This recently completed multi-million pound house was built on a vacant plot in Kensington. From the surface it looks like a traditional four storey mews, but it includes a three storey basement concealing a swimming pool and TV cinema. The design brief given to John Cullen for the lighting design was balancing the needs of the traditional architecture of the exterior and above ground floors with its secret subterranean levels which demanded a stronger, more contemporary scheme.
Design Director Lucy Martin says “The key to the project was the discreet lighting in the sculptural staircase which reinforces the important architectural task of pulling all the floors together.” Concealed lighting was used wherever possible to create an effective, simple and dramatic scheme that would carry broad appeal. Ease of maintenance was also considered and energy efficient LEDs from the John Cullen range were used where appropriate. Lighting is layered throughout all levels to provide a versatile lighting scheme to suit different times of the day. This was particularly important for the lower ground floors without any daylight. Careful circuiting of the lighting coupled with the use of the lighting control system was designed to make a very large house easy to use, as well as being a joy to live in.