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When the owners of a 1970s bungalow on England’s English Channel coast wanted to remove gray carpet, wood flooring felt wrong for the house. Interior designer Sophie Rowell, founder of Côte de Folk, proposed cork instead. The warm, continuous floor became the project’s organizing element, while iridescent zellige, layered textiles and a brown, mauve and green palette gave each room its own identity.
The result, documented by Architectural Digest on July 5, 2023, is useful beyond this one home. It shows how to preserve a bungalow’s relaxed proportions, create a strong focal point, and refresh a functioning kitchen without committing to a full renovation. It does not, however, publish product specifications, prices or measured performance data for the materials.
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The design problem: replacing gray carpet without making the bungalow feel generic
The owners began with a familiar dilemma: the gray carpet was dated, but conventional wood flooring did not seem to belong in a 1970s bungalow. After a two-hour consultation, Rowell recommended cork and was then hired to reimagine the entire home. Her solution was not a period recreation or a minimalist makeover. It was a continuous material story, with enough color, pattern and asymmetry to keep the rooms individual.
Cork ran through the home and was repeated in the skirting, visually tying floor and wall together. Rowell described it as “such an easy product” and said it could be used in all the bathrooms, but that statement is her comment about this project, not a universal specification for every cork floor. The feature names no manufacturer, finish, thickness, installation system, moisture rating or maintenance schedule, so those details must be established with a supplier for any new project.
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Why continuity mattered
Using one dominant floor reduced the visual stops between rooms. Instead of treating the entrance, living room, kitchen and bedrooms as unrelated zones, the design let furniture, paint and textiles provide the changes. Cork also supported the home’s retro character without imitating a historic floor that was never there.
What the wood-versus-cork decision does—and does not—prove
The homeowners felt wood was a poor aesthetic fit, while cork delivered the warmth Rowell wanted. The source supplies no comparative cost, durability, acoustic or environmental measurements for wood and cork. The choice should therefore be read as a design decision based on this bungalow, not as evidence that cork performs better than wood in every house.
Planning a continuous cork floor
A continuous floor looks simple after it is complete, but it requires decisions before a contractor starts. Draw the rooms, doorways, hearths, stairs and built-ins first. Mark where the same floor can run uninterrupted and where a threshold or change of direction is unavoidable.
- Survey every room. Record existing floor heights, damp-prone areas, radiator pipes, doors and the fireplace hearth. A flooring professional should confirm that the subfloor is suitable for the selected cork product.
- Order samples before choosing paint. Cork varies in tone and visual movement. View samples in morning, afternoon and artificial light, then select wall colors that work with the actual floor rather than a screen image.
- Design the skirting at the same time. Rowell made the skirtings in cork, creating what she called a sense of fluidness around the rooms. Decide whether the skirting will match the floor, sit proud of it or be painted, and resolve door casings before installation.
- Confirm wet-area suitability in writing. Rowell said cork could be used in the bathrooms in this home, but the feature gives no technical rating. Ask the manufacturer about the exact product, sealing system, subfloor, perimeter detailing, cleaning and warranty conditions.
- Protect the visual rhythm. Keep transitions purposeful. If another material is required at a threshold, align the break with a door leaf or architectural line instead of interrupting the middle of a room.
These steps preserve the design idea without turning an attributed project comment into a blanket promise about cork.
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Making the fireplace the room’s anchor
The living room fireplace was asymmetrical. Rowell reinstated an alcove to restore balance, then placed a floating bench in each niche. Between the benches, she installed floor-to-ceiling chocolate-brown zellige with an iridescent sheen. The tile became the vertical counterpoint to the horizontal cork floor.
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Rowell explained that the tile is essentially brown but has an iridescent surface, so it does not read as a solid block; morning light changes its appearance. That is a useful way to use a dark color in a room: let reflection and variation provide movement instead of adding more competing colors.
Furniture that supports, rather than hides, the tile
Two low-slung Ligne Roset Togo sofas were reupholstered in Klaus Haapaniemi floral fabric. A HAY paper lantern and Artek Aalto stools added lighter forms around the hearth. The arrangement leaves the tiled wall visible and keeps the floating benches practical without turning the fireplace into a storage wall.
