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Rupert Cunningham

@rupertcunningham

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Architectural Designer & Director at Ben Pentreath. Based in North Yorkshire. For house restoration account see @georgianhouse_yorkshire

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I’ve been up in Scotland for the past two days looking at a new project and was able visit the castle project which we were lucky enough to be involved in a few years ago. The brief was to create two new wings to redefine a historic courtyard and give the family some much needed living space on the ground and first floors. The wing to the left of the castle is meant to feel like an early 18th century addition and contains a generous family kitchen, supported by a pantry, larder and scullery clustered to the north and east. Photos taken by @benpentreath last year #castle #highlands #scotland #scottishvernacular #scottishcastle #countryhouse by @rupertcunningham

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a year ago

As @houseandgardenuk put it, “This is a kitchen which frankly, puts many others to shame.”

The @lopenjoinery #WOWhouse2025 Kitchen. Designed by the incredible team @rupertcunningham @alice.aj.montgomery @leokary1 of @benpentreathstudio and made by our talented team of cabinet makers in our workshop in rural Somerset. It’s been an absolute pleasure to work with the 3 tour de forces over the last 6 months to produce a collection of furniture pieces that we are supremely proud of.

In Rupert's own words: “Drawing on the ‘below stairs’ spaces of the Regency country house for inspiration, where the practical and the beautiful were intertwined in the sculleries, pantries and kitchens. We playfully wove Greek and Gothick detailing through the various pieces to give them a natural affinity, although they’re meant to appear collected, rather than designed.”

It has been so lovely to meet so many of you over the last couple of days. If you haven’t had the chance, come and see @designcentrech #WOWhouse2025 and say hello – doors are open until the 3rd of July.

Thank you to all our suppliers for your generosity – we are eternally grateful. More details to follow.

@max.trafford 🎥 taken in Design Centre Chelsea Harbour by @rupertcunningham

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a year ago

A few favourite boot rooms that we’ve designed over the years. Some very fitted, others much looser, incorporating freestanding joinery, antiques and found pieces. I tend to prefer the latter, if there’s space, as the rooms feel much more layered and soulful. All these rooms are newly formed spaces, either in new buildings or carved out of old ones, often incorporating radical architectural interventions, but they hopefully feel quite settled. Key practical ingredients are: an external door, a mat well, a good sized bench with boot storage beneath (and ideally a radiator), a big sink, lots and lots of hooks, shelves, some cupboards for less used items, drawers, an umbrella stand and ideally a table in the centre. A fireplace is a bonus! For finishes, I like a flagged, brick or quarry tile floor as they’re bomb proof and don’t show the dirt. On the walls I like to use painted timber boarding as it’s super hard wearing and easy to mop down, but where the walls are existing plaster I tend to stick with that. Can you guess which are in new houses?#bootroom #backofhouse #countryhouseinterior #countryhouse #practicalspaces by @rupertcunningham

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a year ago

It was so wonderful to attend the opening of the newly restored Rock Garden @newbyhallandgardens yesterday. It’s a complete triumph @loopyluuuu and so skilfully done, that you can’t tell where the new work starts and finishes. Thank you for having me @sashacompton_design @matombosculpture #englishgarden #rockgarden #countryhouse #englishcountryhouse by @rupertcunningham

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4 months ago

Ripon Cathedral. There’s a perfectly hideous Taylor Wimpy housing development that has sprung up to the west of Ripon, threatening this view, so some strategic cropping was needed. #ripon #northyorkshire #cathedral #oldbuildings by @rupertcunningham

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8 months ago

It’s been so grey and miserable lately, that I’d forgotten how wonderful the snowdrops are when the sun hits them. #galanthophile #galanthus #northyorkshire #winter #countryside #countrylife by @rupertcunningham

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9 months ago

MEMBERS PROJECT AWARD 2025_
COMMENDATION

This year’s COMMENDATION for the TAG Best Members’ Project was awarded to Ben Pentreath, for his project: The new 'Double Helix’ staircase, Fortnum and Masons, Piccadilly.

Ben Pentreath Ltd were commissioned by Fortnum & Mason to reimagine the ground floor layout and connectivity of the iconic Piccadilly store. The goal was to restore the architectural integrity while resolving the significant congestion experienced during peak trading periods, particularly Christmas.

