Two designers from Cheltenham-based Obsidian Interiors, have reached the finals of the Designer Awards.
Alison Evans and Lynsey Rowe’s designs caught the eye of judges at the prestigious national awards, which recognise the best interior design work across the country.
Obsidian Interiors, situated on Fairview Road in Cheltenham, is part of the family-owned Bence Group, founded in 1854.
Interior designer Lynsey Rowe, who has worked for Obsidian for over four years, is a finalist in the ‘Bathroom Designer of the Year – Under £15k’ category, for her design of a bathroom under the eaves of a Victorian terraced home in Cheltenham.
Lead designer and showroom manager Alison Evans, who joined Obsidian in 2016 is a finalist in the ‘Super Lux Project Design – Bathroom’ category, having created a luxury ensuite bathroom in an Edwardian family home in the town.
Lynsey said: “A huge amount of work goes into projects like this, so it is really rewarding to be recognised by the Design Awards. Social media has led many people to believe a project is as simple as a quick makeover and a ‘before and after’ shot, but it’s so much more. At Obsidian we pride ourselves on taking the time to really get to know our clients, asking about their likes and dislikes, their tastes, what they need the space to do and of course, making sure our design is in keeping with the rest of their house.’
She continued: “In this case, my clients were renovating their entire house so rather than use our own installation team, I worked directly with their contractors. As the bathroom was in the loft of the house, there was a lot of technical work involved, from making sure I chose tiles that need minimal amounts of cutting, to getting the grout lines and the heights of the cabinets right and ultimately making sure the patterns and textures I chose worked in the scale of the relatively small room. My clients said they wanted something a bit different but were nervous about doing anything too drastic; I asked them to trust me, which they did and I was allowed to be really creative which, as you can see, achieved a great result which they, and apparently the judges, loved.”
Lynsey’s client said: “I love it. It’s really different for me because everything in the rest of the house is very neutral, but my husband and I both wanted to go a little bit crazy and quirky with the bathroom in the loft and we’re thrilled with the results (in fact it is the only room in the house that we both love.) We didn’t do any amends to Lynsey’s design for the room at all; she asked us to trust her and we are so glad we did. When people see photos, the bathroom in the loft is always the one they comment on; everyone loves the tiles. We really hope Lynsey wins the award, she did such a great job for us and we’d be thrilled for her if she won.”
Lead designer Alison Evans was working with a couple who’d recently added a new two-storey extension onto their large Edwardian house in the town, which included a brand-new master bedroom, master bathroom, dressing room and ensuite bathroom. The brief from her clients was that they wanted the bathroom to be a showpiece but to retain the original character of the period house. To ensure continuity, Alison carried the Edwardian cornicing and skirting through from the original house into the new bathroom, which also housed his and hers showers, sinks and toilets. A stud wall was installed at the entrance to form a feature wall with a free-standing bath and Alison used book-matched porcelain tiles on the walls, revealed by slide-back pocket doors. The effect was luxurious, light and airy.
Alison said: “I really enjoyed working on this project, mindful not only of the client’s brief for a luxurious, show-stopping space but also ensuring we kept the Edwardian features. My clients wanted double sinks, showers and toilets so there was quite a lot to fit in. I installed a stud wall to help break up the space. They were nervous about the use of too much pattern but when I asked them to trust me they did and were delighted with the finished look.’
Alison’s client said: “‘We knew we wanted our new bathroom to be a showstopper but apart from that we didn’t know what styles or colours we wanted. Alison spent time getting to know us and finding out what we liked and didn’t like, then put forward lots of ideas. Our master en-suite now really has the wow factor we were hoping for. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend Alison if you are looking for quality and individuality.”
Alison continued: “I have spent 25 years designing homes for clients across the Southwest; when a client gives me free rein like this, it gives me the opportunity to create something really special. The bathroom is light, opulent and spacious and the view from the master bedroom gave us the showstopper effect we were looking for. Ultimately, I design rooms for my clients, not to win awards, but it’s very flattering when one is recognised in this way; I am very grateful to the judges for choosing Lynsey and I as finalists in the Designer Awards and we look forward to seeing them at the finals on 25 November 2022 in London.
To find out more about Obsidian Interiors visit their website at: https://obsidian-interiors.co.uk/