Leather Dressing

Leather Dressing
© Nicholas Worley
Leather Dressing
© Nicholas Worley

LEATHER DRESSING

Simon Astridge

ARCHITECTS
Simon Astridge

PHOTOGRAPHS
Nicholas Worley

AREA
272 m²

YEAR
2012

LOCATION
London, United Kingdom

CATEGORY
Renovation, Houses Interiors

"The project is a British Cow hide leather walk through dressing room for a private client. The house in London was fully refurbished with a new upper roof level added as a master suite zone.

From the bedroom area to the en-suite and private study you have to walk through the leather tunnel.

Leather Dressing
© Nicholas Worley
Leather Dressing
© Nicholas Worley
Leather Dressing
© Nicholas Worley

Simon Astridge Architecture Workshop worked closely with the client and the leather specialist in detailing the joinery.

The panels for the sliding doors were based upon the constrained butt size of a British cow from the Cornwall suppliers.

This maximum dimension butt size defined the size of the sliding doors and therefore the setting out of this dressing room tunnel and the entire master level.

Leather Dressing
© Nicholas Worley
Leather Dressing
© Nicholas Worley
Leather Dressing
© Nicholas Worley

We as Architects like the fact that a size of a cow hide defined the setting out of our steelwork and structure, there’s something poetic in that nature stills defines us.

First comes nature, always, then come the artefacts.

The floor was also clad in the same size leather panels completed with underfloor heating. All the edges of the leather doors were finished with a 5mm thick brass metal trim.

Leather Dressing
© Nicholas Worley
Leather Dressing
© Nicholas Worley
Leather Dressing
© Nicholas Worley

A concealed mirrored pivot door swings around to enclose the space for privacy and for dressing. No handles were purposefully installed on the leather doors.

We as Architects wanted the leather to be worn authentically as a part of normal human life and use. Over the years the doors and floor will ware beautifully expressing its authentic human use.

The best part of the leather tunnel is the lovely fresh leather smell you get every time you get out of bed to get dressed. It’s a truly phenomenological experience for all of the client's senses!"

Leather Dressing
© Nicholas Worley


Leather Dressing
Second Floor Plan
Leather Dressing
Cross Section 1


Leather Dressing
Longitudinal Section 2
Leather Dressing
Longitudinal Section 3


Leather Dressing
Detail