Room Of The Week
Before & After
Before & After: Elegance & Flow for an Open-Plan London Kitchen
It took a designer’s eye to rework an awkward 1930s floor plan into a flowing, family-friendly kitchen and dining space
Architects and designers often talk about the importance of ‘flow’ when designing homes, but the alterations that had been made some decades ago to this 1930s semi in London, UK, were the exact opposite. An awkward layout wasted space and left rooms disconnected – especially the kitchen and dining room – and the family of five who bought this property realised they needed professional advice to untangle the problem.
Through Houzz, they contacted a local interior designer, Joséphine Lecouflé-Vinet of JLV Design, who suggested an idea that went beyond their hopes, which resulted in this elegantly connected kitchen, dining and living space.
Through Houzz, they contacted a local interior designer, Joséphine Lecouflé-Vinet of JLV Design, who suggested an idea that went beyond their hopes, which resulted in this elegantly connected kitchen, dining and living space.
As this ‘before’ plan shows, accessing the dining room from the kitchen involved a convoluted journey through two other rooms. Also, thanks to two doorways and the protruding bathroom, which wasn’t really being used, the room next to the kitchen, which the owners had suggested as a potential dining room, had little useable space.
Inspired to rejuvenate your floor plan? Find an interior designer in your area on Houzz today
Inspired to rejuvenate your floor plan? Find an interior designer in your area on Houzz today
Aiming to knock down as few walls as possible, Josephine changed the flow of the ground floor so the kitchen and dining room are now connected. The dining room entrance from the hallway has been widened to make the hall feel lighter and more open, and to give anyone entering the property a view through to the garden.
The little bathroom has been shortened and turned into a much more useful laundry, which left a good-sized space – now with only one doorway – into which Lecouflé-Vinet slotted a study.
The little bathroom has been shortened and turned into a much more useful laundry, which left a good-sized space – now with only one doorway – into which Lecouflé-Vinet slotted a study.
The dining room before the renovation was being used as a homework room, with books scattered across the table. “The family had to eat [on a little peninsula] in a tiny corner of the kitchen – the kids were eating first, then the parents after, because they didn’t have the space,” says Lecouflé-Vinet.
Anyone with homework – young or old – can now base themselves in the quiet study behind the kitchen and the table in the dining room can be used for proper family meals and entertaining friends.
Anyone with homework – young or old – can now base themselves in the quiet study behind the kitchen and the table in the dining room can be used for proper family meals and entertaining friends.
This shot, taken from the front door, shows the widened entrance into the dining room and the new opening into the kitchen.
Here’s a view looking the other way to the front door.
The project had a little setback, as the floor was uneven and there was a big crack in an internal wall, so new concrete had to be laid, which needed time to dry. However, the timeline was still relatively short, with the work from initial contact to completion taking seven months.
The project had a little setback, as the floor was uneven and there was a big crack in an internal wall, so new concrete had to be laid, which needed time to dry. However, the timeline was still relatively short, with the work from initial contact to completion taking seven months.
Once the base was sorted, Lecouflé-Vinet chose oak herringbone parquet for the flooring, running it seamlessly through the dining room and into the kitchen, with underfloor heating for winter warmth.
Browse more beautifully designed libraries to inspire your own reading nook
Browse more beautifully designed libraries to inspire your own reading nook
When it came to choosing colours and materials, Lecouflé-Vinet was influenced by the family’s mid-century furniture. “I had a nice base with the furniture, which helped to make [the space] feel cosy. It was a starting point for bringing in the wood,” she says.
The elegant blue colour on the walls was picked to help both the features and furniture stand out. “The arch was already there, but as it was all white, you couldn’t really see it and the nice cosy nook it creates,” says Lecouflé-Vinet.
The elegant blue colour on the walls was picked to help both the features and furniture stand out. “The arch was already there, but as it was all white, you couldn’t really see it and the nice cosy nook it creates,” says Lecouflé-Vinet.
The owners bought this cabinet towards the end of the project, as it worked well with the other mid-century pieces and stood out beautifully against the newly painted walls.
