Tour a Light-filled London Home With a Soothing Coastal Palette
Watch and read how a designer found on Houzz updated a Modernist home with warm finishes and colours that evoke the sea
Mitchell Parker
3 March 2022
Houzz Editorial Staff. Home design journalist writing about cool spaces, innovative trends, breaking news, industry analysis and humor.
Houzz Editorial Staff. Home design journalist writing about cool spaces, innovative... More
Late-1990s finishes weren’t cutting it for these London, UK, homeowners and their two children. Wanting a more modern look with colours inspired by the waters around Israel, where one of the owners grew up, they searched Houzz and found designer Samantha Watkins McRae.
Samantha used Houzz Pro software to coordinate the project with the homeowners. She updated the kitchen with a soothing coastal palette that includes a dark blue island and crisp-white refaced perimeter cabinets. Numerous glass walls let light flood into the open-plan living space, which Watkins McRae made more cosy by using warm finishes and furniture that create the feeling of intimate zones.
Samantha used Houzz Pro software to coordinate the project with the homeowners. She updated the kitchen with a soothing coastal palette that includes a dark blue island and crisp-white refaced perimeter cabinets. Numerous glass walls let light flood into the open-plan living space, which Watkins McRae made more cosy by using warm finishes and furniture that create the feeling of intimate zones.
A new, almost three-metre-long island in a deep blue shade (Hague Blue by Farrow & Ball) anchors the sun-filled kitchen and can comfortably seat six people. “It’s a very social house,” says Watkins McRae.
She kept the previous cabinet carcasses along the back wall, but added new drawer and door fronts in crisp white. A wine fridge on the end allows family members and guests to grab a drink without getting in the way of anyone cooking.
Wood-framed, floor-to-ceiling windows bring in light, views and a warm finish. Watkins McRae had the existing oak floor sanded and refinished in a lighter stain. “It allows the timber to sing a little bit more against the contrast of some of the colours in the space,” she says.
Watch now: Step inside this bright London home on Houzz TV
She kept the previous cabinet carcasses along the back wall, but added new drawer and door fronts in crisp white. A wine fridge on the end allows family members and guests to grab a drink without getting in the way of anyone cooking.
Wood-framed, floor-to-ceiling windows bring in light, views and a warm finish. Watkins McRae had the existing oak floor sanded and refinished in a lighter stain. “It allows the timber to sing a little bit more against the contrast of some of the colours in the space,” she says.
Watch now: Step inside this bright London home on Houzz TV
The cabinets feature a beaded detail that the homeowners had fallen in love with. The worktops and splashback are marble-look quartz.
The kitchen and living area look out to this leafy terrace with an outdoor dining spot.
Watkins McRae carried blue into the stylish dining room, where deep walls (in Stiffkey Blue by Farrow & Ball) coordinate with dark chairs and other moody details. A mirrored wall helps make the space feel more expansive.
Watch now: See more of how this colourful home came together
Watch now: See more of how this colourful home came together
In the powder room, a blue, cast-concrete basin hangs on the wall, while warm brass fixtures complement the hue. A blue-and-white Marfa weave patterned wallpaper picks up the coastal colour palette used throughout the home.
The glazed stairwell pulls light into the modern home.
Watch now: Go inside this light-filled London home
Watch now: Go inside this light-filled London home
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Am I missing something regarding the lounge? The sitting area off the kitchen has one two seater sofa and one arm chair. Is that the lounge? Is there another lounge somewhere else that seats more people? I have looked on the photos and the tour and it doesn't show any further seats.
I love the space, the glass, the light. However, in my house, having the piano, the tv and the kitchen in one big room would never work. Both my daughter and I play the violin and the piano for pleasure, nothing like serious hours of practicing. My husband likes Netflix. I hate cooking smells and the noise. Our house is not massive and is in its original state. Whilst we are thinking of removing the walls between the tiny kitchen and living room turning the space into kitchen dining and living room, we will have pocket doors to keep the areas separated.
Beautiful! The island sink seems to be the only sink in the kitchen and appears quite small, is there another area to do the washing up of pots and pans?