A Home Designed Around Artisan Craftsmanship
- Susan Van Meter
- 1 day ago
- 3 min read
At the Susan Van Meter studio, we believe the most memorable interiors are created when clients embrace individuality. When we were invited back to redesign our client’s master bedroom, we already had a strong understanding of their style: a love of natural materials, a preference for bold colours, and an openness to unexpected design ideas rather than a conservative approach.
Reclaimed Wood as a Design Anchor
The homeowner has always been drawn to greens and blues, colours that evoke nature and bring depth and calm to a space. Earlier in the project, we had designed reclaimed coffee tables for the reception and lounge areas, and the warmth of natural timber had become an important part of the home’s character. The client was keen to introduce wood again in the bedroom.
Texture, Movement and Light
We introduced a bespoke wall finish in the bedroom that would bring warmth and atmosphere while complementing the client’s love of deep colours. The plaster is a fine-grained marmorino, mixed with a unique blend of bronze and gold pigments. After the specialist quartz primer was applied to the walls, three coats of the marmorino plaster were skilfully applied with a trowel and finally polished with a protective bees wax by hand. The product is breathable, which helps reduce condensation and trapped moisture, giving you a healthier building. It’s 100% reusable and biodegradable and helps stabilise indoor temperatures.
Artisan Craftsmanship
We sent several inspirational images of headboards created from reclaimed tree slabs, and the client immediately loved the idea. After sourcing options, we found some beautiful English walnut slabs, which had been seasoned and milled by a specialist timber yard just outside Luton. A furniture maker we regularly collaborate with transformed the slabs into bespoke headboards, crafted to the precise size and finish we required.
Craft Meets Engineering
Once installed, the result was striking. The natural walnut grain forms a sculptural backdrop behind the bed, bringing warmth and organic texture into the room. To enhance the shape of the timber, we integrated LED lighting behind the outer edges of the slabs. This subtle illumination highlights the contours of the wood and creates a soft atmospheric glow in the evening.
Wardrobes That Blend Seamlessly
Rather than replace the existing wardrobes, we chose to integrate them more subtly into the scheme. They were recoloured to match the walls, allowing them to sit quietly within the room rather than dominate it. At the centre of the wardrobe run, we introduced a special feature: double doors handmade in the UK to resemble tree branches. This detail ties beautifully into the natural language of the walnut headboards and reinforces the organic theme running throughout the room.
A Feature Piece in the Hallway
Elsewhere in the home, the same furniture makers had created another distinctive piece that perfectly reflects the client’s appreciation for craftsmanship and storytelling through design.
In the hallway sits a round coffee table carved from reclaimed timber, with a striking detail running through its centre — a sculpted representation of the River Thames flowing across the surface.
Where Furniture Becomes Art
The river form is subtly highlighted, creating the impression of water moving through the timber grain. This piece acts almost like a piece of functional art within the space, linking the home to its wider landscape and reinforcing the natural themes that run throughout the interior scheme.
Creating Texture And Depth
One of the finishes the client particularly loved elsewhere in the house was the polished plaster in the hallway. What fascinated them was the way the surface interacted with light — the subtle
movement, texture and depth created as the light changed throughout the day.
A Home That Reflects the Client
The finished scheme is calm yet expressive, layered with natural textures, artisan craftsmanship and rich colour. The interplay between the textured walls, the sculptural pieces of natural wood furniture, and the accents of green and blue creates a space that feels deeply connected to nature while still feeling luxurious and contemporary. Most importantly, it reflects exactly what the client wanted — a home that is bold, tactile, personal and far from ordinary.
If you're looking for A Home Designed Around Artisan Craftsmanship, contact Susan below for a free consultation.
We look forward to hearing from you.
The Susan Van Meter Team - Going Beyond Design in 2026
Comments