic features of this detached Victorian house close to Monton. He was keen to keep the existing heritage character, yet combine it with a modern twist or two – such as a cutting-edge kitchen and a state-of-the-art cinema room.
James, who is a Sales Director for a global systems integration company, explains: ‘I absolutely loved the wonderful original features of the house as soon as I saw them, such as the welcoming vestibule and hallway, the imposing bay windows and exterior finials, and even details like the decorative privacy glass. The house is very typically Victorian with high ceilings and deep coving and skirting boards.
‘Once I bought the house, I made sure to protect those characteristics, while also adding some contemporary touches.’
The hallway from the front door features a chequerboard tiled floor which leads straight toward the kitchen, with banisters that curve to follow two separate staircases - one up to the bedrooms and bathrooms above, and one down to the basement level where you’ll find steam room, sauna, and cinema room among others. ‘There was an existing media room down there when I bought the house, but I’ve given it an overhaul to create a really immersive cinema room. It now has a 106” screen, 4k projection and Dolby atmos sound.’
Back upstairs, the kitchen is the ‘centrepiece’ of James’ home and he knew exactly what he wanted and which company would help him achieve his vision.
‘I’ve worked with kitchen designer Diane Berry before, and I was 100% confident she would be able create a stunning modern kitchen that would still work cohesively within the setting of a Victorian house.
‘We worked together on the design to ensure it would look right within the space, and also function exactly how I anticipated. I love to cook and to entertain, so the kitchen was a very important room to get right.
‘It must obviously have been well considered because two years have passed and there’s still nothing I’d change about it.
‘The kitchen is a good representation of my interiors style, as it’s quite a quirky mix of Victorian tradition along with modern efficiency, sleek lines and bold feature pieces. It’s definitely my favourite room in the house. But I think, despite all the kitchen’s bells and whistles, my favourite item in the house has to be the Italian marble fireplace.’
The house is a six-bedroom, three-bathroom property which includes a sauna and steam room. Despite its large size – James completed all the redecorating prior to moving in, within just a month. ‘There were some bigger jobs that inevitably took longer’ he clarifies ‘such as the new kitchen, and the cinema room, but the rest of the house was completely planned and redecorated within a single month.
‘It was no small task either, I think we went through around 45 tins of various Farrow and Ball paints!’
James also made good the grounds and exterior, and believes that paying attention to the details makes a big difference over all. ‘One of the best things I did was to set aside time and budget to renovate the exterior finials and fascias. It really brings the elegance of the house to life.
The exterior of the house includes an expansive garden and a coach house that James soon hopes to renovate for his parents to live in.
![Repairing fascias and finials made a big difference to the overall look of the exterior]()
Repairing fascias and finials made a big difference to the overall look of the exterior ![Before]()
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Diane Berry, multi-award winning Kitchen Designer said
James works long hours but still has a real passion for cooking and entertaining; the more the merrier - dinner for 12 and parties for 50 are commonplace.
Having designed the kitchen in his last house, I had a full understanding of his likes, dislikes and priorities.
This modern kitchen needed to fit well within the old Victorian house, and be a welcoming and sociable space. The hob is on the island so friends can gather around and be part of the ‘theatre’ of the cooking experience, but the Blanco sink is placed further away on the back wall – a feature he liked about his old house.
Pots and pans are close at hand with capacious 1000mm drawers under the hob.
James specified that he also wanted a relaxation area and as many bar stools as possible.
We started by addressing the room, which had an additional small room at one side hidden behind an unused chimney breast. Thankfully our structural engineers confirmed it could come down. This was a huge undertaking but one that has transformed the space, gaining another window in the room and allowing for the relaxation area.
I suggested using a metal island, which would help with a feeling of space in the narrow room as you can see underneath it, and glass cabinets also allow natural light to pass through.
The use of matt black, veneer, quartz and metal bring natural elements together and all sit on quite a traditional parquet floor; a nod to the Victorian home beyond the doorway.
Technology makes this kitchen a dream to use; the hob is linked to the extractor so that it selects the right level as you cook and every appliance used is the very best Miele offers for energy efficiency. The Quooker tap even reduces the use of plastic bottles by providing filtered and sparkling water.
‘Choosing high quality products throughout which are fitted well, means this kitchen will last for many years to come and I’m delighted to have played a part in making this James’ ‘forever home’.
dianeberrykitchens.co.uk
