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Before & After: A Nature-Inspired Palette for a Tired UK Kitchen
Soft colours and organic materials give this London eat-in kitchen a calm feel and a connection with nature
The new owners of this Edwardian terrace house, a young couple with two small children, inherited a functioning but dated kitchen and wanted a design that was both easy to live with and simple to maintain. The female owner had an idea of how she’d like the space to look and function, but wasn’t sure how to realise those ideas, so she called on the expertise of local designer Sybille Garnier Le Mené of Into Interior Design.
The kitchen before works.
The old kitchen was in need of modernisation – and it wasn’t just that the units were shabby. “The layout was not optimised at all,” says Garnier Le Mené. “It needed to be entirely rethought.”
Due to budget constraints, the family did not want to extend the room. “I had to work with the existing space without touching the structural walls, apart from a chimney breast [on the wall opposite the cabinets], which I convinced them to remove,” says Garnier Le Mené.
Ready to renovate? Find reviewed interior designers in your area and browse their previous projects
The old kitchen was in need of modernisation – and it wasn’t just that the units were shabby. “The layout was not optimised at all,” says Garnier Le Mené. “It needed to be entirely rethought.”
Due to budget constraints, the family did not want to extend the room. “I had to work with the existing space without touching the structural walls, apart from a chimney breast [on the wall opposite the cabinets], which I convinced them to remove,” says Garnier Le Mené.
Ready to renovate? Find reviewed interior designers in your area and browse their previous projects
The kitchen after works.
Even though she had to keep the existing openings onto the garden, Garnier Le Mené decided to change the thick white uPVC window frame and patio door for slimmer black-framed sliding aluminium designs, which maximise the view and highlight the greenery outside.
Garnier Le Mené further reinforced this link to the outdoors in the kitchen’s colour palette. “I wanted to create a connection with the garden,” she says. “This naturally influenced the choice of green for the kitchen cabinets. The room is south-facing, and I thought it would be nice to use a dark tone.”
The induction cooktop is positioned on the kitchen island, which means the chef can face family and friends in the dining area while cooking. The cooktop has an integrated downdraft extractor, which keeps the space open.
“I tend to use these quite often, as they work well when it’s complicated to install a ceiling hood,” says Garnier Le Mené. “With this renovation, I thought it would look nice to have pendants above the island.”
Even though she had to keep the existing openings onto the garden, Garnier Le Mené decided to change the thick white uPVC window frame and patio door for slimmer black-framed sliding aluminium designs, which maximise the view and highlight the greenery outside.
Garnier Le Mené further reinforced this link to the outdoors in the kitchen’s colour palette. “I wanted to create a connection with the garden,” she says. “This naturally influenced the choice of green for the kitchen cabinets. The room is south-facing, and I thought it would be nice to use a dark tone.”
The induction cooktop is positioned on the kitchen island, which means the chef can face family and friends in the dining area while cooking. The cooktop has an integrated downdraft extractor, which keeps the space open.
“I tend to use these quite often, as they work well when it’s complicated to install a ceiling hood,” says Garnier Le Mené. “With this renovation, I thought it would look nice to have pendants above the island.”
One of the most eye-catching features in the kitchen is the split zellige-tiled splashback. “My client loved their irregular shape, and she wanted a touch of soft pink somewhere in the kitchen,” says Garnier Le Mené. “Zellige tiles reflect the light and can be used to add texture and personality to a room.”
There are two ways to lay them: with a thin grout or without for a more authentic look. The designer opted for the latter to add more texture to the room.
The new flooring adds a more natural feel and chimes with the open shelves, which are made of solid oiled oak and have an integrated LED strip light integrated into the bottom shelf to illuminate the benchtop.
“I always like to use open shelves to be able to display some lovely objects, a few plants and nice recipe books,” says Garnier Le Mené. “They give more life to a kitchen and make the space feel airier.”
There are two ways to lay them: with a thin grout or without for a more authentic look. The designer opted for the latter to add more texture to the room.
The new flooring adds a more natural feel and chimes with the open shelves, which are made of solid oiled oak and have an integrated LED strip light integrated into the bottom shelf to illuminate the benchtop.
“I always like to use open shelves to be able to display some lovely objects, a few plants and nice recipe books,” says Garnier Le Mené. “They give more life to a kitchen and make the space feel airier.”
The kitchen during works.
Garnier Le Mené needed to make the layout work harder, but there were a couple of constraints: the position of the hot-water heater, which couldn’t be moved, and the washing machine and dryer, which had to remain in the kitchen.
Garnier Le Mené needed to make the layout work harder, but there were a couple of constraints: the position of the hot-water heater, which couldn’t be moved, and the washing machine and dryer, which had to remain in the kitchen.
The kitchen after works.
Nevertheless, Garnier Le Mené effectively worked around these elements. “The storage space was highly maximised,” she says. The washing machine and tumble dryer are now stacked in the right-hand tall cabinet. Next to them is a pantry, then the fridge-freezer, with the hot-water heater cabinet now having shelving beneath it and housing for a microwave.
The nib wall remained in place, so the first base cabinet is shallower. Next to it is a bins cupboard, then a corner cabinet. A dishwasher sits to the left of the sink under the window.
The oven is housed in the kitchen island where there are also drawers for pans and cutlery, plus a reduced-depth cabinet on the dining side. The seating area is perfect for the children to sit at when the parents are cooking.
