Let’s leave Lewes a while. Commitment can be an inspiring ideal. We live in Lewes, we work in Lewes. Sometimes it is good to get out and see something different.
The coast of the British Isles is littered, scarred even, by some appalling, and expensive, architecture.
These sit incongruously, awkwardly and arrogantly on some of our most beautiful landscapes.
Thankfully, there are intelligent, elegant and respectful exceptions.
Travel North from Lewes. Keep going. Around 500 miles. At around 400 miles England opens into Scotland. Another 100 miles or so and you are in the splendour of Edinburgh.
Follow the signs to the coast.
Listen.
Arctic Terns skree and cry, Cormorants, Auks and Shearwaters glide and dive. The rhythmic crash and whoosh of pristine North Sea surf and the bracing saline breeze that whips it.
Other than that. Nothing. Blissful and timeless silence.
This is where Tibi and David Weir felt that instinctive urge to settle a while.
Renton Hall was an imposing residence that had drifted out of care.
Tibi envisaged a purposeful, contemporary and beautiful home. A place that would harmonise respectfully with the environment whilst still demonstrating a confident identity.
Respect for the environment. Respect for the original architecture and respect for a fresh episode of architectural creativity.
An erudite, informed and experienced couple. David was Director of Dovecot dovecotstudios.com, a revered and groundbreaking institution in Edinburgh dedicated to the heritage of Scottish craft.
Tibi runs an amazing little jam business called Dodger dodgerjam.com. With a bit of persuasion we could probably have been convinced to take payment for the project entirely in their Seville Orange Marmalade.
Anyway.
Tibi had a confident, defined vision. A vision that definitely, and thankfully, included an Inglis Hall kitchen.
Early conversations touched on the logistic challenges. Compromises were proposed. The notion of a kitchen crafted by Inglis Hall and transported to Scotland to be installed by others was discussed.
This, remember, is a couple who commit.
As it turned into a project it became something of an opportunity to develop and improve. A heightened sense of purpose, concentration and ultra stringent project management are vital when popping back to the workshop is a 1000 mile round trip.
Zoom calls, the Royal Mail and occasional face to face site meetings. Incredibly focused and productive site meetings.
Just as this house was to sit exquisitely on it’s shore without any unease so, too, the kitchen was to take its place organically within the remodeled house.
The result is a warm family retreat. A space formed for the couple, often their two children and frequently much larger gatherings to relax, to entertain and to appreciate, over food and a drink, this unique and profoundly beautiful point where ancient land meets a vast (and cold) sea.
A palette of subtle colour and material that mirrors and smudges the sublime Tundra tones of the shore and sea.
No element or feature in this beautiful home is extravagant or ostentatious. Pure purpose flawlessly implemented could well be the definitive description.
Remember.
It was the great French philosopher Voltaire who declared “We look to Scotland for all our ideas of civilization”
A huge number of great things have, indeed, come out of Scotland.
Single malt whisky. Jesus and Mary Chain, Robert Burns, Postcard Records and the solemn eloquence of Bill Douglas and his Trilogy of autobiographical documentary films to name a few.
Maybe we just thought it would be an honour to put something of lasting beauty and imposing quality back into the country.
A kitchen, we think, that Voltaire would have sagely nodded his approval of.
A kitchen, more importantly, that our clients love living with.
