LWE Interiors Blends Heritage Architecture with Contemporary Living

This week’s instalment of the Project of the Week series features a contemporary and luxury residential design by 2025 SBID Awards Finalist, LWE Interiors.

This striking transformation breathes new life into an old church, reimagined as a grand family residence. Seamlessly blending heritage architecture with contemporary living, the project delivers 13 beautifully designed bedrooms, expansive entertainment spaces, and a luxury private pool - all wrapped within the soaring volumes of the original ecclesiastical structure. A standout feature of the conversion is the former Sunday school hall, transformed into a show-stopping indoor wellness retreat. This serene space houses a fully equipped wellness centre complete with a jacuzzi, gym, sauna, and relaxation zone, offering an indulgent sanctuary that reflects the home's commitment to luxury and wellbeing.

What was the client's brief?

The client entrusted LWE Interiors with complete creative freedom to define the interior style and design direction of the project. The only key criteria were:
- The conversion must deliver a 13-bedroom luxury home with extensive leisure and entertaining facilities.
- Spaces should feel luxurious, comfortable for family living, and appealing as a high-end holiday rental, bathrooms & bedrooms all needed to be different with different styles & moods, to help create an individual experience in every room.
- The old Sunday School hall was to be reimagined as a private spa and wellness area.
- Provision for large-scale entertaining was essential, with a bar, games/entertainment lounge, and a banqueting dining room capable of hosting all 34 guests together.
- Most importantly, the project had to be delivered on or under budget.

What inspired the design of the project?

The building itself provided the creative spark for the design direction. The soaring volume and height of the main hall inspired the introduction of a mezzanine level overlooking the lounge, adding drama while maximising space and flow.

I was drawn to the original stonework and architectural details of the church and made it a priority to retain and rework as many features as possible. These were carefully integrated into the interiors in a modern and contemporary way, ensuring the building’s character was celebrated rather than concealed.

The coastal setting also played a key role in the design ethos. With the church situated close to the beach, the interiors were layered in beach-inspired neutrals and boho textures, creating a soft, relaxed aesthetic. This was elevated with a quiet luxury vibe throughout — calm, refined, and timeless, yet warm and welcoming for family life and entertaining.

What was the toughest hurdle your team overcame during the project?

The budget was the toughest hurdle on this project. The brief demanded a stunning, luxury aesthetic, which meant we had to carefully balance design ambition with cost control. In several cases, alternatives were sourced for original feature lighting and furniture to achieve the desired look without compromising on style or quality.

Beyond this, the project progressed smoothly and to plan. All design concepts and detailed drawings were completed within the agreed timeline, enabling contractors to quote accurately and work efficiently.

Once the building was stripped back to its true structure, a few areas required adjustment. However, these changes had minimal impact and did not escalate costs from the interiors side — ensuring the project was delivered on time, on budget, and true to the design vision.

What was your team’s highlight of the project?

One of the most rewarding aspects of this project was watching the interiors take shape almost exactly as envisioned in the concept designs. It’s always a special moment seeing drawings and moodboards evolve into real spaces that people can live in and enjoy.

The double-height lounge and mezzanine became a true showpiece, capturing the building’s volume and character while creating a stunning, memorable interior that leaves a lasting impression.

Perhaps the most fulfilling transformation, however, was the conversion of the old Sunday School hall into a swimming pool and spa. Working closely with contractors, who followed the detailed drawings and specifications I developed, brought this vision to life beautifully. The result was a space that embodies both luxury and tranquillity — a highlight of the project for everyone involved.

Why did you enter the SBID Awards?

I chose to enter the SBID Awards because they are a prestigious, internationally accredited platform that recognises excellence in interior design and architecture. Attracting entries from a diverse global community of designers, manufacturers, and contractors.

For me, entering the SBID Awards was about positioning this project among the highest calibre of international design work, while also celebrating the creativity, vision, and collaboration that brought it to life.

What has being an Award Finalist meant to you and your business?

Becoming an SBID Award Finalist has been both a professional milestone and a personal honour. On a professional level, it provides a respected international platform to showcase my work and validates that the design achieved the highest standards of creativity, technical execution, and innovation.

On a personal level, the recognition has been deeply rewarding. As a small interior design practice, every project is incredibly hands-on — from the first sketches to the final details. To see that dedication acknowledged by such a prestigious award body reinforces not only my vision as a designer, but also the belief that passion, persistence, and creativity can stand proudly alongside the best in the industry worldwide.

Questions answered by Lorraine Warwick-Ellis, Interiors Director of LWE Interiors.

This week’s instalment of the Project of the Week series features a rustic and coastal holiday cottage design by 2024 SBID Awards Finalist, LWE Interiors.

LWE Interiors were asked to redesign an old cottage that had stood neglected for several years at the end of a street in Llandudno wales. The client wanted to use this old cottage as a holiday home for weekends away for family and friends. The budget was very strict and included a full refurbishment of the ground floor and bedrooms. They used salvage wood to create rustic elements as well as uncovering an original old wall which they transformed into a design feature, bringing in a holiday vibe and fresh new look.

What was the client's brief?

The clients brief on this project was to give the home a modern rustic feel adding subtle coastal accents as the property is walking distance to the beach, the old cottage was bought at auction with the intention to transform into a holiday home for family and friends.

What inspired the design of the project?

The cottage was very dilapidated and required everything internally taking out / rebuilding, the budget for the interiors was strict due to the building works the cottage needed, whilst the contractors stripped the building back to the bare bones we discovered an original wall over meter thick made in the traditional method of stone, rubble and mortar. I decided to keep this feature and build on the rustic elements as there were no original features in the cottage even before the strip out took place, then adding modern fittings against rustic elements, to give a modern feel but still incorporating the traditional building feature we found.

What was the toughest hurdle your team overcame during the project?

The budget was the toughest hurdle, the construction team also had issues at times with the building itself which chewed into the budget, threatening to reduce the interior budget further. Fortunately I found a great kitchen company who made the kitchen and installed the units and a local quartz / stone constitute supplier who installed the worktops at a great price. We were also resourceful with the interior design, we couldn’t move the meters or the boiler as it would have cost too much and they were so unsightly in the lounge area, so I designed a cupboard to house them with a log effect design which blends in with the rustic feel, blending away the unsightly meters from the lounge area.

What was your team’s highlight of the project?

The highlight of the project aside from discovering the original feature wall, was when the client asked to add an en-suite to the master bedroom, to close off an area of the bedroom would make the bedroom feel claustrophobic so I suggested we keep the en-suite open as a feature to the bedroom, which the client loved the idea so we added an open en-suite, a little cheeky but a great talking point, the toilet we found a small cubbyhole area which was perfect to hide the toilet in, then used a sliding barn door-for privacy.

Why did you enter the SBID Awards?

I entered the SBID Awards as this is a prestigious international awards for interior designers, architects and suppliers in the property industry. It’s an award that gives credit as a notable designer to the finalists and winners.

What has being an Award Finalist meant to you and your business?

We have added our finalist badge with pride to our website and we launched social media posts on all platforms celebrating and advertising our achievement which in turn created a lot of recognition and interest. It gives myself and my company credit and acknowledgment as an award winning and award finalist interior design practice with a leading international award which has brought us more attention when clients are looking for an interior designer for their project.

Questions answered by Lorraine Warwick-Ellis, Founder of LWE Interiors.