Everything is starting to come together in Sandbach, but as lockdown hits again, Kunal and Thomas remind themselves of just why they are on this journey – and that all will come right in the end
Thomas Hope and Kunal Trehan began their Sandbach self-build expecting the occasional hiccup along the way, but couldn’t have anticipated the impact of a global pandemic: not only the delays caused by the full lockdown of 2020, but the increased difficulties in arranging the logistics of deliveries from Europe and sudden shortages in materials from plaster to marble.
‘As we entered lockdown again in January we knew things would slow down again,’ Kunal says, ‘but this time we had fair warning and I had built contingencies into the plans. Certain materials I knew would be hard to find, so ordered much earlier than I would otherwise have done, and of course we have to be ready for any of the teams working on the house to have to self-isolate at any time, should somebody contract Covid, or be in contact with someone who has. It’s not an easy time, for anybody, but Thomas and I have taken a breath, stepped back and reminded ourselves we shall, of course, be in our home soon.’
Thomas says: ‘Our original planned moving in date was last summer; our new planned moving in date is early March – but if that has to move, so be it. In the meantime, we are enjoying seeing it all come together, and admiring some of the items we first chose more than a year ago, and are now finally seeing ‘in the flesh’, as it were.’
Entrance Pivot Hinge Door: We talked about our front door in an earlier issue, and are thrilled to say it’s delivered all our expectations. We were in agreement from the offset we wanted a robust statement entrance door, that not only was oversized but packed full of high-tech security features. This beautiful bespoke piece is finished in an oxidised finish and weighs in at half a tonne. Add to that its span of 1400mm and it certainly gives us everything we wanted. We finished the look by adding the two-metre-tall hammered bronze handle to both sides, for that added sense of arrival.
Wall lights: When considering the wall lights for the hallway, we wanted a design that was sculptural in form and offered a soft lighting effect creating a warm glow. We finally settled on the Lava brass wall lights from Touched Interiors. This stunning piece is created by cast brass and bronze glass, and suits our entrance scheme perfectly.
Agate backdrop: We absolutely love this agate backdrop chosen for our ground floor WC. We decided to continue the agate on the ceiling to complete the look. In front of this an oversized half-moon mirror will be projected, with accents of brass and a circular floor-standing sink, upholstered in leather, all beautifully lit with mood LED lighting to bring the tones to life.
Double-height dual-aspect structural glazing: The glazing was a vital part of our design from day one. When designing the house we wanted a real connection to the landscape outside and this dual-aspect structural glazing window has not disappointed us. When the snowfall came, the connection to the outside could not have been stronger. Thankfully the heat was on and we managed to enjoy the beautiful, snow-filled views in comfort. Taking the glazing into the roof has elevated the design and the outcome we wanted to achieve.
The Sensory vase: While designing the structure of the house we at the same time designed the interior of every room, to ensure the mechanics were all planned in the place we needed them to be. It may seem odd to have chosen our accessories before the house was even built, but we both fell in love with this piece as soon as we saw it. It’s handmade in Italy, with a ceramic structure and the sculptural detail of the polished gold hands contrasting against the white is simply stunning. We have chosen two of these for our drawing room and will bring the piece to life with a fresh floral arrangement.
Discover the delicious drawing room designed by Kunal and Thomas...
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