The real-life GINGERBREAD HOUSE | Architect Laura Dewe Mathews shares her secret ingredients

For the third film in our series, Homing In, our co-founder, Matt Gibberd, follows a line of crumbs to the home of architect Laura Dewe Mathews. Known locally as the ‘gingerbread house,’ there is creativity in every detail of Laura’s home, which has been cleverly stitched into its site in east London.

As with each of the films in the series, we aim to show how adherence to five key design principles – space, light, materials, nature and decoration – allows you, in Matt’s words, “to live a better and more fulfilled life.” Here, we examine Laura’s key ingredients – the materials that make up the gingerbread house she shares with her family. As she describes it, architecture is all a process of balance and elevation: “You need carbs,” she says. “You need spice, a texture element, and a moment of joy …”

Written and presented by Matt Gibberd
Filming: Edmund Cook
Editing: David Potter
Production: Hannah Phillips
Graphic Design: Ben Tucker
Music: Father

You can find out more about Laura's work here: https://www.lauradewemathews.com
You can pick up a copy of Matt Gibberd's book, 'A Modern Way to Live' at: https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/320176/a-modern-way-to-live-by-gibberd-matt/9780241480496
Cross-laminated timber: Spruce grown and machined in Austria, purchased from KLH who were suppliers and sub-contractors. For more information see https://www.klhuk.com
Fancy-butt cedar shingles: Canadian Western Red Cedar shingles, made to order by Vincent Timber http://www.vincenttimber.co.uk/products/cedarshingles/index.html
Joinery executed by Roy Middleton http://www.roymiddleton.com/, Will Shannon https://willshannon.co.uk/ and RMHB https://www.rhmb.co.uk/
Hay lamp shade 80cm: https://www.skandium.com/products/hay-rice-paper-shade?variant=31555965747303
Gerrit Rietveld Utrecht Armchairs in Alpaca: https://www.506070.co.uk/products/pair-of-gerrit-rietveld-utrecht-armchairs-cassina-newly-upholstered-in-alpaca
Pierre Forssell for Skultuna brass candle sticks: https://www.506070.co.uk/products/rare-pierre-forssell-for-skultuna-solid-brass-candlesticks-1960s-sweden
Pentreath and Hall - Faux marble paper lampshade: https://pentreath-hall.com/products/12-french-grand-antique-marble-lampshade
Hand blown glass pendant light: https://www.michaelruh.com/collections/shop-lighting/products/sand-halo-light-hand-blown-glass-pendant-light
Porcelain door handles: https://www.thpg.de/en/door-knob-porcelain-white-nickel-plated-brass.html
Antique convex glass mirror:https://www.506070.co.uk/products/huge-industrial-convex-mirror-in-original-condition
Office shelving: https://www.bigdug.co.uk/shelving-c4505/galvanised-shelving-c5026
Bathroom tiles: https://www.pophamdesign.com/tiles
Bathroom velvet curtain: https://www.blendworth.co.uk/fabric/collection/new-manor-park.html
Bolidt Resin floor: https://stratum.uk.com/?gad_source=1&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIkdX45cmahgMV55FQBh0d1QclEAAYASAAEgIT5_D_BwE
Paper alphabet by Ron King; https://www.ronkingstudio.com/collections/alphabet-series/products/alphabet-ii-unsigned
Brass wall lights: Bought at Ardinly Antiques fair https://www.iacf.co.uk/ardingly/
Rugs in the sitting room and Rita's bedroom: Both bought in Marrakech
Blue light in Rita’s bedroom: https://www.jielde.com/en/collection/signal/signal-si433/

2:42 Chapter 1: Building the Gingerbread House
4:30 Chapter 2: an Instant House
6:24 Chapter 3: Truth to Materials
9:07 Chapter 4: Consistency of Materials
10:58 Chapter 5: Nature as a Material
12:01 Chapter 6: Materials & Comfort
15:19 Chapter 7: Balancing Materials
17:33 Chapter 8: Playing with Materials
19:14 Chapter 9: Educating Rita


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