A Calm Kitchen for a Busy Family
A London couple and their kids get an eat-in kitchen featuring a serene blue and garden view
Lara Watson
July 30, 2016
Houzz UK and Ireland Editorial Staff. My background is in creative lifestyle publishing and I'm currently a freelance writer/editor. I live in a converted dye factory in East London and am forever searching 'exposed brick' on Houzz.
Houzz UK and Ireland Editorial Staff. My background is in creative lifestyle publishing... More
Once tired, cramped and dark, this London kitchen underwent a five-month renovation that included adding new skylights and opening the back wall to the garden with bifold doors. The family opted for a breezy, coastal feel with a mix of smoked oak and the palest blue cabinets.
“The kitchen is the hub of this family’s home, and a space where they eat, entertain and relax,” says designer Beth Dadswell, who also put in a custom seating area with a hidden element the kids love.
“The kitchen is the hub of this family’s home, and a space where they eat, entertain and relax,” says designer Beth Dadswell, who also put in a custom seating area with a hidden element the kids love.
Photos by Chris Snook
Kitchen at a Glance
Who lives here: A professional couple with two young children
Location: Southeast London
Size: About 17¾ by 14½ feet (5.4 by 4.4 meters) at its widest point; part of an Edwardian row house
Designer: Beth Dadswell of Imperfect Interiors
Dadswell was asked to create a larger kitchen with a proper dining area for this young family to enjoy together. They wanted the space to be more efficient and have better views out to the garden.
“Part of making this kitchen work better was utilizing the cupboards in the island for storage,” Dadswell says. “We also added a wine cooler, built in extra storage under the seating area and beside it, and designed a large bank of cupboards that neatly conceal the fridge, ovens and mops.”
Kitchen at a Glance
Who lives here: A professional couple with two young children
Location: Southeast London
Size: About 17¾ by 14½ feet (5.4 by 4.4 meters) at its widest point; part of an Edwardian row house
Designer: Beth Dadswell of Imperfect Interiors
Dadswell was asked to create a larger kitchen with a proper dining area for this young family to enjoy together. They wanted the space to be more efficient and have better views out to the garden.
“Part of making this kitchen work better was utilizing the cupboards in the island for storage,” Dadswell says. “We also added a wine cooler, built in extra storage under the seating area and beside it, and designed a large bank of cupboards that neatly conceal the fridge, ovens and mops.”
The owners had already chosen a local kitchen supplier and a construction company specializing in extensions into side gardens, Dadswell says. “My job was to tie these disparate elements together and make the space work for them.” She selected colors for the cabinets and walls, picked materials for the countertops and backsplash, and designed a custom seating area that would become the focal point of the room.
Quartz counters: Bianco Arabescato, Jetstone
Quartz counters: Bianco Arabescato, Jetstone
The main design principle was to keep the room feeling as light and calm as possible, and to create spaces that allowed the parents to enjoy every minute of their spare time with the kids.
“The owners didn’t want anything too shiny or white, which I was thrilled about,” Dadswell says. “They wanted to incorporate some wood, so we chose a smoked oak, and they were both really keen on blue.”
Conscious that blue could overpower the room and look dated in a few years, Dadswell asked the kitchen company to spray several shades on sample boards to find exactly the right color. “It needed to have just the right amount of subtlety and gray in it,” Dadswell says. “The room still feels very light, as we went with a very pale gray on the walls, but it doesn’t feel cold or bland.”
Custom cabinets: Bells; cabinet paint: Borrowed Light, Farrow & Ball; porcelain floor tile: Regal in matte Vanilla, Topps Tiles
“The owners didn’t want anything too shiny or white, which I was thrilled about,” Dadswell says. “They wanted to incorporate some wood, so we chose a smoked oak, and they were both really keen on blue.”
Conscious that blue could overpower the room and look dated in a few years, Dadswell asked the kitchen company to spray several shades on sample boards to find exactly the right color. “It needed to have just the right amount of subtlety and gray in it,” Dadswell says. “The room still feels very light, as we went with a very pale gray on the walls, but it doesn’t feel cold or bland.”
