Case Study: Fitting a Family into Fitzrovia
London living doesn’t get more central than Fitzrovia. With Carnaby Street on the doorstep, The British Museum as a close neighbour, and theatreland a stone’s throw away - it’s certainly a hot destination. Everyone wants a slice.
But, understandably, that comes at a price.
For our client Galyna, this meant sacrificing space, when she moved with her husband and two children from a five-bedroom house on the outskirts of London, to a one-bedroom Fitzrovia flat.
She said: ‘Our kids were heading to boarding school, and my husband worked in central London a lot, so it made sense to make the move. Although we had to make a lot of adjustments to fit the contents of a five-bedroom house into a one-bedroom property…’
The London Kitchen Company’s brief was to renovate the kitchen to create a deceptively spacious, yet aesthetically beautiful hub for the whole family - optimising every inch.
Maximising Space
As a kitchen company operating in London, we’re used to working wonders transforming small spaces into rooms which feel larger than their square footage. But accommodating a family of four in a house a fifth of the size posed a real challenge. This was more than a kitchen: it was a central gathering place. A location to socialise, to work, to cook, to dine, to relax.
With this in mind, the family’s immediate decision was to knock down the wall dividing the small kitchen and living room to create an open plan, communal space.
(The separate kitchen and living room before the renovation)
‘With the two divided spaces, I was constantly running between the two rooms to ask a question - communication was terrible! All the utilities we needed for the family in the kitchen - a dishwasher, tumble dryer...and wine cooler - simply didn’t fit before. The house immediately became more sociable since we integrated the rooms, and much more light gets in’.
Living in a period property, not only do the family benefit from heaps of history and alluring architecture, but a real saving grace: high ceilings. This allowed for some inventive design: they transformed one bedroom into two by building a mezzanine. In the kitchen, this meant the family were able to make the most of the storage opportunities by installing cupboards which extend all the way to the ceiling, as well as down to the floor. This, according to Sebastian, draws the eye upwards to give a sense of space.
Although Galyna admittedly uses a step ladder to access them, she adds, ‘the cupboards are also very white and light so they make the space look bigger visually…’
Both Sebastian and Galyna explained how the cupboards were thoroughly considered to create a feeling of spaciousness. The cupboards, doors and peninsula have a consistent panelled design - working in the family’s favour as they secretly hide a bathroom and white goods out of sight.
“We wanted to make the bathroom invisible - so no one other than us knows it’s there. So we made all the cupboards look the same… sometimes we mistake the toilet for the fridge!” said Galyna.
Moreover, the glazed cupboard doors expand the space by reflecting the light, and appearing similar to the windows - making the room feel bigger than it is.
Storage was a must in Galyna’s kitchen design - and The London Kitchen company sought to create it at every opportunity. For example, we crafted a bespoke window seat, with storage underneath.
Sebastian said: “this is a prime example of the benefits of a bespoke kitchen. I was able to maximise the space of each drawer by having the middle one slightly wider, and the side drawers with more depth… Often people have lift up tops, which is complicated as you have to hold it open to access it. Drawers seemed an obvious choice for me.”
The kitchen’s consistent design continued with the window seat fabric. Aiming to match the family’s couch, Sebastian contacted the sofa company to acquire the exact blue fabric. He then collaborated with a local upholstery company to finish the design.
The window seat is a favourite spot of Galyna’s: ‘It’s huge - you can lie, read a book - even with two of you. We keep all our kitchen appliances and dishes in the drawers out of the way.’
Design & Details
A prime feature of the kitchen is the peninsula. Not only does it act as a divider between the kitchen area and the living room, but is spacious enough for the whole family to do a myriad of tasks…
Galyna explains: “I like baking big pies and fresh pasta - I can roll out my dough, and ingredients on the worksurface…. It’s perfect for four people to have dinner. We work there, play board games as a family - its multifunctional, easy to cook lots of space for socialising’
An unusual element of the family’s peninsula is its waterfall edge and large-radius curves, which were made bespoke for this kitchen. A family kitchen, rounded corners meant more protection from bruised hips as people move past each other.
Sebastian said: ‘the curved peninsula was a very good decision - the sweep of it gives a sense of space.’
The peninsula, as well as the other worksurfaces, are made of Silestone in Eternal Calacatta Gold, with a suede finish. This means the worksurfaces have a matt and slightly textured feel, which feel less hard than a shinier surface, and is very aesthetically pleasing.
Another theme of the kitchen is the copper detail. It’s everywhere - from the hob to the light switches. Galyna mentioned how copper was chosen as a strong companion to their white design. They did a Google search for the best colour palette to match with white kitchens, but thought other suggestions such as grey or teal would have darkened the room and made it feel smaller. They felt copper would match the earthy colours and rustic style of the period property they live in. Once copper was chosen, they discovered appliances in the same colour - from their mixer, knives, kitchen roll holder… you name it, they’ve got it in copper!
As for the wood, which was used in the cupboards and doors, solid ash was chosen for its grain, which shows up beautifully under the paint. Polar White was used to aid the sense of space. The cabinet interiors were in Lava Grey, but the fronts were edged with white to match the doors, so that the dark lines wouldn’t appear between the doors.
Every detail was considered. For example, the side fillers on the living room’s alcove units were measured to the size of each door, rather than using one single large piece. The criss-cross design of the grid adds to the consistent design, thus pleasing the eye and adding to the feeling of space.
Sebastian said: ‘As a designer, I am very focussed on detail and consistency, which is how I like to arrive at the bigger picture. It’s almost like I’m being told by the materials and space what to do. It’s in the details that I try to find solutions.”
Process & Afterthoughts
Galyna chose The London Kitchen Company over others because she appreciated Sebastian’s ability to search for solutions, where others didn’t dare dream.
“We invited several kitchen companies… most didn’t have the original ability to imagine what it could be. With Sebastian you say ‘I want this’ and he visualises it. We asked - can you fit all the appliances. Sebastian said, give me a day and I’ll come up with something. Other companies said - no it’s impossible, the space is too small.... I felt he was working for the customers’ needs… he found an upholstery company for the window seat and made it happen. Even if his company didn't have something he would hire someone else… he helps fulfil customer’s visions”.
And Sebastian appreciated working with someone with many strong ideas: “She made decisions which really helps. Galyna stuck to her guns on things, which is a great help to ensuring the designer is always being pushed to come up with solutions, leading to better design in the end… although finding parking in Fitzrovia is a nightmare!!”
Galyna & her family downsized from a 5-bed to a 1-bed with the intention that the house wouldn’t often be full as the children went to boarding school. But when we spoke, the whole family was quarantined for two weeks after travelling - really putting the space to the test.
‘We’ve had a week with the kids so far - without stepping outside for a second - and we’re not suffering at all! I’m so grateful for this space”.
Mission accomplished.
Click here to book a free 30-minute consultation with Sebastian.