It is thus no surprise that bespoke house maker Chan + Eayrs, the atelier of architectural duo Zoe Chan and Merlin Eayrs, who buy and develop their own sites in order to ensure complete creative freedom, chose New Cross in south east London artistic quarters for their second project, New Cross Lofts. The development, which is almost sold out, consists of two lofts and two work studios, which were conceived, designed, built and furnished in their totality as an artistic endeavor of contemporary minimalism and rustic elegance.
Chan + Eayrs describe their style as “Arts and Crafts, meets Japanese modernism, a dash of Wabi Sabi and Moroccan Earthiness, always expressed with a natural palette of materials”. Wabi Sabi in particular, a Japanese concept centered on the art of finding beauty in imperfection and profundity in earthiness, seems to perfectly encapsulate their approach whereby the aesthetic of lavishness, ornamentation, and rich materials that most high-end property developers usually embrace, is eschewed in favor of a design sensibility characterized by simplicity, modesty and intimacy.
Zoe Chan and Merlin Eayrs – Photography: Rosella Degori