Custom cabinets: Bells; cabinet paint: Borrowed Light, Farrow & Ball; porcelain floor tile: Regal in matte Vanilla, Topps Tiles
Dadswell designed custom seating and storage in the new dining area to use the space efficiently and create a snug entertaining spot. She also added a feature the kids love. “I included a hidden cat entrance in the banquette seating, so the family pet can get in and out of the garden through the cat flap and also have a cozy spot where he can snooze,” Dadswell says.
It’s cozy for the humans as well, since the homeowners installed underfloor heating. The paneling also adds visual warmth to the project. “I always try to add character,” Dadswell says. “Because the house is Edwardian, I wanted to continue this feeling in the kitchen. Modern kitchens can feel very hard and cold, so I often use paneling to soften the edges and break up expanses of wall. It makes the dining area feel cozy, acts as a backrest for the cushions and is also a way of avoiding sticky fingerprints on a newly painted wall!”
Lighting: Fritz Fryer
It’s cozy for the humans as well, since the homeowners installed underfloor heating. The paneling also adds visual warmth to the project. “I always try to add character,” Dadswell says. “Because the house is Edwardian, I wanted to continue this feeling in the kitchen. Modern kitchens can feel very hard and cold, so I often use paneling to soften the edges and break up expanses of wall. It makes the dining area feel cozy, acts as a backrest for the cushions and is also a way of avoiding sticky fingerprints on a newly painted wall!”
Lighting: Fritz Fryer
“I suggested we build a cupboard onto the end of the seating area,” Dadswell says. “From experience, I know it’s useful to have somewhere the children’s pencils, coloring books and games can be stored when the table’s being cleared for dinner. It’s also somewhere to display personal items, as well as a spot to put a lamp.”
Wall paint: Lead I, Paint & Paper Library
Wall paint: Lead I, Paint & Paper Library
Dadswell specializes in mixing midcentury and modern pieces for an eclectic look. And with a background in fashion and styling, she knows how to find special items that work together harmoniously.
Two framed Barbara Hepworth prints add color and personality to the dining area, as does the mix of pillows on the bench. “I used a wipeable fabric for the bench cushion that looks and feels like a nubuck leather but comes in a really great range of colors,” Dadswell says.
Furniture: Harrogate collection, Neptune; extendable table and vintage Ercol chairs: eBay; chair paint: Mist, Neptune; seat cushion and pillows: Angel Upholstery
Two framed Barbara Hepworth prints add color and personality to the dining area, as does the mix of pillows on the bench. “I used a wipeable fabric for the bench cushion that looks and feels like a nubuck leather but comes in a really great range of colors,” Dadswell says.
Furniture: Harrogate collection, Neptune; extendable table and vintage Ercol chairs: eBay; chair paint: Mist, Neptune; seat cushion and pillows: Angel Upholstery
“I also sourced several lovely pieces of midcentury pottery, some art and a few styling items from an antiques fair, which add color and individuality to the space,” Dadswell says.
Dadswell and her clients thought long and hard about the style and design of the backsplash tile.
“We chose these tiles as they have an imperfect, light-reflective surface,” the designer says. “We had them laid in a graphic midcentury style. We also used a very pale gray grout, which won’t turn yellow, and used this on the floor tiles too.”
Tile: Carnival in Ramon, Fired Earth
“We chose these tiles as they have an imperfect, light-reflective surface,” the designer says. “We had them laid in a graphic midcentury style. We also used a very pale gray grout, which won’t turn yellow, and used this on the floor tiles too.”
Tile: Carnival in Ramon, Fired Earth
“This project exceeded my expectations,” Dadswell says. “It has a really lovely light, airy feel in the daytime, and the three different lighting circuits mean it feels very cozy in the evenings too.”
Show us: Have you improved your kitchen recently? Please share your photos in the Comments!
More: 10 Design Tips for Planning a Family Kitchen
Show us: Have you improved your kitchen recently? Please share your photos in the Comments!
More: 10 Design Tips for Planning a Family Kitchen
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Love this kitchen! The flow is open and the colors are nice! The skylights really bring in a lot of daylight! The view is absolutely gorgeous!
The mix of modern and retro in this kitchen is sweet and soft - the cabinets remind us of SieMatic's first handle-free kitchens from the early 1960s, which included an almost minty blue color option:
This is amazing!!! Beautyful!!!