When Eelke, Solid Floor's founder, bought an ordinary modern flat off-plan in Hackney in 2014, he had a few years to dream up some radical changes. Being a real wood lover he knew he wanted to incorporate an extra wide, dark oak floor and somehow open up the space to make the most of the natural light. After getting the keys in 2017, he was not afraid to rip out doors and move walls that had only just been erected. Fast forward 3 years and he has created this stunning home with some very clever design tricks we can all learn from.
Opening up the ground floor
Originally the ground floor was composed of three distinctively separate rooms: a central hallway with a living room and a kitchen running on either side of it. By reclaiming space from a large cupboard in the hallway and making the openings into the living room and kitchen larger, not only did the entrance into the house immediately feel much more spacious, but it also poured more light into the whole area.
Textured rustic extra wide plank flooring
The original standard-sized doors were replaced by larger, steel-framed double doors, designed and made by Eelke himself. When open, they allow the floor to flow from one space to the next, while still allowing for privacy when desired. Eelke chose our textured Magma Mayon in a rustic extra wide plank throughout the flat, also using it on the new staircase, the windowsills and as wall cladding in the bathroom.
New staircase
The new staircase features a bespoke made steel bannister (also designed and made by Eelke), seamlessly linking one floor to the next. The space underneath houses a larder and storage unit which is clad in a lighter, contrasting oak end-grain board giving another texture to the scheme. The steel bannister continues into a balustrade upstairs and is topped in matching timber, really showcasing the craftmanship and carpentry skills that our fitters possess.
Flooring on the first floor
The first floor has two bedrooms and an office where the same Magma Mayon was fitted, like downstairs, without thresholds to enhance the idea of space. Throughout the home, the dark Mayon and the white walls provide a strong monochrome background for Eelke’s eclectic furniture pieces and his colourful art collection. With clever design and a team of top-skilled craftsmen, Eelke has managed to make a standard, modern, run-of-the-mill flat into an exceptional home.
