Fluidstone Studio has recently been part of an exciting project; a design of an open plan kitchen, living and dining area in a property in Oxford. The space has been transformed into an ultra-modern hub for the home – perfect from everything to cooking up a storm to entertaining guests and relaxing on a calm Sunday.
We cast a large 4-metre long concrete worktop with a chunky 100mm edge. Concrete naturally has a warm and earthy feel, so we decided to leave some of the inherent voids along the edges of the worktop to work together with the rustic reclaimed oak units.
The worktop sits on top of a kitchen island, which has been handcrafted by local artisan Jos Smith Winney. He crafted this and the floating shelves using reclaimed oak from a church in High Wycombe that is 4 centuries old.
The owners of this home have slightly different interior tastes; which we can see being paired harmoniously.
Embracing the Earthy Tones
Nature is more and more becoming a place of longing. The hectic pace of a city like Oxford, along with the use of technology and work deadlines may require a calming green space to retreat to at the end of the day – and this home has just that.
The colour green plays an important role in the interior. Botanical elements pair in different textures with all sorts of different shades of green. Concrete compliments this greenery perfectly; and alongside the sliding glass windows, blurring the lines between the indoors and outdoors, a marriage of natural and manmade has been created.
The teal wall in the living space was a colour they had mixed up especially, popping against the natural tones of the units and concrete. This is coordinated with houseplants adorning the shelves that further bring the garden indoors.
Industrial Interiors
The design of this room also touches upon the industrial interior design style too – another excellent pairing for concretes natural roughness. The hanging lights above the island and wire caged bar stools create an effortlessly cool aesthetic to the kitchen area and forming a generous breakfast bar.
The dark charcoal walls in this area also add to the industrial moodiness, balanced out with reclaimed tiles from Bert & May. The dark tones contrast with the polished concrete floor, which was installed by Midland Flooring during the initial build. It was suggested that control joints were used here, but the clients decided against it to embrace the beautiful and natural cracking.
Overall, this home is a superb example of the pairing of concrete within industrial and green interiors. The warmth and texture of the wood and the saturated green against the cold drama of concrete allow each element to have its moment in the spotlight.
Feel free to contact us if you have any concrete ideas which you want to be brought to life. We love taking on a challenge.