How to plan a similar focal wall
- Measure the full height and width of the area before ordering tile; the feature does not state the tile dimensions or installation pattern.
- Place sample boards beside the fireplace at several times of day. Iridescent surfaces can shift dramatically with natural light.
- Keep grout, trim and hearth junctions in the drawing. The source does not identify grout color or technical detailing, so those choices remain project-specific.
- Use furniture with enough visual air around it to preserve the tile’s reflective effect.
Three tile treatments, three different jobs
Tile appears throughout the bungalow, but not in one repeated color. Rowell has said, “They’re an amazing way to add color and texture and light.” The project demonstrates that principle by assigning each tile treatment a clear role.
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| Tile treatment | Location in the bungalow | Visual role | What is not established |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chocolate-brown iridescent zellige | Floor-to-ceiling fireplace wall | Dark, reflective focal point that changes with daylight | No product maker, dimensions, price, durability rating or maintenance data |
| Milky-white zellige | Kitchen backsplash | Lightens the kitchen and adds hand-made texture without introducing another strong hue | No grout, sealing or cleaning specification |
| Square zellige, including pink | Both en suites; pink used in the daughter’s bathroom after white tile ran short | Creates a coordinated bathroom language while allowing a color shift | No technical comparison between white and pink tile |
Because the source is an editorial home feature rather than a technical product reference, do not infer that one color is more stain-resistant, waterproof or economical than another.
Refreshing a kitchen without a full renovation
The kitchen remained fundamentally functional, so the owners chose a targeted refresh. Butcher-block counters, a milky-white zellige backsplash, a Smeg refrigerator and open shelves replacing the upper cabinets changed the room’s character without a complete strip-out. Rowell’s principle was direct: “You don’t have to turn everything upside down if it’s functioning and it’s fine. Small changes can have a really big impact.”
A practical scope decision
| Targeted refresh | Full renovation |
|---|---|
| Retains serviceable layout and major infrastructure | May relocate plumbing, electrical points and appliances |
| Focuses on visible elements such as counters, backsplash, storage fronts or appliances | Replaces cabinets, services and finishes as one coordinated build |
| Usually creates fewer decisions and less disruption, but the feature provides no quantified saving | Allows a complete layout change, with greater scope and coordination |
| Best when the existing kitchen functions well and the problem is visual | Appropriate when layout, structure or equipment is failing |
Sequence the work before ordering materials
- List what already works: appliance positions, storage, lighting and worktop height.
- Identify the smallest set of changes that will alter the room’s visual balance. In this kitchen, those were the counters, backsplash, refrigerator and upper-cabinet replacement.
- Check the wall condition behind removed cabinets before installing open shelves or tile.
- Coordinate the backsplash height with shelves, outlets and the underside of any remaining cabinets.
- Choose paint only after the floor, counter and tile samples are viewed together.
The bungalow’s kitchen refresh is an example of disciplined scope, not proof that every kitchen can avoid a full renovation.
Using paint and textiles to keep rooms related but not identical
The palette moves through browns, mauves and greens, with floral prints and geometric shapes repeating the sense of pattern without making every room match. Paint carries much of that continuity because it can echo the floor and tile while changing the mood from room to room.
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- Easy installation: cork backing rolls are easy to install, cut to the appropriate size and can be paved where needed, suitable for installation of glued floors and floating floors; the cork backing rolls can prevent stress cracks from transferring from the subfloor to the floor surface, unlike ceramic tiles, porcelain, stone, wood floors compatible
- Wide Application: the cork roll can be applied as cork liners, cork shelf liners, cork drawer liners, ideal for home, kitchen, classroom, office and dorm; You can cut the large cork roll into different sizes, such as square cork boards, hexagonal cork boards, and cork strips, according to your needs, fun way to decorate your walls, place pictures and leave messages
| Room | Paint, surface or textile treatment | Design effect |
|---|---|---|
| Entry | Cork bench with paisley cushions and a seagrass rug | Introduces the natural-material palette before the main rooms |
| Living room | Cork floor; chocolate iridescent zellige; floral upholstery; paper lantern | Balances a strong fireplace wall with soft, low furniture |
| Primary bedroom | Putty-pink Atelier Ellis Solstice paint; Flora Soames checkerboard headboard fabric; antique wooden mirrors; customized Matilda Goad lamp shade; cork side table | Creates a calm, layered retreat without a sugary pink effect |
| Other bedroom | Plastered surfaces, wallpapered wardrobes, matching bed fabric and lilac woodwork | Uses one color family across architectural and soft surfaces |
| Daughter’s room | Ottoline botanical chintz on walls, closet doors and bed frame; gingham linens; lilac trim | Turns pattern into the room’s architecture while keeping the trim graphic |
Rowell described the primary bedroom’s Solstice paint as pink but calming and cocooning rather than an assertive bright pink. For a painting project, make a test board that includes the intended trim, headboard fabric and floor sample. A color that looks muted on a white card can become more saturated beside cork or dark tile.