Following an in-depth spatial review, the team identified the need to replace the existing staircase. In its place, they designed a striking double-helix stair — a sculptural yet highly functional feature capable of accommodating large volumes of multidirectional shoppers.

With no surrounding walls for structural support, the stair was engineered to appear as though it ‘floats’ within the space — a remarkable technical feat made even more challenging by the requirement to maintain a refined neo-Georgian aesthetic. Close collaboration between architects, structural engineers, welders, and craftsmen ensured that the final design not only met these demanding criteria but also felt entirely at home within the historic Piccadilly landmark.

The Ben Pentreath Studio's project team was led by @rupertcunningham with @alice.aj.montgomery and @ja.rennie.

Congratulations Ben and the team!

#traditionalarchitecture #best_members_awards #architectureawards #excellency

#Double_helix #staircase #Fortnum_and_Masons #sculptural #functional #neo-georgian
@portviewfitout @macegroup @ramboll_uk @lwl_welding @fortnums @benpentreathstudio taken in Art Workers Guild by @rupertcunningham

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10 months ago

A design for a new house in the South Downs, built in buff stock brick. The garden front has a delicate Soanian character with recessed arches and restrained detailing. The dormers and sash boxes are picked out in dark green. The entrance front is more rectilinear and robust. The clients had a very specific brief in terms of the layout and room sizes and they came to us to help us resolve the plan and design the exterior, hence the asymmetry of the garden front. Great drawings by @alice.aj.montgomery converted into these CGI renders by @architecture_in_motion #traditional #newbuild #countryhouse #georgian #hampshirehouse #villa #classicalarchitecture by @rupertcunningham

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a year ago

A design for a new house in the Ribble Valley, Lancashire. Built in local coursed sandstone with ashlar detailing and a stone slate roof. The building has a clear hierarchy of elements reinforced by the detailing. The three bay entrance and garden fronts have a relaxed late Georgian feel, whereas the side elevation which you see on the approach has a more formal mid-18th century character. Some of my favourite houses have been reworked over the years creating facades of slightly different characters. I’d love to know which front people prefer? #newbuild #classicalarchitecture #traditional #traditionalarchitecture #lancashire #countryhouse #farmhouse by @rupertcunningham

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a year ago

A few detail shots from our castle project in Scotland. The new wings are conceived as slightly later than then the main tower house. Pitched in the late 17th - early 18th century, when European classicism was being assimilated into the vernacular in quite interesting ways. It was important that the detailing felt authentically naive rather than the cartoonish stuff you often find in the Edwardian ‘Wrenaissance’. I spent a lot of time poring over books and photos before setting about the detailing in earnest. This still remains one of my favourite projects and it was a privilege to work on such a unique building. Lot’s of help from @alice.aj.montgomery on the drawings, @artistorguk for the stone carving and @ajchomes for building it. Photos by @benpentreath #scottishvernacular #traditionalarchitecture #newtraditional #highlandsofscotland #scottishcastle #castlerenovation by @rupertcunningham

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a year ago

A few shots of our favourite bits from our Wow! House kitchen captured by @peterdixonphoto and @max.trafford I’ve added lots of tags to thank suppliers that I missed in the last post. Thank you all for your help and generosity! #wowhouse2025 #kitchendesign #regency #traditionaljoinery #traditional #traditionaldesign @leokary1 @alice.aj.montgomery @benpentreathstudio @lopenjoinery by @rupertcunningham

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a year ago

Demolition Day. Our Wow! House kitchen has now been dismantled.

We’ve been completely bowled over by how positively this room has been received. After an 8-month gestation, it was finally brought to life after a frenetic 5-day labour in late May. Such a lot of work from so many wonderful people, thank you all! We couldn’t be more grateful for the support and help we’ve been given in the realisation of this idiosyncratic Greco-Gothick mashup.

I’ve used up my limit of 20 tags on this one, so will do a couple of follow up posts to thank our other suppliers. Almost everything in the kitchen is for sale, so do get in touch if anything catches your eye.

Thank you to our amazing sponsors @lopenjoinery and @baileyandjones for trusting us with their space and working so tirelessly to realise it. @leokary1 @alice.aj.montgomery for collaborating with me on this and @indiagillett @benpentreathstudio for keeping the show on the road.
Thank to the @designcentrech for having us. Photos by @peterdixonphoto @max.trafford #wowhouse2025 #colourfulkitchen #countrykitchen #georgian #victorian by @rupertcunningham

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a year ago