Page 135 - Homes amp Gardens UK February 2021

THE ARCHITECT
CLAIRE SA, DE ROSEE SA

CLAIRE Sa established architectural practice De
Rosee Sa with Max de Rosee in 2007. They now have
offices in London, Brussels and Lisbon. The practice

is known for its elegant residential work, a skilled
use of materials and detailing, and considerable
experience of working with period buildings.

Take time to make your design decisions. ‘The
project always suffers when you rush into a build.

Making a Pinterest scrapbook is a good way to pull
together ideas and then plan a look to stick to. Be
careful of going for the contractor who promises to
do it faster than anyone else, and set aside a budget

for contingencies. We usually recommend 10%.’
A micro home Planning ahead is vital and manage expectations
office by De at the outset. ‘If a budget is restricted, it is better
Rosee Sa
to use it for fewer carefully considered spaces so I
designed to be
would limit the number of floors or rooms you work
invisible once the
door is closed on. I would say the most value is probably achieved
by creating the space, in other words optimising the

volume or area. The decorative ‘cosmetic’ layers can
always be done afterwards.’
Go for sustainable solutions. Plan in a rainwater

harvesting tank or solar panels. It is also really
important to take stock at the start of what possible
building materials, eg floors, doors, etc, you could

recycle into the project.
Spend your budget on areas of the house that take
a battering, such as kitchens. ‘Invest in a good quality

stone worksurface, but save by installing carcassing
by Ikea or Howdens for the units instead of buying
bespoke. A quality floor is also a good idea for heavily
trafficked areas. However, if you can’t afford £100-

200sq m for a wood floor, you can buy long lengths
of pine boards from a builders’ merchant at about
£25sq m and paint them with a wash or floor paint

(Farrow & Ball do a floor paint range).’
Research can yield clever solutions. ‘I am always
testing new materials and love anything that looks
Small details such great and is cheap. For example, if you don’t want
as a clothes airer,
to spend a huge amount on lining a shower with
shown here in a De
expensive stone, you could try Mortex (bealmortex.
Rosee Sa project, PHOTOGRAPHS (TOP) ALEXANDER JAMES
are an inexpensive com) to line the tray and walls. It’s a little like
way to streamline tadelakt and comes in a range of colours.
daily chores ■ deroseesa.com

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