Interior DesigN: Games Room & Bar

The Project

Extensively redesigned and reconfigured over four years ago, this beautiful detached Edwardian home was thoughtfully extended and elegantly styled to accommodate the evolving needs of a busy family of five.

Originally conceived as a sitting room and snug, the generous reception room gradually took on a new role as an informal games room, thanks in no small part to the popularity of a foldable ping pong table. This shift in how the family used the space ultimately shaped its future.

With teenagers now in the mix, the games room has become a true hub of family life: a place to come together, enjoy quality time, host gatherings and parties, and give the teens a seriously cool space to relax and spend time with friends.

The Brief

Our brief was to introduce the final, thoughtful touches that would bring this welcoming family home to completion. At the heart of the project was the games room, where our focus was on adding personality and warmth through carefully chosen artwork, layered rugs and soft furnishings, alongside designing, installing and styling the new star of the show: a bespoke corner bar.

Our clients have a real appreciation for pieces with a story to tell, so we were keen to create a scheme that brought together antique and contemporary elements, resulting in a space that felt both distinctive and deeply personal.

Alongside the games room, the wider brief included designing and making bespoke footstools, breathing new life into vintage pieces through reupholstery, and updating flooring in key areas of the home. Each detail was carefully considered to introduce greater depth, texture and comfort, bringing a renewed sense of cohesion and character throughout the property.

What We Did

Our aim was to create a compact bar that felt entirely at home within the wider scheme, while delivering a real ‘wow’ factor despite its modest footprint. Given the space available, a freestanding bar counter with storage and a walkway behind would have encroached too heavily on the room (not least at the expense of that all-important ping-pong table!). Instead, we opted for a walk-up design, allowing us to incorporate generous storage and plenty of style, while creating a striking visual focal point.

A short run of cabinetry, finished with a gently curved end, helped the bar feel beautifully proportioned within the room, while also accommodating the internal swing of the glazed kitchen doors. We chose classic Shaker-style fronts, painted in Farrow & Ball’s ‘Railings’ to match the existing room scheme, concealing the drinks fridges behind a seamless run of cabinetry. Brass hardware provides a subtle link to the existing furniture and accessories. Deep blue and brass is a timeless combination, and the inky depth of Railings allows the brass details to shine almost like jewellery.

For the worktop, we selected a dark quartz with delicate gold and amber veining. Not only does it bring a touch of understated glamour, but it also offers a hard-wearing, low-maintenance surface perfectly suited to entertaining.

For the wall storage and display, we sourced a beautiful set of vintage French bobbin shelves from Brock Cottage Home. Working closely with one of our joiners, we reimagined this originally freestanding piece as bespoke wall-mounted shelving, incorporating antique mirror and integrated lighting. The warmth and richness of the timber introduce a wonderful new layer of texture and character, adding depth to the bar area and creating an unmistakable talking point.

One of the most subtle yet transformative additions to the games room was a large bespoke rug. Not only does it soften the acoustics and create a warmer, more inviting atmosphere, it also provides valuable protection for the beautiful Versailles parquet flooring. Finished with a striking double border, the rug cleverly picks up the rich burgundy of the sofa and the deep blue of the walls, bringing the scheme together beautifully.

We also had the pleasure of working with one of our most traditional craftspeople: a third-generation fender seat maker. Together, we introduced beautifully crafted leather fire fenders to both the games room and the sitting room, choosing warm tan leather for the former and deep bottle green for the latter. Designed to stand the test of time, these pieces celebrate the period fireplaces while providing valuable additional seating in both rooms.

Making thoughtful use of the remaining tan leather, we also commissioned a matching drum stool, finished with the same brass studs as the games room fender. A wonderfully versatile addition, it can serve as an extra seat when needed or as a portable side table, moving effortlessly from room to room.

Finally, an array of bespoke cushions helped bring both spaces to life. By pairing plain fabrics with colourful trims, and richly patterned weaves with simpler finishes, we introduced just the right balance of colour, texture and personality. In the sitting room, we also added a bespoke footstool and carefully reupholstered a vintage chair, giving an existing piece a new lease of life and ensuring every detail felt considered and cohesive.