Lecouflé-Vinet also helped the owners to position the artworks. “They already had the paintings, but they weren’t really being showcased,” she says. Now, each piece has its own space and is nicely framed against the blue background.
Lecouflé-Vinet also helped the owners to position the artworks. “They already had the paintings, but they weren’t really being showcased,” she says. Now, each piece has its own space and is nicely framed against the blue background.
The bookshelves were already in place, but Lecouflé-Vinet painted them, helping to highlight the books. This reading nook is perfectly positioned to offer a lovely view of the garden. “You get a real inside-outside feeling,” she says.
The old entrance to the kitchen (in the cream wall) was bricked up and a new opening created.
Across the new opening, Lecouflé-Vinet fitted glazed bif-old doors, so the family can contain cooking smells without losing shared light.
The door frame is natural oak. “We didn’t want to bring in too many wood finishes, and we already had the oak flooring and kitchen units, plus all the teak furniture,” she says.
The door frame is natural oak. “We didn’t want to bring in too many wood finishes, and we already had the oak flooring and kitchen units, plus all the teak furniture,” she says.
The window in the kitchen was enlarged, and the view of all the greenery helped inform the cabinet choices. “I wanted to have a green kitchen with wood and texture; we wanted something with character,” says Lecouflé-Vinet. She fronted Ikea carcasses with cupboard and drawer fronts veneered in oak and a muted dark grey-green laminate.
The wall units are small, with plenty of room above. “We wanted to keep it open, as it’s such a small kitchen. [The owner] wanted it to breathe,” she says.
The wall units are small, with plenty of room above. “We wanted to keep it open, as it’s such a small kitchen. [The owner] wanted it to breathe,” she says.
White zellige tiles create a simple but subtly textured splashback. “Because we had the herringbone pattern on the floor, we wanted to make sure we didn’t have too many colours or patterns, so just went for something simple,” says Lecouflé-Vinet. “Zelllige tiles bring some atmosphere.”
Blocking up the door into the room behind (now the study) meant Lecouflé-Vinet could fit a full bank of units and appliances along this kitchen wall without them dominating the view from the dining room.
Not surprisingly, Lecouflé-Vinet says she’s happy with how the work went and her design turned out. “It was a lovely project to work on,” she says.
And she isn’t the only one – the owners are delighted, saying, “[Lecouflé-Vinet] offered innovative ideas, which prevented us from wasting money on an unnecessary extension. We just needed help in seeing how the available space could be used more effectively”.
Your turn
Which elements in this redesign do you love? Share your thoughts in the Comments, like this story, save the images and join the renovation conversation.
More
If you loved witnessing this transformation, you’ll adore this Before & After: A Plain-Jane Kitchen Made Bejewelled & Beautiful
Not surprisingly, Lecouflé-Vinet says she’s happy with how the work went and her design turned out. “It was a lovely project to work on,” she says.
And she isn’t the only one – the owners are delighted, saying, “[Lecouflé-Vinet] offered innovative ideas, which prevented us from wasting money on an unnecessary extension. We just needed help in seeing how the available space could be used more effectively”.
Your turn
Which elements in this redesign do you love? Share your thoughts in the Comments, like this story, save the images and join the renovation conversation.
More
If you loved witnessing this transformation, you’ll adore this Before & After: A Plain-Jane Kitchen Made Bejewelled & Beautiful
Who lives here: A family with three teenagers
Location: London, UK
Property: A 1930s semi-detached house
Room purpose and size: A kitchen measuring 3.5 x 3.18 metres, and a dining room including the reading area measuring 5.6 x 3.8 metres
Designer: Joséphine Lecouflé-Vinet of JLV Design
When the homeowners first contacted Lecouflé-Vinet, they asked her to work a dining room into a small space off the kitchen, as the bigger, potential dining room was cut off. “I said, you know, you should open up the space and create the dining room [in the original area],” says Lecouflé-Vinet. “From a little idea, we ended up doing the whole ground floor.”