The pursuit of excellence is the endless fuel that drives the team at Nicholas Anthony, and while by nature that’s a moving goal there have been some truly special moments of triumph this year that we wanted to take a moment to reminisce over.
Award-winning moments
While our primary concern is always the approval of our clients, it’s a wonderful moment to gain formal recognition for work that we have done from industry peers. This year, Nicholas Anthony was awarded three accolades at The International Property Awards and we were also shortlisted at The International Design & Architecture Awards for the best Kitchen Design over £100,000.
The International Property Awards celebrate the highest levels of achievement by companies operating in all sectors of the property and real estate industries, and has earned a reputation as a world-renowned mark of excellence. The awards are split into four sectors: Architecture, Development, Interior Design and Real Estate, across nine regions including Africa, Asia Pacific, Arabia, Canada, Caribbean, Central & South America, Europe, UK and USA. The event was celebrated in a ceremony at the London Marriott Hotel Grosvenor Square in November in a glittering night of entertainment.
Best Kitchen Interior Design
This year we won Best Kitchen Interior Design, Essex for our work on the enchanting Carpenter property, where the design ethos in the kitchen set the agenda for a full property renovation. At a home nestled into the countryside, the culinary space has a dark and moody, yet glamorous atmosphere, seamlessly blending spaciousness with depth and warmth thanks to materials including brushed bronze, black oak and exquisite ceramic finish in the style of Port Laurent marble. The emphasis was on balancing aesthetics with efficient storage and embracing the challenge of an unusual footprint to create a distinct design motif that enhanced the concept.
Best Bathroom Interior Design
At the same time we won Best Bathroom Interior Design, Essex for a master bathroom in Colchester. Inspired by the area’s Roman heritage and its thermae bath experiences, the space celebrates life’s daily wellbeing rituals in a contemporary haven. The design echoes the woodland surrounding the property alongside ergonomic shapes, impressive artwork and state-of-the-art technology thanks to details including fitted steam shower rooms from AXOR.
Best in the UK for Bathroom
Design Award
While we were told about the first two awards in advance, upon attending the gala dinner awards ceremony at the London Marriott Hotel Grosvenor Square, we were delighted to receive the coveted 5 Star Best in the UK for Bathroom Design Award as well for excellence in design and innovation on a national scale. The award was also for the thermae inspired bathroom in Colchester with its freestanding bath, dramatic feature walls and carefully considered lighting.
Professional highlights
Every project we work on is special, but there are always a couple that stand out for their unique characteristics, locations or even for their challenges.
Creating a design narrative
for new homes
Our work with Seven Developments as part of the creation of the Mill View estate in Colchester has been a large project beginning with four properties and ultimately extending to eight. Here we were charged with designing culinary spaces that elevated the lifestyle of prospective buyers of the luxury homes to even greater heights, creating a recogniseable leitmotif across them all whilst also allowing each to shine in its own right. It was a wonderful opportunity to be creatively adventurous and create something truly exceptional.
A home that has a dialogue
with the outside world
At the opposite end of the spectrum was the aforementioned Carpenter property, which saw us contribute to the substantial reconstruction of a bungalow, in a design concept inspired by the surrounding landscape. Particularly gratifying is the tangible connection that the end result has with the outside world, cleverly incorporating wooden and organic finishes without overwhelming the space. It’s at once the perfect balance between exemplifying great design and feeling like a relaxing home environment, designed for life.
Inspiring events
Meeting people, listening to new ideas, collaborating and drawing inspiration from all aspects of the art and design world is something we’re incredibly passionate about as a team. We take great interest in following events within our industry and in the wider world of design, from fashion to tech innovation, attending key dates in the calendar where possible as well as contributing to the collective narrative with our own events at our Mayfair studio.
Collaborating with innovators
This year we were delighted by the innovations that emerged from key occasions including the Kuchenmeile in Germany and Milan Salone Del Mobile. It was, quite literally, illuminating to celebrate the launch of Occhio’s latest innovation, the Gioia lamp, over the summer at our London Studio, and in addition, it was a great joy to host our own installation in collaboration with New Zealand born artist, Kate Charles. Her thoughtful, organic forms perfectly showcase how art can bring an extra dimension to the home both visually and as a talking point.
Contributing to the conversation
The evolution of the modern home, how we use and enjoy our space and what we aspire to in order to maximise our daily experiences, is ongoing. It’s an area that our Design Director, Niko Rasides is passionate about, and when asked by Homes & Gardens magazine to comment on the growing trend for wet-dry kitchens, he spoke eloquently about the multifaceted use of culinary spaces as we seek to socialise and entertain casually but with flair.
The pursuit of excellence
Perhaps chief amongst this year’s achievements and events however, was that 2023 marked the celebration of our 60th anniversary as a family-run business. It was a chance to remind ourselves of the journey we have taken as an organisation, from Tony Nicholas Snr’s founding of the business following a career in professional football in the 1950s to the luxury brand we are today. Across the annals of time however, one thing has remained unchanged – a commitment to quality.
Here’s to the next 60 years and the continued pursuit of excellence.