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1Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsOpening the dining area for a larger table
A wall was removed to make room for a 13-foot antique French farmhouse table. Vintage bistro chairs were mixed with contemporary seating, allowing the dining area to feel collected rather than staged. The important planning point is that the table dictated the architectural change: circulation and sightlines were considered before furniture was purchased.
Before removing a wall in another bungalow, obtain a structural assessment and confirm building-control requirements. The feature records the design result but does not provide structural drawings or approval details.
When a tile shortage improves the design
Both en suites received square zellige. In the daughter’s bathroom, the team ran short of white tile. Instead of ordering more, Rowell ordered pink tile and developed a grid pattern. She described the change as an opportunity to shift direction, an approach that often produces a better result than forcing the original plan.
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- HOW TO USE: Make sure surface area is smooth & cleaned before adhering corkboard tiles. Ultra strong self-stick adhesive squares are ready to be put on your cork tile. *Walls need to properly curated before applying the corkboards
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A controlled way to change direction
- Stop installation at a clean architectural break rather than mixing colors randomly.
- Draw the proposed grid at full elevation so the pink-to-white relationship is intentional.
- Order enough of the replacement tile to complete the design, including cuts and future repairs.
- Approve the revised sample in the room’s actual light before proceeding.
The episode is a reminder to build contingency into tile orders and to treat a material problem as a design decision, not merely an emergency substitution.
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What this bungalow teaches a painter
Paint is not an afterthought in a material-led renovation. It mediates between cork, reflective tile, patterned fabric and older architectural surfaces.
- Prepare irregular surfaces honestly. The other bedroom retained plastered surfaces. Confirm whether the texture should be repaired, skimmed or celebrated before specifying a finish.
- Plan trim as part of the palette. Lilac woodwork in the daughter’s room and cork skirting elsewhere show that trim can carry color or material continuity instead of defaulting to white.
- Sample beside reflective materials. Brown iridescent tile and milky-white zellige can shift the perceived temperature of nearby paint.
- Protect adjacent finishes. Cork, tile and antique furniture need a written protection plan, especially where sanding, spraying or ladder work is involved.
- Use sheen deliberately. The source does not specify paint sheen. Select it only after assessing wall condition, cleaning needs and the manufacturer’s guidance for the chosen paint.
A decision checklist for adapting the idea to your own bungalow
- Do you want one continuous floor, or would a threshold improve circulation and maintenance?
- Which existing feature deserves to become the focal point: a fireplace, a window wall or a built-in?
- Can your kitchen function with a visual refresh, or are layout and services the real problem?
- Where will color repeat: skirting, doors, wardrobes, upholstery or tile?
- Have you tested every paint and tile combination in changing natural light?
- Are wet-area materials approved for your exact installation, with the warranty conditions documented?
- What is your contingency if a tile, fabric or appliance becomes unavailable?
- Which walls require structural or building-control advice before alteration?
The limits of the published case study
The Architectural Digest feature identifies the home as a 1970s bungalow on England’s English Channel coast but does not name the town. It names Rowell and many furnishings, yet it does not disclose exact cork or zellige suppliers, product models, installation methods, prices, environmental certifications or measured performance. No independent statistics or laboratory tests are reported. Those omissions matter: the project is a strong design reference, not a specification sheet.
Its lasting lesson is the relationship between restraint and personality. Keep the floor calm and continuous, concentrate drama where it helps—such as the fireplace tile—then let paint, fabric and small architectural moves distinguish each room. A modest kitchen scope and an improvised pink tile grid show that character can come from careful decisions rather than wholesale replacement.
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