“Having an island was an absolute requirement for my client and she wanted it to have a small breakfast-bar area,” says Garnier Le Mené. “It was a bit tricky, as the island couldn’t be large, but we made it work.”
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Nevertheless, Garnier Le Mené effectively worked around these elements. “The storage space was highly maximised,” she says. The washing machine and tumble dryer are now stacked in the right-hand tall cabinet. Next to them is a pantry, then the fridge-freezer, with the hot-water heater cabinet now having shelving beneath it and housing for a microwave.
The nib wall remained in place, so the first base cabinet is shallower. Next to it is a bins cupboard, then a corner cabinet. A dishwasher sits to the left of the sink under the window.
The oven is housed in the kitchen island where there are also drawers for pans and cutlery, plus a reduced-depth cabinet on the dining side. The seating area is perfect for the children to sit at when the parents are cooking.
“Having an island was an absolute requirement for my client and she wanted it to have a small breakfast-bar area,” says Garnier Le Mené. “It was a bit tricky, as the island couldn’t be large, but we made it work.”
Browse gorgeous breakfast nooks by Australian designers
Garnier Le Mené also added a large internal window between the kitchen and the living room beyond. “The idea was to bring more natural light into the north-facing living room while keeping the kitchen as a separate space,” she says. “I wanted a simple design and I chose natural wood for the frame to bring in more warmth and texture. It’s fire-treated and the glazing is fire-retardant.”
On the living room side of the window, she designed a little desk area, so the natural light coming from the kitchen is a nice addition. And on the dining room side, an L-shaped banquette, chairs and a table provide a comfortable spot for meals.
On the living room side of the window, she designed a little desk area, so the natural light coming from the kitchen is a nice addition. And on the dining room side, an L-shaped banquette, chairs and a table provide a comfortable spot for meals.
The dining area before works.
Originally, there was a chimney breast opposite the kitchen units that was taking up a lot of space. “Removing the chimney breast made a big difference in terms of layout and I could create a decent-sized dining area,” says Garnier Le Mené.
Originally, there was a chimney breast opposite the kitchen units that was taking up a lot of space. “Removing the chimney breast made a big difference in terms of layout and I could create a decent-sized dining area,” says Garnier Le Mené.
The dining area after works.
This dining nook incorporates more storage – a bench with a lift-up seat and cabinets at ceiling height.
“I suggested using a wallpaper to define the space and to ‘invite the outdoors in’ on this side of the kitchen, too,” says Garnier Le Mené. The client chose the whimsical palm-tree mural – Amazon in Menthe by Isidore Leroy – which is the star of the space. “The wallpaper, rather than the high wall cabinets, is the first thing you notice,” says the designer.
Garnier Le Mené didn’t want to paint the cabinets and benches in the same colour as the kitchen units. “It would have been too much green in the room,” she says. “I chose a dark grey-blue shade instead to contrast and give personality to the area.”
This dining nook incorporates more storage – a bench with a lift-up seat and cabinets at ceiling height.
“I suggested using a wallpaper to define the space and to ‘invite the outdoors in’ on this side of the kitchen, too,” says Garnier Le Mené. The client chose the whimsical palm-tree mural – Amazon in Menthe by Isidore Leroy – which is the star of the space. “The wallpaper, rather than the high wall cabinets, is the first thing you notice,” says the designer.
Garnier Le Mené didn’t want to paint the cabinets and benches in the same colour as the kitchen units. “It would have been too much green in the room,” she says. “I chose a dark grey-blue shade instead to contrast and give personality to the area.”
Plants throughout the space add to the organic feel. “Personally, I enjoy having plants in my kitchen and displaying some green accessories on open shelves or on the worktop,” says Garnier Le Mené. “For those who are hesitant to use green directly on kitchen cabinets, an accent wall painted green can look fantastic.”
The owners love their new kitchen, especially the female owner. “It reflects her cheerful personality,” she says. “She added a lot of her personal decorative objects and likes spending time in here. She wanted a happy space, and the cheerful outcome is clear to see in the room.”
Your turn
Which features in this open-plan kitchen and dining space catch your eye? Tell us in the Comments, like this story, save the images for inspiration and join the renovation conversation.
More
Loved this UK transformation? Don’t miss this French Before & After: A Clothing Studio’s New Life as a Small Apartment
The owners love their new kitchen, especially the female owner. “It reflects her cheerful personality,” she says. “She added a lot of her personal decorative objects and likes spending time in here. She wanted a happy space, and the cheerful outcome is clear to see in the room.”
Your turn
Which features in this open-plan kitchen and dining space catch your eye? Tell us in the Comments, like this story, save the images for inspiration and join the renovation conversation.
More
Loved this UK transformation? Don’t miss this French Before & After: A Clothing Studio’s New Life as a Small Apartment
Kitchen at a Glance
Who lives here: A young couple with two children
Location: London, UK
Room purpose and size: A kitchen/dining space around 23 square metres
Design: Sybille Garnier Le Mené of Into Interior Design
Construction: Mon Concept Habitation
“[The owner] loves home decor and when we first met, she already had plenty of ideas in mind,” says Garnier Le Mené, “but she needed guidance to make the right choices in terms of layout and the selection of fixtures and fittings.” After the designer discovered that the owner loves wallpaper, colour and Moroccan tiles, it was up to her to bring these disparate elements together.
One of the owners is a yoga teacher who often works from home. She wanted her eat-in kitchen to be functional with plenty of storage, but also bright and cheerful with a relaxed atmosphere.