The Silos, UK

The Silos began life as part of a Victorian model farm, built by Lord Rothschild in 1899 as a wedding present for his daughter. The farm was designed as a showcase for modern agriculture, with its striking grain silos at the heart of the scheme. Those silos were saved from demolition and are now at the centre of a dramatic family home.

Working alongside ODD, we used light to bring this unique structure to life. The lighting highlights the building’s sculptural forms and helps to redefine a once‑industrial space as an inviting home. Lighting helps transform this once-industrial space into an inviting, luxury home.

The curves throughout the building were a genuine challenge, architecturally and in lighting terms. The scheme needed to celebrate the drama of the space while still wrapping you in a comfortable, liveable environment.

Architectural lighting plays with those curves and gives the house warmth and depth. Large decorative fittings take visual centre stage, while discreet architectural fittings are integrated into the fabric of the building to provide the underlying layers of light. This layering approach sits comfortably within the soft, calming interiors.

In such a complex space, it was important that the house still felt generous and welcoming. Thoughtfully placed up‑ and downlights open up the space, guide you through it, and make the most of the Silos’ distinctive form.

Bespoke joinery by Peter Thompson of York runs through the project, and the lighting is built in around it. We worked alongside the joiners to integrate discreet in‑joinery lighting that shows off the craftsmanship of each piece and creates a calm, atmospheric backdrop. The joinery also gave us reliable fixing points in a building that otherwise offered very few.

Artwork was central to the client’s brief. Each piece needed its own moment; architectural lighting, rather than more formal picture lighting, delivers high quality, flexible light to the artwork through the property.

The large areas of glazing were both a highlight and a challenge, and were considered throughout the design. We developed custom, one‑off automated curtain tracks for the big runs of glass and tied them into the lighting controls. Blinds, curtains, and lighting work together to shift the mood through the day and help the house flow naturally between inside and out.

Outside, the lighting brings the refined interiors and the bold external façade into balance. The exterior scheme links the two so that, when you step back, you see both the contrast and the harmony between them.