Modern sitting room featuring a wood burner with flue, slatted oak panelling, neutral curved furniture, and layered textures in a Cotswolds home.

Contemporary Cotswold Home – New Build Designed For Modern Living

At a Glance

Location
Randwick, Gloucestershire

Client
Young retirees, formerly senior professionals, now active
members of the local community

Property
A striking three-level new build in a contemporary Cotswold
style, with living spaces arranged on the first floor to take in
far-reaching views

Rooms Transformed
Open-plan dining area and first-floor sitting room

Scope
Complete design and delivery of both rooms, including custom furniture, bespoke joinery, motorised blinds, and full installation

Investment
£90K+ across both phases (approx.)

Timeline
Delivered in two phases over two years

Why They Chose Us
Having worked with us previously, the clients returned for help transforming a large, open-plan layout they found overwhelming to furnish. They trusted our ability to create something bold, personal, and functional.

Design Intent
To introduce warmth, colour, and comfort into a striking modern home; creating a place to host, relax, and feel at ease. The goal: high-impact spaces that felt inviting and personal, not just impressive.

Result
A bold and confident scheme with plenty of softness and warmth — comfortable enough for daily living, practical for entertaining, and cleverly designed to navigate the challenges of open-plan living.

Sitting room with wood-burning stove in a contemporary Cotswold home

Brass side table and sculptural sofa in a contemporary Cotswold home

Black wood-burning stove set against a white wall with vertical oak slatted panelling and stacked log storage.

Greenery in a deep blue glass vase set in front of abstract artwork in a modern interior.

Close-up of velvet scatter cushions in shades of navy, teal and sage on a pale blue sofa.

Woven table lamp set in front of slatted oak panelling with a matching timber surface.

Background & Client Brief

Chris and Alison had recently moved from a traditional cottage into a dramatically different home; an architect-designed, contemporary property on three levels. With the main living areas on the first floor, expansive views, and an open-plan layout, they were excited but unsure how to begin furnishing the space.

They knew they wanted warmth and wow-factor, but had no idea how to achieve it themselves.

“We didn’t know where to begin! We’d moved from a small cottage to something totally modern and had no idea how to approach it.”

Their brief to us was clear:

Give the space personality
Make it comfortable for everyday life
Build in enough flexibility and seating for entertaining friends and family
Work with colours they loved
Add practicality without sacrificing style
Add the ‘wow’ factor

Pale woven sofa with blue velvet scatter cushions in a contemporary Cotswold home

Handcrafted ceramic jug placed on stacked books

Sculptural bronze lamp and accessories on oak console

Curved oak console table with sculptural lamp and florals

Design Goals & Our Approach

Sitting Room

The goal was a welcoming, grown-up living space that retained the impact of the architecture without feeling stark. It needed to seat up to 8 people comfortably, incorporate a large TV without it dominating the space, and address a major challenge: the off-centre log burner, which created visual imbalance.

Our solution:

Introduced slatted timber acoustic panelling to remove the focus from the off-centre log burner and rebalance the room
Chose a Samsung Frame TV, which doubles as art
Designed a generous, bespoke sofa to suit our tall client
Used layers of blues and neutrals to soften the space and make it feel calm but full of personality

Two sofas with velvet scatter cushions in soft blues and navies, separated by a sculptural brass side table

Challenges Overcome

The position of the log burner — set off-centre on the main wall — was a real challenge. Symmetry wasn’t possible, so we designed a solution that embraced the asymmetry: vertical timber panelling concealed cabinetry created a striking visual focal point.

The position of the TV, given the size requirement, was a major challenge and we drew up multiple options and also considered a projector as a solution. Finally settling on this one with a Frame TV which converts to artwork and solved the problem of having a large black rectangle on the wall when the TV was not in use.

