Terrazzo Treasure in Hidden Haven
- Project name
- Runcorn Residential
- Project sector
- Residential
- Completion date
- 13/05/25
- Client
- Kathryn and Andy Mitchell
- Ranges
- Spolia
- Photography
Paul Karalius
Kathryn and Andy Mitchell transform an unassuming suburban new build into something special.
Driving through the quiet estate on the outskirts of Runcorn, the houses blur into a rhythm of red-brick repetition: polite new-builds, each a variation on the next. Then a front door opens, the biggest dog I’ve ever seen shambles into view, and Kathryn and Andy Mitchell appear, smiling, welcoming, completely at ease. Moments later I’m standing in the heart of their transformed home, a luminous open-plan space alive with art, texture and a sense of craft.
The couple moved here a few years ago, drawn by its potential rather than its personality. “It was a David Wilson new-build, very generic,” says Kathryn, an interior and workplace designer. “But we knew we could make something special from it.” With architect Sonia Pablo of Space Architecture and contractor Lee Irving of Space Design and Build, they set about re-imagining the rear of the house; knocking through walls, inserting steelwork and wrapping the new structure in corner glazing and Douglas fir beams that flood the space with warm organic light.
“The aim was to create somewhere sociable and uplifting,” says Andy. “A home, not just a house.” The resulting plan arranges four distinct zones: a calm kitchen in one quarter, a snug with soft lighting and deep seating, a generous dining area with a spectacular chandelier, and a reading nook that catches the morning sun. Every surface, from the micro-cement floor to the joinery details, has been considered with care.
The kitchen island is an elegant, sculptural form clad in Spolia, Solus’s British terrazzo. “Everyone wants an island,” says Kathryn, “but we didn’t want a boxy, 90-degree one. We wanted something organic.” In collaboration with the Solus Manchester showroom, the Mitchells developed a bespoke composition of green, caramel and rust tones that echo the timber and brass finishes around it. “It has a warmth and texture we love,” she says. “It ties everything together.”
The palette draws on the couple’s shared love of travel in Africa expressed not through obvious motifs, but through subtle materials and crafted detail. “When we’ve travelled, we’ve loved those interiors where polished concrete meets woven textiles and handmade objects,” Kathryn explains. “We wanted to bring that feeling home.” Artworks from South Africa and pendant lights sourced from small makers add to the story.
That human thread runs through the project. Kathryn speaks warmly of the collaboration: “Sonia brought fresh ideas, the builders were brilliant, and Solus were fantastic. The factory team genuinely cared about the result.” Andy agrees: “It’s been a journey, but a rewarding one. Everyone who visits feels the calm of the place.”
What began as a standard suburban house has become something altogether more personal: a space that reflects its owners’ generosity, curiosity and love of craft. Behind its modest façade, the Mitchell’s home tells a story in light, texture, and terrazzo; a story of how design, handled with care, can turn the everyday into something quietly extraordinary.
