Between Conservation and Contemporary Living: In Conversation with Matthew Colledge

At Inuti Interiors, we are always drawn to people who approach design with depth, sensitivity and a genuine understanding of how spaces shape everyday life. Recently, we sat down with Matthew to discuss his work as a conservation architect, exploring how historic buildings can evolve thoughtfully while remaining deeply connected to their past.

We had a fascinating conversation about craftsmanship, planning, heritage, materiality and the quiet creativity required when working with older buildings. Matthew’s approach feels closely aligned with many of the values we hold within interior design, creating homes that are thoughtfully improved, intuitive and authentic to the people living within them.

Below, we explore Matthew’s perspective on navigating contemporary architecture within historic settings, the importance of thoughtful restoration and why older buildings continue to offer endless opportunities for creativity.

Navigating Contemporary Design Within Historic Contexts

One of the most interesting aspects of Matthew’s work is the way he approaches contemporary intervention within historic buildings. Rather than viewing old and new as opposing forces, he sees them as part of an ongoing architectural story. “Contemporary design and historic context are not mutually exclusive,” he explains. “All buildings were contemporary at some point.”

That mindset forms the foundation of his process. Before any design decisions are made, there is a strong emphasis on understanding place, its history, significance, constraints and opportunities. Matthew describes each project as a form of navigation, carefully steering through planning considerations, heritage legislation, ecology, structural limitations and client aspirations in order to arrive at a considered outcome.

As a RIBA conservation architect, his role is not about imposing a particular aesthetic. Instead, it is about managing change responsibly.

Listening forms a central part of that process. Understanding how clients want to live, how they move through spaces and what they need from a home often becomes the starting point for larger architectural decisions. From there, detailed site analysis, heritage research and early conversations with planning authorities help establish a clear strategy.

Matthew also highlights the importance of early collaboration with conservation officers and specialist consultants, particularly on listed buildings or sensitive sites. These early discussions help establish a shared understanding of what is important about a building and where contemporary intervention may be appropriate.

What becomes clear through speaking with Matthew is that successful conservation architecture is rarely about contrast for contrast’s sake. Contemporary additions are instead rooted in proportion, craftsmanship, scale and materiality, subtle interventions that feel informed by the building rather than disconnected from it. 

Understanding What Should Be Preserved

One of the biggest challenges within conservation-led projects is determining what should remain untouched and what can evolve.

Matthew approaches this through careful investigation and research. Historic maps, archival drawings, local heritage records and detailed site analysis all help build a picture of how a building has changed over time. This process often reveals which elements genuinely contribute to a building’s architectural significance and which may be later additions that are less sympathetic. “There are cases where unsympathetic alterations or additions have diluted the overall coherence of a building,” Matthew explains. “Their removal can allow more appropriate materials, proportions or details to be reintroduced.”

This is particularly important when working with traditional buildings that have previously been repaired using modern, incompatible materials.

Matthew discusses how cement render, hard mortar pointing and gypsum plaster can trap moisture within historic masonry, often causing long-term deterioration beneath the surface. Reintroducing breathable materials such as lime plaster and lime mortar can play an essential role in preserving historic fabric and improving the long-term health of a building.

It is a reminder that conservation is not simply about preserving appearance. It is also about understanding how older buildings function physically and environmentally.

Interestingly, Matthew speaks about preservation and reimagining as processes that often overlap. Fireplaces are a perfect example. Original fireplaces are always assessed on their merit and, where possible, retained and repaired. However, where historic features have been lost, thoughtfully reintroducing a surround, hearth or burner can restore both character and functionality.

This balanced approach feels especially relevant today, as more homeowners look to sensitively restore older homes while adapting them for modern living.

A Detail That Solved More Than One Problem

We asked Matthew about a recent detail he was particularly proud of. He pointed to the wholesale refurbishment of a Grade II listed Regency terrace in Cheltenham, a project led by Colledge Architects. The project involved resolving a significant roof and rainwater drainage issue that had been causing long-term damage to the building fabric. The existing roof contained poorly detailed leadwork, ageing asbestos-containing faux slates and an internal gutter system that had repeatedly failed. Over time, blocked drainage caused extensive moisture penetration into walls and ceilings. The resulting damage was substantial, rotting joists, saturated brickwork and failing internal finishes.

What makes this project so interesting is the way technical problem-solving was combined with sensitivity towards the listed building itself.

Internally, gypsum plaster was removed and replaced with breathable insulated lime plaster, allowing trapped moisture to evaporate naturally while improving thermal performance. Structurally damaged joists were repaired carefully in accordance with engineering details.

