How Rich Colours and Smart Joinery Lifted a Neutral Kitchen
A plain kitchen in the UK is given an injection of personality with bold colours, storage and beautiful art
When the couple who own this house first bought it seven or eight years ago, it had been done up by a property developer and was very neutral. That suited them for a while, as they had young children racing about and didn’t want to feel too precious about anything. But once the kids hit their teenage years, the couple began to think about personalising their home.
That’s when they got in touch with interior designer Yoko Kloeden and asked her to design, among other rooms, a stylish eat-in kitchen that combined their favourite colours and made space for their art.
That’s when they got in touch with interior designer Yoko Kloeden and asked her to design, among other rooms, a stylish eat-in kitchen that combined their favourite colours and made space for their art.
The dishwasher is in an interesting place – high up to the left of the ovens. “The developers had put the dishwasher in this position and the clients loved it,” says Kloeden. It means there’s no bending for loading and unloading.
There’s plenty of storage in the kitchen, including a breakfast cupboard to the right of the ovens, which contains a benchtop that matches the main Belgian blue limestone benchtop. The owners also requested two bin drawers in the island to take care of rubbish and recycling.
A brass strip that runs around the units just under the benchtop adds warmth, and Kloeden has continued the theme with brass Armac Martin cabinet handles and a brass tap.
The zellige tile splashback adds a little texture to the contemporary scheme. “We needed something to soften the look,” says Kloeden.
There’s plenty of storage in the kitchen, including a breakfast cupboard to the right of the ovens, which contains a benchtop that matches the main Belgian blue limestone benchtop. The owners also requested two bin drawers in the island to take care of rubbish and recycling.
A brass strip that runs around the units just under the benchtop adds warmth, and Kloeden has continued the theme with brass Armac Martin cabinet handles and a brass tap.
The zellige tile splashback adds a little texture to the contemporary scheme. “We needed something to soften the look,” says Kloeden.
This artwork in the adjacent open-plan dining area, by Henrietta Stuart, holds the colours loved by the owners and helped to inspire the decoration in the room.
“The clients had a lot of contemporary art [throughout the house] that was just hung where they had a space, so they wanted to feature it properly,” says Kloeden. The pictures are hung more intentionally now, with illumination above and space to breathe.
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“The clients had a lot of contemporary art [throughout the house] that was just hung where they had a space, so they wanted to feature it properly,” says Kloeden. The pictures are hung more intentionally now, with illumination above and space to breathe.
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A beautiful live-edge wood table comfortably seats eight. “The owners asked for a bench on one side [not in shot here] and chairs on the other,” says Kloeden.
There’s more of the husband’s favourite burnt orange on this side of the room.
To strengthen the connection to the garden, Kloeden made the patio flush with the kitchen floor, which is engineered-oak herringbone parquet. She then fitted very sleek, frameless doors and reduced the architrave around the opening.
“The doors before were very bulky wood ones with huge frames and architraves,” says Kloeden, “so even though the opening was big, the owners didn’t really feel the connection [with the garden].” The new doors make much less impact.
“We also enlarged the patio a little, so there’s a useable space where the owners can sit out and entertain,” she says. It’s covered with porcelain tiles.
She engaged garden company Lotus Design Studio to landscape the garden. “The lawn was already there, but not the top fencing nor the trees,” says Kloeden. “It’s now designed to offer privacy and a leafy outlook as the plants grow.”
To strengthen the connection to the garden, Kloeden made the patio flush with the kitchen floor, which is engineered-oak herringbone parquet. She then fitted very sleek, frameless doors and reduced the architrave around the opening.
“The doors before were very bulky wood ones with huge frames and architraves,” says Kloeden, “so even though the opening was big, the owners didn’t really feel the connection [with the garden].” The new doors make much less impact.
“We also enlarged the patio a little, so there’s a useable space where the owners can sit out and entertain,” she says. It’s covered with porcelain tiles.
She engaged garden company Lotus Design Studio to landscape the garden. “The lawn was already there, but not the top fencing nor the trees,” says Kloeden. “It’s now designed to offer privacy and a leafy outlook as the plants grow.”
The sofa was originally against the right-hand wall. “The couple were scared of having a big sofa in the middle of the room, so we created a 3D drawing so they could visualise it,” says Kloeden. “They’re really happy now, as it zones the room without ruining the view.”
Freeing up the wall gave Kloeden the opportunity to create a bespoke joinery unit to hold the TV and showcase more artwork. It’s made from oak stained a dark teak finish, and the brass handles and navy backing echo the kitchen cabinetry.
“This is the family area, so the brief was to create a place where the children can bring a few friends,” says Kloeden. “We wanted the TV to be very discreet.” The cupboards currently hold some of the children’s things, but its use can change as the family grows.
Your turn
What do you like about this redesigned kitchen-diner? Share your thoughts in the Comments below, like this story, save the pictures and join the conversation.
More
Craving more on colour? Don’t miss How to Create a Cohesive Colour Flow Throughout Your Home
“This is the family area, so the brief was to create a place where the children can bring a few friends,” says Kloeden. “We wanted the TV to be very discreet.” The cupboards currently hold some of the children’s things, but its use can change as the family grows.
Your turn
What do you like about this redesigned kitchen-diner? Share your thoughts in the Comments below, like this story, save the pictures and join the conversation.
More
Craving more on colour? Don’t miss How to Create a Cohesive Colour Flow Throughout Your Home
Kitchen at a Glance
Who lives here: A couple with teenage children
Location: London, UK
Property: A four-storey Victorian terrace house
Room dimensions: 7 x 6 metres
Interior designer: Yoko Kloeden of Yoko Kloeden Design
Garden design: Lotus Design Studio
The couple likes contemporary style and knew just what they wanted for their kitchen-diner. They had differing views on colours, but luckily their favourite shades were complementary.
“The wife was very clear from the start that she loves navy blue, but the husband likes burnt orange, so we just married the two, and they work together,” says Kloeden of the Royal Navy paint from Little Greene.
The extension was already built, but the underfloor heating had broken. “The owners wanted to have a [hydronic heating] system fitted, so we excavated the floor,” says Kloeden.
The extension design had cleverly left a tiny courtyard between the old and new parts of the house, which means the kitchen, the combined laundry and cloakroom (which sits behind the bank of units seen here) and the middle reception room can all benefit from natural light.
Kloeden sited the sink under the kitchen window so the owners get to look at greenery while they’re prepping food or washing up. She fitted two ceramic sinks and included a Zip Water HydroTap for boiling water, just seen here to the right of the main tap.
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