Retrouvius

We mentioned the design store Retrouvius in our autumn newsletter. Over the summer, we hand-laid more than 1,200 mosaic tiles from this reclamation and design store for a client's splashback.  

Based in West London, the Retrouvius store is filled with a carefully curated selection of architectural and homeware gems. From lighting to door handles and columns and flooring, there are so many interesting and exciting pieces collected and sold by Retrouvius. It's perfect for finding that unique item for your home.

We also love their motto, "bridging the gap from destruction to construction."

If you can't make it their warehouse just yet, you can view many of their items online. Here are a few pieces we liked from their website:

 (All photos via Retrouvius website)

And the winner is....

When we finish a project we always ask our clients to complete a feedback form. To show that we truly value their comments, each client who participates is entered into a draw. The winner receives vouchers to John Lewis / Waitrose stores.

Charlotte and Mark from Twickenham won our last draw. The accompanying photos show just some of the work we completed on their home last January.

The draw is completely random, but it is worth mentioning that Charlotte and Mark, like all our customers, were very pleased with the work. They said, "Communication was excellent. The team led by Rafal was outstanding. We will be back for more work!"

Congratulations, Charlotte and Mark.

Home inspiration in Queen's Park

We enjoyed this peek into the home of Iris fashion boutique owner, Sarah Claassen. Located in Queens Park (NW6), the home was completely refurbished. Building work included a reconfigured layout, new walls, floors, ceilings, and a two-storey extension into the garden. 

You'll see the use of black walls and floorboards, a colour that most people overlook as too dark and harsh for a family home. Sarah manages to soften the black, using Farrow & Ball's Off-Black and contrasting the colour with restored white ceiling roses and cornicing, and gorgeous plaster heads—one of the few original features that could be saved in the house.

The flooring is Engineered Character Oak, with a black stair runner, bringing all the elements together.

What do you think of Sarah's home? Would you consider using black or off-black as a main colour in your home? 

(All images scanned via LivingEtc, May 2011.)

Lacanche range cookers

Recently, one of our clients bought a Lacanche range cooker for a gorgeous kitchen we refurbished. If you haven't heard of this French brand, Lacanche stoves are "serious cookers for serious cooks". These range cookers have been produced for more than 200 years in the Burgundian countryside in France and they are well-respected among the elite cooking crowd.

What's so special about Lacanche?  Each range cooker is bespoke and made to order by hand—Yes, hand! The Lacanche customer specifies everything for these cookers, from the hob and oven types to the duel fuel options, enamel finishes and the various trims.

It's no surprise then, that some of Britain's most famous cooks like Delia Smith, Hugh Fearnley-Whittingtall and Lloyd Grossman, are proud owners of Lacanche range cookers too.

We had a go at creating our very own dream Lacanche cooker. Head on over to the website and build your own as well.

Refurbishment in Teddington

Tiptoe Builders are also working on a refurbishment in Teddington. The photos, above, show the installation of a water underfloor heating system. Next, we'll add new electrics, plumbing, plastering and finish by decorating the new kitchen and living space.

The team has also concealed a door and then created a new door opening, with a fanlight in the external brickwork.

Photos of the finished work to follow.

Ealing bathroom

We've just completed work on a lovely bathroom in Ealing (photographed, above). We were so pleased when we received this positive email from the client:

"Thanks so much to your team for all their hard work. They did a fantastic job and I'm pleased with the finish and quality of my bathroom."

You can find more customer feedback on our website, right here.