Russell Pinch was in bed on a Sunday morning perusing The Modern House real estate listings when he came across a small group of semi-derelict farm buildings in seaside Devon that came with cleared permission to build on the property as well as starter plans by award-winning architect David Kohn. It added up to a rare combination: the ability to create afresh on open land near one of the area’s loveliest beaches and the involvement of one of the UK’s leading minimalist thinkers (the V&A and University of Oxford are current David Kohn Architects clients). Russell and his wife and business partner, Oona Bannon, weren’t in the market, but they had to take a look.
The two together run Pinch, a London furniture company that is all about refined details, honest materials, and unstinting craftsmanship. They had already devoted years to turning a cow shed in France into a vacation retreat for themselves and their two daughters. Did they have the stamina and the savings for another pipe dream? The owners of the property, British/American artist Suzanne Blank Redstone and her husband, Peter Redstone, had formerly run the UK’s first organic ice cream business in the main building, a 17th century cob barn. They were looking to create a small enclave of kindred aesthetes and once Russell and Oona made the four-hour drive, they were in.
That was 10 years ago, and now, several Covid lockdowns later—as well as a major flood that forced ground floor reconstruction and budget constraints that led to Russell and his father, John, doing the bulk of the interior construction work themselves—the couple are nothing but enthusiastic. They spent two years refining plans with David Kohn who shares their sensibilities and approached parts of the house as, in his words, “large pieces of furniture.” He also led them down surprising paths, including inserting a Japanese-style central courtyard and partially submerging the kitchen and dining area. Come see it all.
Photography by Michael Sinclair, courtesy of Pinch.
Note the upstairs balcony and window—”David talked to us about the theater of the space and that it’s nice to have a touch of drama,” says Russell. The furnishings throughout are Pinch designs mixed in with antiques. The Hungarian tapestry over the Angelo sofa is from London gallery 8 Holland Street.
Oona runs the business and Russell designs Pinch’s furnishings, which begin as sketches and often reference classical silhouettes (this is his Goddard sofa in Kravet velvet). The two are shown here in their library. The stairs lead up to their bedroom and the balustrade of custom curved cinderblocks frame the steps down to the dining/kitchen area.
The rush area rugs on the polished concrete floor here and in the living room were custom made by Remodelista favorite Rush Matters. The cinderblock walls throughout are painted Farrow & Ball’s Strong White, one of our Architects’ 8 Favorite Pure White Paint Picks.
John Pinch, his son tells us, was a design teacher and is a master of many trades, including gold- and silversmithing. “He’s one of those people who is never fazed by the enormity of a project. Thanks to him, I grew up with a saw and plane in my hand.”
More Pinch designs:
- “Their furniture is both classic and simple with a contemporary overlay,” we wrote in our first post about Pinch Design back in 2009.
- Just-Right Beds: Three Modern Heirloom Designs
- Object of Desire: Fine Furniture for the Bath
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