Contemporary living room with pale blue sofa, woodburner and full-height glazing

White sideboard with oak top, Frame TV artwork and log storage

Key Features across both rooms

Bespoke dresser in the dining area with aubergine interior and lighting — built by a local joiner with decorative cross detailing on the base
Custom seating, including a deep sofa designed for full-length reclining
Handmade window treatments throughout—motorised, heat-repellent blinds and sheer curtains that preserve the view and let light in
Thoughtful layout planning to address awkward elements (like the off-centre log burner) and make the rooms feel purposeful and considered

Design Goals & Our Approach

Dining Area

The kitchen formed part of an open-plan space, and the clients wanted the dining area to feel distinct from the more functional cooking zone. They wanted a scheme that would work equally well for daytime living and evening entertaining.

Key requirements:

Comfortable dining chairs for long, sociable meals
A dining table that could withstand hot dishes without mats
Lighting that worked across times of day
Heat-repelling, motorised blinds to maintain a cool interior
Built-in storage for specific kitchen/dining items
A more “living room feel” to soften the kitchen setting

Dining table with pendant lights and view across the Cotswold hills

Contemporary bar cabinet with open shelving and integrated lighting in a Cotswolds home

Challenges Overcome

The clients didn’t want to refit the kitchen but didn’t love the grey doors chosen by the builder. We needed to come up with a scheme that caught your eye as soon as you ascended the stairs to the first floor and the open plan kitchen, dining landing area. The clients had very specific storage requirements in terms of items they wanted to store and ease of access. We designed the dresser to house these items and the curves and grooved lines of the design plus the aubergine interiors ensured that it didn’t look like another kitchen cupboard. The dining table needed to be durable enough to take hot dishes without mats and extendable for larger gatherings.

Open-plan kitchen and dining space with red bar stools, blue velvet chairs, and modern staircase in a contemporary Cotswold home

Client Experience

We had no idea where to start – but absolutely everything went exactly as Julia and Jess explained it would. We are far more than happy with the result – it’s absolutely terrific. Trust the process and the people: you’re in a very safe pair of hands.

Chris & Alison, Randwick

The clients appreciated:

A clear, structured process from the outset
Friendly, relaxed communication balanced with strong professionalism
Perfect punctuality and reliability—”a breath of fresh air” compared to other trades
Excellent project management, on budget
Design outcomes they “hadn’t dreamed of”

Cocktail ingredients, glassware and garnishes set out on a white kitchen island in a contemporary Cotswold home.

Contemporary open-plan dining space with sculptural blue chairs, geometric rug, and curved cabinetry in a Cotswold home.

Project Highlights

Creative handling of spatial quirks (like the fireplace)
Bold colour choices that feel calm and timeless
Bespoke joinery that’s both beautiful and functional
A home that feels genuinely theirs — tailored, liveable, and warm

Detail of a hand extending a modern black dining table in a Cotswold home, with blue velvet chairs and countryside views.

Minimal brass pendant light with shade above dining area

Close-up of dark marble dining table with rounded edge and blue velvet chair

White cabinet with diagonal red lines and open push-latch door

Sculptural table lamp with circular motif and white rectangular shade

The Result

Two striking, welcoming rooms that feel calm, comfortable, and made to be used. The palette and textures reflect the couple’s taste, while the layout solves key functional challenges without compromising on design integrity.

Although the project is complete, we remain in touch and continue to advise them from time to time on artwork and smaller finishing touches.

Before : Empty living room with cream walls, exposed wood burner flue, and panoramic glazing overlooking Cotswold countryside.

3D Visual : Rendered concept of sitting room layout with layered textiles, fireplace update, slatted feature wall, and contemporary furniture arrangement.

After : Finished sitting room with soft blues, tailored joinery, and layered styling — a calm, welcoming space now fully brought to life.

Before : Empty open-plan kitchen and dining space before renovation, with grey floor tiles, white walls, and minimal fittings.

After : Contemporary open-plan kitchen and dining area with custom cabinetry, blue velvet chairs, and pendant lighting in a Cotswold home.

3D Visual : Proposed sitting room layout with blue-toned sofas, sculptural furniture and layered lighting

After : Completed sitting room with curved sofas, abstract art and blue accent cushions in a modern Cotswold home

Thinking about a renovation, but feeling unsure where to begin?

Discuss your project with us — a straightforward chat to explore your plans, ask questions, and see how we might support you in creating a home that simply works.

No obligation. Just honest advice, clear thinking, and a chance to find out if we’re a good match for your project.