Externally, the roof design required particularly careful consideration. Hidden behind a stone parapet, the roof pitch was too shallow for traditional slates, leading to the use of an imitation concrete alternative agreed with the local authority.

Matthew describes the detailing process as especially rewarding. The redesigned roof incorporated enclosed rainwater goods, increased drainage capacity and breathable wood-fibre insulation within a carefully considered roofing build-up.

Every junction and interface was designed to improve performance while respecting the character of the historic building. It is this combination of technical precision and quiet craftsmanship that seems to define much of Matthew’s work.

Designing Spaces That Feel Calm and Intuitive

While much of conservation architecture focuses on technical detail and planning strategy, there is also a deeply human side to the work. For Matthew, spaces should ultimately feel calm, comfortable and intuitive. “Spaces should feel like home,” he says. “Settled, secure and quietly supportive of everyday life.”

That feeling is often shaped through subtle design decisions, carefully framed views, the movement of natural light across surfaces and the considered use of materials. In historic buildings particularly, allowing original materials and architectural features to remain visible helps reinforce a sense of continuity and connection to the past.

There is also an importance placed on movement and discovery. Matthew talks about creating subtle cues that draw people naturally through a building, creating intrigue without feeling forced.

This resonates strongly with the way thoughtful interiors often function. The best spaces rarely shout for attention. Instead, they reveal themselves gradually through atmosphere, texture, proportion and light.

Translating Lifestyle Into Architecture

One of the most relatable parts of our conversation centred around how clients communicate what they want from a home. As Matthew points out, clients rarely describe architecture in technical terms. Instead, they speak about how they want to live. People describe routines, aspirations, frustrations and emotions, wanting spaces that feel calmer, more sociable, more flexible or better connected to the landscape around them.

Understanding those patterns of daily life becomes central to the design process. “Simple conversations about movement, gathering and what doesn’t currently work help inform decisions about hierarchy, light, views and degrees of openness or separation,” he explains.

Within existing and historic buildings, those aspirations are then tested against the opportunities and constraints already present. Often, the building itself begins to guide the solution.

An original reception room may naturally become the social heart of the home. A staircase might define transitions between public and private space. Existing fireplaces, thresholds and structural rhythms help shape new ways of living without forcing unnecessary change.

Early sketches and diagrams play an important role in this stage, helping clients respond emotionally to layouts and atmosphere before final decisions are made. It is a process rooted as much in interpretation as design.

Why Older Buildings Demand a Different Creativity

When asked whether older buildings require a different kind of creativity, Matthew answered without hesitation. “Yes,” he says. “Older buildings demand a form of creativity grounded in understanding, restraint and interpretation.”

Rather than invention for its own sake, conservation architecture requires an ability to respond intelligently to existing fabric. Inherited proportions, traditional materials and historic construction methods all frame what is possible. Yet rather than limiting creativity, Matthew believes these constraints sharpen it.

There is creativity in resolving complex technical problems discreetly. Creativity in adapting buildings for modern life without losing character. Creativity in producing interventions that feel inevitable rather than imposed.

He also speaks about the narrative quality of historic buildings. Every intervention becomes part of a much longer story. New work must acknowledge what came before while remaining honest to its own time.

It is this balance between continuity and change that makes conservation-led work so compelling.

The Ongoing Challenge of Historic Buildings

What continues to interest Matthew most is the challenge of helping historic buildings evolve responsibly while remaining relevant for contemporary life. No two projects are ever the same. Each brings its own combination of technical issues, planning complexities, heritage considerations and personal stories.

The planning process itself remains intellectually demanding, requiring clear reasoning, evidence and collaboration with conservation officers, planners and specialist consultants.

Yet despite the challenges, there is also an inherent sense of discovery within this work. “You never quite know what will be uncovered once investigations begin,” Matthew says. That unpredictability requires flexibility, curiosity and judgement qualities that seem essential when working with buildings that have evolved over centuries.

Ultimately, conservation architecture sits at the intersection of history, technology and lived experience. And perhaps that is what makes it so meaningful.

Historic buildings are not frozen in time. They continue to adapt alongside the people who inhabit them. When approached thoughtfully, contemporary intervention can help preserve not only the physical fabric of a building, but also its relevance, longevity and ability to support modern life.

For us at Inuti Interiors, it was incredibly refreshing to speak with someone whose work shares such a strong appreciation for atmosphere, craftsmanship and considered living.

A huge thank you to Matthew for taking the time to share his thoughts and insight with us.

You can find Matthew at Home - Colledge Architects Ltd