Residential: Hamilton’s Hartland G2 collection - balances modern day living and Victorian grandeur in luxury seafront development.

Project: Kings House, Hove, is a Grade II listed building with uninterrupted sea views, looking out over Hove Lawns and promenade.

Built in the early 1870s, it was originally a terrace of large houses but has now been meticulously refurbished into 69 luxurious one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments and penthouses.

During its time, the building has transformed from residential properties into a hotel, a base for the Royal Navy in WWII, and into commercial offices, but in 2017 developer Mortar Nova Grand Avenue purchased it with the aim of restoring it to its former residential grandeur.

Located within the Avenues Conservation Area, the seven-storey building maintains its Victorian opulence with the original architectural features replicated or reinstated.

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Mosaic floors line the hallways, while each apartment retains the original Victorian styled high ceiling, over-sized front doors, architraves and skirting, and large windows that let natural light flood in. The developer has combined these period elements with the features and conveniences expected of modern living, with owners able to personalise kitchen, bathroom and flooring options.

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One of the development’s focal points is the Residents’ Lounge, which offers a beautiful and functional communal space to relax, meet friends and family, or to conduct business. Its bold colour scheme sets the tone for the development, with Farrow & Ball Hague Blue and Radicchio Crimson making an opulent statement on the walls and woodwork.

Kings House achieves the developer’s vision of creating properties that provide owners with everything they expect from modern living, combining that contemporary feel with a nod to the building’s lavish past.

Brief: Mortar Nova Grand Avenues tasked Portsmouth-based electrical contractor MR Electrical to source and install electrical wiring accessories that would balance the requirements of the development’s form and function, while adhering to the high-quality finish expected of such prestigious accommodation. The solution should provide accents of the past, while delivering residents the functionality and convenience of a modern solution.

Solution: MR Electrical selected Hamilton's electrical wiring solutions for Kings House, having used the British brand and its comprehensive range for prestige projects in the past.

Hamilton’s Hartland G2 design was chosen for its high quality and contemporary screwless finish. Its highly engineered design means that it is a simple and practical ‘push-to-fit’ solution that is also competitively priced due to streamlined components.

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To meld the contemporary design with the period property aesthetic, Hartland G2 switch plates and sockets were used in an Antique Brass finish with black inserts, complementing the brass fixtures used throughout the luxurious development, such as door, cupboard and window furniture, as well as the bathroom fixtures and fittings.

Available in a wide range of configurations – with Grid and EuroFix plates also an option – Hartland G2 2-Gang Double Pole Switched Sockets were positioned in convenient locations throughout each apartment.

Beside the beds and in the lounge areas of the higher specification properties, the functionality of the dual switched sockets was upgraded to incorporate 2.4A USB Ultra charging outlets. Meanwhile, lighting is controlled throughout with a mixture of 1-, 2-, 3- and 4-Gang Rocker Switch Plates in the same finish of Antique Brass with black inserts.

Each kitchen features an antique-styled mirrored splashback. Installed within these splashbacks are two double switched sockets and a 2-Gang 2-Way Grid Plate that controls the integrated strip LED lighting that illuminates the kitchen units. The apartments with larger kitchen areas feature 3- and 4-Gang Grid Plates to control the additional electrical requirements for the space, such as fans, pelmet lights, downlights and island pendants. The advantage of Hamilton’s Grid solution being the vast module option available, so the plate could be tailored to an apartment’s exact specification.

In both the Residents’ Lounge and each apartment lounge, EuroFix media plates were installed, which include a TV+FM/DAB+SAT1+SAT2 Quadplexer.

There is also a RJ45 CAT6 outlet for internet access. The same media plate is also installed in bedrooms that feature a plasma television facing the master bed.

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Result: The stunning property is finished with the greatest attention to detail, providing all the luxury of a Victorian property with modern conveniences that keep today’s owner front of mind.

Graham Wiggins, Technical Director at MR Electrical, said: “Hamilton has always been our go-to supplier when providing prestige wiring accessory options to our clients. As a British company, it manufactures extremely high-quality products, and its customer service team is always supportive when it comes to finding the right solution – or even a bespoke one – for a project. In the case of Kings House, we selected the Hartland G2 range as it is a high-quality, push-to-fit plate design that is easy to install. The comprehensive Grid-IT and EuroFix range meant that we could also tailor the plates for each of the apartment specifications, as well as fulfil all the needs of the Residents’ Lounge. We are delighted to see how well the accessories integrate with the appearance and style of the apartments.”

Alan Coleman, Co-Director of Mortar Nova Grand Avenue, added: “We’re thrilled to have been able to bring Kings House back to its former glory – restoring its original features and upgrading to modern living standards. The attention to detail has been scrupulous, and thanks go to MR Electrical and Hamilton for ensuring that the electrical wiring accessories provided the perfect functionality and finishing touch. MR Electrical was brilliant in its planning and execution, and the final finish is exactly what we were after. The switch plates and sockets provide the sleek, contemporary look and modern functionality in a heritage finish; perfectly complementing the look we aimed to achieve in Kings House.”

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Products Installed

Control Plates:

Hartland G2 Collection – All mounted on Single/Double Antique Brass effect plates with Antique Brass switches and Black inserts

Plates installed include:

7G29SS2USBULTAB-B – 2 Gang 13A Double Pole Switched Socket with 2 USB Ultra Outlets 2x2.4A

7G29R23AB-B – 3 Gang 2-Way Rocker Switch Plate

7G29EURO4 – EuroFix 100x50 4 Module Aperture Plate

MOD-DENTB – EuroFix 50x50 TV+FM+2xSAT Module Black

MOD-1BLANKB – EuroFix 25x50 Blank Module Plate

MOD-J45-C6B – EuroFix 25x50 RJ45 CAT6 Module Black

7G29TCSB – 1 Gang Telephone Slave

7G29R24AB-B – 4 Gang 10AX Rocker Switch Plate