The Brief
Injecting character into their new home was the priority for a couple who bought the five-bedroom Victorian terrace they had been renting in Clapham Common, London. ‘A vision of magnolia, it lacked any interest or soul and didn’t in any way reflect the clients’ love of life and travel. We were tasked with making it feel like a home,’ says Alex Keith, co-director along with Ali Johnson, of interior design studio Otta Design who were commissioned to renovate the interior. As well as introducing colour throughout the home, new bathrooms were a priority, but the emphasis was on the kitchen, which is the heart of the home. Formerly a cold and soulless room, the aim was to create a warm, interesting and layered space. ‘The clients inherited a bland handless contemporary kitchen that they wanted to reflect their love of colour and pattern,’ says Alex. ‘Top of their wish list was a chequerboard floor.’
The Project
The spacious kitchen is filled with light that floods in through roof lights, a quirky porthole window and a bank of bifold doors that lead to the garden, so the room was able to take dramatic pattern and colour. Classic chequerboard floors proved the perfect way to make a statement underfoot. The clients fell in love with Artisans of Devizes’ Royal Mink tumbled and Cipriani tumbled limestone tiles. Royal Mink is a charcoal limestone with a cloudy undertone and Cipriani is a creamy limestone with fossil markings and they work beautifully in a chequerboard design. ‘The clients liked the fact that they are softer than a plain black and white tile but add impact and texture,’ says Alex. The traditional chequerboard design injected into the modern scheme evokes an eclectic aesthetic and grounds the space. ‘The flooring is definitely the star of the show,’ says Alex.
Plaster pink walls provide a muted yet warm backdrop that works well with a variety of colours. Because the white kitchen cabinets were in good condition and blended with the flooring, they were left untouched. However, character was brought in with the island. The worksurface was replaced with a statement marble top designed with a waterfall edge and the cupboard doors were sprayed a rich aubergine shade, Brinjal by Farrow & Ball, which contrasts beautifully with the floor tiles. ‘Not afraid of colour, our clients loved the idea of adding new aubergine doors to the kitchen island,’ says Alex. An individual touch was introduced by changing the splashback to antique glass.
The kitchen was large enough to include a dining area for family entertaining. A generous antique wooden table with an exquisite parquet top is teamed with flexible seating in the shape of vintage ribbed leather chairs and bespoke banquette seating upholstered in a chevron fabric, creating a dining space with an eclectic edge. A handy nook for relaxing was created with a worn leather armchair, while above it vintage walnut shelves are used for display and brings further interest to the space.
Designer: Otta Designs