Before & After: Inside a stylish north London kitchen makeover with a Mediterranean twist
With dreams of one day extending their kitchen, one couple opted for an interim fix. By knocking through into the former breakfast room, they redesigned the space as a kitchen/diner for their young family. The result is a light, bright, stylish space where everyone gets together.
Who lives here?
Philippa Ross, founder of @watthebrand, lives with her husband Alex and their two children in a semi-detached 1930s house in north London.
Before
'The kitchen was small and old-fashioned with a breakfast room next to it through a single door. This layout didn’t work for us, so we knocked through to open up the space,' says Philippa.
Did you have a clear idea of what you wanted from the outset?
PR: When we bought this house, we could see it had potential but knew that we would have to change the kitchen, which was very dated. Our long-term plan is to extend, but until then it made sense to knock through to the breakfast room next door and create an open-plan kitchen/diner.
How did you get started?
PR: After consulting a structural engineer about removing the wall, we learned that we would have to install a structural beam to support the ceiling. But once that was done and the wall was down, we loved the bigger space. I’m always looking on Pinterest and Instagram for ideas, although we had quite a tight budget so that determined how much we could spend. I wanted something neutral and light, so the room looked bigger, and with young children and running my business from home, the kitchen needed to feel calm and serene.
Were there any challenges?
PR: Knocking through the two rooms and the resulting building work took longer than we had thought it would, and it was very messy! To add to the chaos, the bathroom above the kitchen had been leaking for years, but that had never been addressed. With the children using the bath more often, it became a much bigger problem, and we had water pouring through the ceiling, so that had to be fixed before we could start work on the design.
What were your non-negotiables?
PR: For me, a pantry was definitely a priority, and luckily with the new open-plan space we had enough space to include one. It houses all the breakfast items as well as, more importantly, my coffee machine. I love coffee and I can’t start the day without it – sitting at the table before the rest of the family get up is my 'me' time.
Your favourite element of the makeover?
PR: Definitely the floor. It’s a real showstopper; everyone comments on it. I didn’t want something smooth and plain, and I just love the rustic look of these tiles from Ca' Pietra; it reminds me of Mediterranean properties and is so practical. We put in underfloor heating too, so it's a really cosy space.
SOURCEBOOK
Units, including cabinets and pantry; Belfast sink; howdens.com
Worktop and splashback; both caesarstone.co.uk.
Elm brushed-brass cup handles, corston.com
Hot tap, quooker.co.uk
Oven, hob and extractor; all aeg.co.uk
Marlborough parquet tiles; walls painted in Maple’s Cloth; all capietra.com
Slab table, tomdixon.net
Gunleif chairs,ikea.com
Isobella chandelier, sohohome.com
Wall light, pooky.com
Aperitif print, nataliabagniewska.com
COSTS
Units £10,000
Sink £300
Worktop and splashback £5,000
Handles £500
Hot Tap £1,500
Oven and Hob £700
Extractor £300
Tiles £1,000
Paint £65
Table £2,500
Chairs £750
Lights £1500
Total = £24,115
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