OLIVER FROST
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ISLINGTON, LONDON N7

​A complete remodel of a Victorian 1 bedroom, ground floor garden flat in Highbury, designed by myself and executed by Frost + Massive. In the front garden large floor level garden planters were created by up-cycling the liners of old steel hospital bins, and filled with a variety of succulent plants. A planter/trough, created by cutting down a rejoining sports room lockers, were installed onto the dividing street/front garden wall, both of which were painted with black rust proof metal paint. Black slate slabs were laid on the garden floor, contrasting with the painted white brick wall. An up-cycled wooden bench, with added built in storage was placed at the end of the front garden and a glass and steel lantern was fitted within the porch above the newly painted baby blue front door. In the rear garden the area was covered in timber decking and stained black, large bespoke floor and wall level planters were made out of recycled wooden pallets and painted blue-grey and blue and white LED lights were installed within the planters. An old water feature was fitted onto the wall, and two large black wooden armchairs, with deep seat and back cushions were brought and placed along one side of the space alongside a painted bicycle shed, and an up-cycled steel side table was covered in blue, grey and white mosaic tiles. An extending steel and wood dinning table was constructed, and covered in black granite, and Arne Jacobsen ant chairs where purchased, painted in grey-blue paint to match the planters and placed around the outdoor dining table. The walls were painted in acrylic white paint in order to bounce the light around what would have otherwise been a dark shady garden, and the planters were filled with Ferns, Ivy's, Begonias and other shade loving plants. Inside the property the kitchen (originally located at the rear of the property) was swapped over with the bedroom (originally in the centre of the property). The plaster board stud wall from the narrow corridor that originally ran from the front door to the rear of the property was taken down to create a larger street facing living room and central kitchen/diner, and the window in the new kitchen was replaced with wooden french doors that were in keeping with the rest of the property. In the process of swapping over the bedroom and kitchen, new sewage pipes, plumbing and electrics were laid underfloor, and above floor level, and the boiler was relocated. A section of the chimney breast in the new kitchen was removed in order to accommodate the built in shaker style kitchen with double/ceiling height wall cupboards, alongside a 5cm thick solid oak worktop, white metro tiles, a traditional butler sink, integrated appliances, a stainless steel - pull out hose tap, and LED lights were installed under the wall cabinets and base units creating an illusion of a floating kitchen when illuminated. A matching shaker style fitted dresser was also built into one of the fireplace alcoves, and sunken lights were fitted within the ceiling where needed alongside a large statement piece cage light that was hung above a purchased second hand stripped farmhouse oak dinning table in the centre of the kitchen and completed with primary coloured Eames dinning chairs. The relocated bedroom at the rear of the property had fitted wardrobes installed and LED down lighting was integrated into the marginally lowered boxed in structural parts of the ceiling. In the Bathroom a new square modernist deep fill/extra wide bath was fitted, alongside a toilet and square sink that was mounted onto an old stripped back oak chest of drawers, and a second window was fitted in the bathroom wall which looked out into the rear garden, allowing more light into the previously dark bathroom, and the window ledges were finished with off cuts of the solid oak worktop left over from the kitchen. In the living room a victorian reproduction fireplace was installed, bespoke cupboards and shelving was built and stripped victorian pine doors, were repainted and adapted in order to make shutters that fitted the living room bay window. N
ew pine wooden floorboards that already existed throughout the entire flat (except for the bathroom) we’re coated with light oak stain and lacquered to achieve a finish that matched both the kitchen worktop, and other free standing wooden furniture pieces purchased throughout the flat. After some consideration an Initial discussion about removing the structural wall between the living room and the kitchen/diner was decided against, partly because the work involved was so great, and costly, but also because it was felt that the dividing wall made it possible for the two rooms to contain much needed furniture and storage for belongings, and enabled different zones to exist. It was also felt that open plan living wasn't the right choice for this small flat, as it could have felt like a studio flat as generally speaking it’s the living room/kitchen/diner that you spend most of your time in.  Throughout the flat the walls were painted in soft white emulsion, and pops of colour and depth were added with the addition of a white 3D painting by Manual Nogera which was re-painted in cobalt blue pigment, an up-cycled silver leaf rococo table, an entire wall in the kitchen, painted with blackboard paint, and the internal front door was painted in powder pink. Victorian wooden doors where hung throughout and re-painted white, and brushed stainless steel door handles, light fittings and plug sockets were fitted throughout alongside sunken colour/mood changing LED lighting, and radiator covers were hand made and installed. And finally mid century pieces of furniture were purchased to complete the clean modern pop art look, including an Eames Lounge and Ottoman, Eames Hang It system, Isamu Noguchi’s Tribeca coffee table, Verner Panton and Eames dinning chairs, a George Nelson clock and an Arco floor lamp, and various other contemporary soft furnishings, objects and sculptures.
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  • PROJECTS
  • PUBLIC DISORDAR
  • MASSIVE EGO
  • ABOUT
  • MEDIA
  • CONNECT