Ace Design Studio took on the interior renovation of this listed building in Edinburgh’s Leith, home to the local hub of a grassroots charity. Multi-Cultural Family Base is an early-intervention social support organisation that promotes wellbeing and opportunities for the vulnerable and disadvantaged. With a £15,000 budget for the project, UK-based Ace Design Studio needed to employ a resourceful approach to obtaining materials and manpower.
The design team took two rooms that had fallen into disarray and turned them into a space to be used for the charity’s group work and activities, and another for counselling. The group room’s high ceilings and large windows make for an open and light space, and different activity zones break the size of the room into smaller areas. Storage is tucked away under benches and in an overhead unit, while soft seating and play areas cater to the room’s varied uses.
Rachel Codd, consultant interior designer on the project, highlights the contributions from people in the community: ‘The volunteering effort to physically complete the works has created a sense of belonging, with so many suppliers pulling through to provide expertise and donations.’ Paint was provided by Graphenstone, and Ikea’s reuse hub was called on for interior pieces, contributing to an overall sustainable ethos for the project.
Ali Uddin, the project’s lead designer, talks of the importance of understanding the needs of the space before embarking on its refurbishment, and the collaborative approach used. ‘It was refreshing to conceptualise with the clients at such a deep social level – identifying specific vulnerabilities of their local community and how interior design could respond with a narrative of collective ownership and familiarity.’
-
Sculptor Woody De Othello paints a Miami museum red for a show that ‘almost hugs you’The Miami-born, California-based artist opens his first museum exhibition in his hometown as an experiential journey through life and lifeless objects
-
Alpine A390 GT: French, fast and fun. A sporting EV with a real sense of occasionAlpine doubles down on its fast electric credentials with the A390 GT, the French performance brand’s largest car to date
-
Forget smart homes, Doma's 'intelligent' doors open at the sight of a familiar faceYves Béhar and Jason Johnson have founded Doma, a tech start-up dedicated to seamlessly integrating tech into your daily life
-
Birch Selsdon is a new country escape on London’s doorstepBirch Selsdon hotel and members’ club is set to open in spring 2023, offering relaxation and natural surroundings just a short skip from London’s bustle
-
Nicole Hollis designs a gem of a Napa Valley guest houseInterior design studio Nicole Hollis has crafted this elegantly balanced Napa Valley guest house, working alongside Arcanum Architecture
-
Studio Ashby unveils tranquil interiors at One Crown PlaceIn muted punctuations of mossy green and vibrant timbers, Studio Ashby has filled the apartments at One Crown Place in London’s Shoreditch with the ‘Sophie Ashby Collection’, completing the introduction of the tower’s spaces
-
Deirdre Dyson’s new geometric rugs cover all the anglesDeirdre Dyson offers a vivid geometry lesson with her ten-strong, made-to-measure ‘Angles’ rug collection
-
Fun and sustainable 3D-printed desk accessories as Pearson Lloyd adds to ‘bFriends‘ series for BeneFrom pen pots to stackable wildlife: new ‘bFriends’ bioplastic desk accessories from Pearson Lloyd for Bene
-
Coedition lands its first colourful showroom in Paris
