HollandGreen sponsors Thame Food Festival 2017.

We were delighted to be one of the main sponsors of this year’s Thame Food Festival, that took place on Saturday 30th September and Sunday 1st October.   Ben recently caught up with Festival Patron, Lotte Duncan, to chat to her about why we jumped at the chance to get involved, and to tell her more about what goes on at HollandGreen.

What was it that attracted you to sponsoring Thame Food Festival 2017?

We’ve been helping clients in Thame and the surrounding areas create amazing living spaces for a number of years now. When we discuss how people want to enjoy their homes, we find that preparing food, sharing family meals and entertaining friends are often high priorities. Food connects us all! I grew up in Thame and still live here today, and the Thame Food Festival is a fantastic event that we’re delighted to support.

Tell me a little more about your business

HollandGreen started off with just two people: Ben Holland and Stephen Green. We now have a team of architects, technicians and interiors experts, operating from two studios, based in Thame and Hampton. Our work can be seen as far afield as Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Berkshire, Surrey and London. We work collaboratively with our clients, covering a range of design styles, from contemporary new build design, to large-scale home renovations and extensions, as well as listed buildings, barn conversions and heritage properties.

Have you completed any local projects recently?

We are passionate about craftsmanship, and work very closely with local kitchen firms Barr Kitchens in Thame, and Kitchen Architecture in Oxford. Some of our most recent work has been completed locally on Lashlake Road and Croft Road, and the kitchens are simply stunning.

Why are living spaces so important to HollandGreen?

The way we use our living space is changing. For example, we find increasingly that the kitchen is becoming the central point of the home. Our clients often ask us to help them create more from their kitchen space, so they can spend time together before and after mealtimes. Rather than simply housing functional equipment, families today want their kitchen to be an enjoyable area for relaxing, entertaining, as well as for cooking as a hobby.

Are there any trends coming through that potential clients can consider for their next kitchen?

The current trend is very much about opening up what has traditionally been called a ‘kitchen’, and blurring its definition. Clients are pushing design boundaries; kitchen lighting has become more design-led, and tables and chairs are chosen for their style and comfort, so families can relax together for longer. We’ve even seen kitchens turning into features.

To create the visual impact of an interior/exterior flow, clients are choosing tiles that work both internally and externally to extend their kitchen space into the garden, and even creating an outdoor kitchen area with a barbeque and fully-fitted counter. This could be influenced by outdoor barbeque cultures in Australia or South Africa, and is a great example of how our multi-cultural society has a positive effect on our home life.

What can clients expect when working with HollandGreen?

We have a very friendly approach, taking special care to listen to how clients want to use their space, and what really makes them smile. Our architectural design process involves the latest in 3D technology, and we use virtual reality to help clients take a walk through their new designs. We find this helps them understand exactly how their build project will look once the work has been completed. In fact, we’ll be having some fun at the festival demonstrating our 3D design on our virtual reality headsets.

Missed us as the Festival?

If you didn’t have a chance to meet the team, please do still get in touch. We’d love to chat about how you too could transform your home into a wonderful living space.