0845 862 1041
2014 proved a very busy and successful year for Oakland Projects, the luxury building and bespoke shop fitting company. Highlighted here is just some of the building and refurbishment work carried out by the firm’s teams of expert craftsmen.
Early in the year Oakland carried out a major remodelling and refreshment for the Harrogate branch of And So To Bed, one of the leading specialists of fine antique beds and complementary furniture. Although the company has over 30 stores throughout the UK, the Harrogate outlet is the company’s flagship.
The aim was to create themed roomsets within the Georgian style single-storey retail premises. However with the showroom open to customers the proposed modernisation needed to be completed in brief a time as possible with the minimum disruption. In fact a proposed seven week schedule was cut to five weeks. Oakland Projects’ Operations Director, Paul Sundborg, devised a seven part roll out programme which involved encapsulating areas of the store during working hours.
This enabled the company to facilitate a refurbishment and cosmetic facelift, which included stripping oak floors and re-liming, laying paved and stone floors, re-lacquering existing flooring, creating Georgian styled panelling and new lighting schemes, plus redecoration. Exterior work included minor renovation, a new fascia and new external lighting. As bespoke shop fitting specialists Oakland Projects prides itself on its phased innovative and environmental approach to all retail refurbishment, completing contracts on time and on budget.
Five new areas were created within the store – a Georgian/Regency period room, an English country cottage, the Hamptons and New England plus a contemporary/retro overview. All phases were completed within the time and financial constraints.
Meanwhile back in London the company’s highly skilled building teams were busy on other commercial, residential and retail projects:
Loaf, a leading multi-million pound furniture and soft furnishings specialist, was planning to relocate into much larger office accommodation in Ladbroke Grove. The premises required a category B fit out that would include the infrastructure to support a wide range of specialist equipment. However the job was extremely time sensitive and a tight time limit was in place.
The fit out included the installation of a substantial roof mounted air handling unit complete with ducting and ceiling mounted air conditioning units and fitting lighting for desk areas and work zones for 100 staff. Special Pendant lighting, supplied by Loaf itself, was also installed. Other work included the removal of an internal non-loadbearing wall, restoring window mullions, repairing and resealing existing floor surfaces and installation of lighting for toilet/washroom areas plus the fire lobbies. Sympathetic painting of the open plan office accommodation completed the project.
Meanwhile, close to the Kings Road in Chelsea another team was involved in the building of a fun climbing leisure activity, Clip ‘n Climb. The challenge for Oakland Projects was the transformation of a former lighting and manufacturing warehouse in Michael Road, Chelsea, into a state of the art climbing experience. The project involved the restoration of the interior of the 1,500 sq m (14,000 sq ft appx) two storey 10m (32ft) high building, full interior redecoration, installation of offices, a training area, separate male and female and less able washroom facilities plus the creation of a first floor cafeteria complete with a glazed viewing area overlooking the climbing facilities.
The flooring in the offices and washrooms was finished in a bonded oak while a specially selected rubberised 75mm (3in) thick cushioned flooring was installed throughout the leisure and training area.
Clip ‘n Climb is now a popular London leisure venue thanks to the skilled craftsmen of Oakland Projects.
In nearby Kensington an extremely difficult total restoration was being carried out on a once grand four-storey Victorian house in Stanwick Road. Severe weathering of the brickwork, aggressive fungal dry rot, corroded steel Bessemer beams and wartime bomb damage meant that the roof, ceilings and flooring down to first floor level had to be removed. A careful and sympathetic total refurbishment was required as the property was situated in a preservation area.
All seriously damaged woodwork was replaced while all remaining woodwork was chemically injected. The original Bessemer steel beams were beyond saving and all were replaced with steel section beams for the floor areas with hardwood lintels being used over doorways.
Most of the frontal brickwork required specialist cleaning to remove oxidisation as well as metallic and carbon staining. Only 10 per cent of the facework was irreparable and this problem was overcome by using bricks reclaimed from the rear of the building, with this area being repaired using close modern equivalent bricks.
Sturdy engineering brickwork was utilised on the interior of the building where required. All walls were rendered and plastered, and wooden floors were replaced to customer’s specifications. This project was only completed in November.
Over in Ealing, west London, Oakland Projects was also busy refurbishing and revamping a hairdressing salon to make it a showpiece for owner and well known visionary hairdresser Keith Warner. What was needed was an eclectic look, but there was a six week deadline with the salon mainly remaining open for business.
The aim was to bring the outside, inside. This was achieved by building block stone walls and weathered brick walls with period window openings that featured mirrors instead of glass, plus a screeded floor specially treated to make it look like exterior concrete. The whole effect created an outdoor scene.
Elaborate but fake corbels jutting from the stone brickwork provided a period finish, while a mezzanine floor installed by Oakland meant extra space within the building for a nail parlour, beauty salon and luxury massage area with the hairdressing salon at ground level. The ceiling was finished in black and chandeliers were also installed along with air conditioning.
The completed refurbishment has meant a boom in business for THE LONDON HaIR GROUP and now the company plans to extend into the City of London and trendy Notting Hill in 2015 with the help of Oakland Projects.
Finally in December the company launched its new stylish website to showcase its impressive range of services. You can view the company at www.oaklandprojects.co.uk or email info@oaklandprojects.co.uk The company’s LinkedIn and Twitter accounts can be accessed via the website. Please follow us on @oaklandpaul (www.twitter.com/oaklandpaul)
Oakland Projects boasts a quarter of a century’s experience in luxury construction, shop fitting and refurbishment contract work for a wide base of blue chip clients. The company is based at Leven, East Yorkshire, and central London.
For further information please contact Paul Sundborg of Oakland Projects on 0845 862 1041 or email info@oaklandprojects.co.uk
