St Andrews Chapel
Partnering with the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings, our work on the St Andrews Chapel centred on research and storytelling; interweaving stories of the buildings long history into its finishes.
The Society’s meticulous conservation and repair of St Andrew’s — a Grade II* listed building at risk — set a strong foundation. Led by architect Mal Fryer, the charity had over a period of seven years been researching and working on the building, sensitively conserving it and making it fit for modern family use while championing its unique character and heritage. The site had been used extensively for training, which is where our association with the project began. As the work neared its conclusion, our role was to interpret the buildings’ history and architectural character into thoughtful interior concepts.
Earlier in the project Mal and his team had established precedents for the interiors that we continued to work within. These were that extensive timber boarding would provide a distinctive, contemporary reversible layer, that personalisation could happen via applying colour to joinery and finally that ‘as found’ elements showing the beauty of decay in the building, could sit in contrast.
Our work began with a close reading of the building’s evolution and the many stories it holds. From its origins as a medieval pilgrimage chapel beside a Cistercian Abbey, through its later life as a home and even the village post office, each chapter offered cues for how the interiors might respond. As this research unfolded, a clear design language emerged — shaping a material and colour palette rooted in the building’s history.
While we were drawing on medieval austerity, Tudor colour sensibilities, and even echoes of early 20th-century life on site, our use of the palette and materials was decidedly contemporary, appealing and comfortable for modern family living.
Our presentation outlines how each room could respond to this design identity— from natural, tactile finishes informed by local weaving history and medieval craft, colour palettes rooted in Tudor history and furnishings that nod to the SPAB and its founder William Morris.
Although sadly in the end these interiors were not fully installed, the proposal sits as a resource for future owners, offering a way to complete the interiors in line with the building’s story. Our ideas celebrate both conservation practice and storytelling — a fitting companion to the Society’s exemplary repair project.
This project demonstrates how detailed research can inform interior design for listed and heritage buildings. If you’re working on a historic property and need a considered, conservation-minded approach —please get in touch.
