A comprehensive refurbishment has further upgraded Nineteen â an intimate and exclusive boutique style guesthouse within a tastefully converted 200 year old Victorian town house in Brightonâs Kemp Town area.
âI was very happy with the refurbishmentâ proprietor Mark McCullough told Premier Hospitality.
âIf you are really proud of your property, it makes it much easier to welcome guests knowing that they will enjoy their stay. All of the feedback we have had from guest review sites such as TripAdvisor has been really, really strong, so I am absolutely delighted with everything â the way the guests feel and how I feel.â
The largest element of the scheme was a bathroom refurbishment which included the installation of new plumbing systems, tiling, flooring, bathroom suites, fixtures and fittings. The superior king rooms now have twin wash basins with a âPâ shaped bath with a solid screen around a wider shower area at one end.
New wooden framed double glazed sash windows have been installed throughout the building, replicating the style of the original windows to fulfil local planning requirements, due to the buildingâs location within a conservation area.
âI used a local company whose work I had seen on my street and knew that they had exactly matched all the details as required by the council,â said Mark.
New dark oak flooring has been installed within all of the bedrooms, as well as new radiators. New smart TVs have been added and all the wardrobes have been replaced by specially designed clothing shelves and hanging rails, creating far more spacious and stylish accommodation. The mirrored wardrobe doors were re-used and were framed and stained to match the dark oak flooring by a local joiner, and then wall-mounted to provide full length mirrors.
A great deal of effort was also put into ensuring a good internet connection in each bedroom âhence the smart HDTVs, which have all been hard wired to the internet. Wi-Fi has also been provided so that guests can use their own computers if they wish.
âWe had our broadband connection upgraded to âsuper-fastâ and brought two lines in to provide enough speed to ensure that every single room can enjoy streaming TV and use a tablet or PC as well. We have also installed Bluetooth speakers so that people can play their own music selection from their phone or iPad,â said Mark.
Further works included comprehensive re-decoration inside and out, using natural mineral paints which have no odour and do not contain petro-chemicals, which can irritate allergy sufferers. Internally, the decor is mainly white, with a blue/green shade being selected for the external paintwork. This colour has also been used on internal doors.
âThe white interior gives a clean, bright minimalist look with colour being added by our collection of contemporary artwork on the walls of all rooms, showcasing works by Brighton based, UK and international artists working in paint, photography, ceramics and mixed media,â added Mark.
The guesthouse does not have public areas because, as Mark explained:
âWe want to be modern and properly meet peopleâs requirements. The reality is that in a guesthouse people donât need or use a lounge area. We provide a room service breakfast as standard â especially suitable for those like me who are not at their best in the mornings and would have to throw on some clothes and rush down to breakfast so as not to miss it, before returning to their rooms to go through their full grooming routine.
âOur philosophy is to offer our guests the highest standards of care and service with full concierge support and planning for their stay. We want them to feel special, valued and very much at home here. As Time Out wrote, âit’s like staying at a (very stylish) mate’s house.â You will not feel like you’re just a room number.
âThis has been a big investment, but Nineteen once again looks just the way we want it to â clean, sleek, modern and stylish.â
North Road Timber and Joinery, timber and joinery specialists, work across the trade and retail sectors and have been in operation for 30 years. We caught up with Terry Shippam, the owner of North Road Timber and Joinery, to find out more about the firms involvement in Nineteen. He commented:
âOn the Nineteen project we undertook all of the windows at the back and the front of the property. It is important to be involved with this project as it is an area where we mainly do conservation work.
âWe pride ourselves on the fact that we get business through word of mouth.â
The project was completed in March 2014.