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Room Tour: A Simple Layout Rejig Unlocks a Light, Sociable Space
Removing a wall and moving a doorway has turned a bitty space into a flowing, welcoming kitchen-diner and living room
Sometimes, a deceptively simple layout change can have a huge effect on a space. Take the ground floor in this Victorian house, for instance: removing a wall between the long, thin kitchen-diner and the living room, then creating direct access to a utility room, has resulted in a lovely light space.
The owner knew she wanted the wall removing, but wasn’t sure how to create the look and feel she craved once the space was open-plan. She found Tej Narula of Narulas Design Studio on Houzz and didn’t look back. “I got this project through the Houzz concierge service, which helps to introduce homeowners to suitable professionals,” Tej says. To fulfil the owner’s brief, she used calm, toning colours and beautiful joinery to create an open-plan, well-functioning room where the family of three can enjoy cooking, relaxing and socialising together.
The owner knew she wanted the wall removing, but wasn’t sure how to create the look and feel she craved once the space was open-plan. She found Tej Narula of Narulas Design Studio on Houzz and didn’t look back. “I got this project through the Houzz concierge service, which helps to introduce homeowners to suitable professionals,” Tej says. To fulfil the owner’s brief, she used calm, toning colours and beautiful joinery to create an open-plan, well-functioning room where the family of three can enjoy cooking, relaxing and socialising together.
The before and after floor plans show how the wall between the awkwardly long, thin kitchen-diner and the living room was removed.
This meant there was no need for the original kitchen door from the hallway, affording the opportunity to extend the utility room and create access directly from the kitchen. There’s now a much better flow between all the rooms.
This meant there was no need for the original kitchen door from the hallway, affording the opportunity to extend the utility room and create access directly from the kitchen. There’s now a much better flow between all the rooms.
Before, the kitchen and dining area felt as if they were in a corridor, as the space was long and thin.
Find and hire a reviewed interior designer on Houzz today.
Find and hire a reviewed interior designer on Houzz today.
Now the space feels much less crowded. The door to the utility room can be seen here on the left. There are laundry appliances and storage in there, which meant the kitchen could be more open and airy.
Tej designed the units and they were built by joiners. There’s a pull-out larder next to the fridge-freezer, an island with drawers on the kitchen side, and a double cabinet containing a coffee station built into the space where the door used to be (far left). She reused the existing appliances.
Tej designed the units and they were built by joiners. There’s a pull-out larder next to the fridge-freezer, an island with drawers on the kitchen side, and a double cabinet containing a coffee station built into the space where the door used to be (far left). She reused the existing appliances.
Tej specified reeded glass in the doors of the double cupboard and this wall unit for a light but obscured look, then added one cabinet, seen here, purely for display.
She fitted beautiful brass handles on the cabinet fronts, but only one per unit. “Many doors are push-to-open so it wasn’t full of handles and too kitchen-y,” she says.
The walls and units are painted in complementary warm off-whites for a calm mood. White zellige tiles form an extended splashback that gently catches the light.
Units painted in Clay Pale, Little Greene. Walls painted in Raw Cashmere, Dulux Heritage. Cabinet handles, Armac Martin. White zellige tiles, Otto Tiles & Design.
She fitted beautiful brass handles on the cabinet fronts, but only one per unit. “Many doors are push-to-open so it wasn’t full of handles and too kitchen-y,” she says.
The walls and units are painted in complementary warm off-whites for a calm mood. White zellige tiles form an extended splashback that gently catches the light.
Units painted in Clay Pale, Little Greene. Walls painted in Raw Cashmere, Dulux Heritage. Cabinet handles, Armac Martin. White zellige tiles, Otto Tiles & Design.
The owner had a boiling-water tap fitted. There’s also an InSinkErator food waste disposer.
Boiling-water tap, Quooker. Sink, Belfast Sinks UK.
Boiling-water tap, Quooker. Sink, Belfast Sinks UK.
The owner was keen to have Crittall doors throughout, so Tej had them fitted in two walls of the dining area; into the garden from the living room, and through to the hallway.
Wall lights, Bert Frank.
Wall lights, Bert Frank.
The flooring in the kitchen-diner is porcelain tiles, while oak boards are laid in the living room for a warmer feel and to zone the space. “The flooring between the two newly joined rooms wasn’t lining up – the living room was slightly sunken,” Tej says, “so that needed to be levelled off, then the wood and tile floorings were joined exactly.”
More: How to Choose the Perfect Kitchen Flooring
More: How to Choose the Perfect Kitchen Flooring
The “dresser” helps to give the kitchen a subtle freestanding feel. The island is painted in a slightly darker but toning cream colour.
“The pendants over the island are glass, so they’re not too heavy in the space, but smoked for a warm feeling,” Tej says.
Island painted in Travertine, Little Greene. Pendant lights, CTO Lighting. Rustic oak flooring, One Flooring. Bar stools, &Tradition.
“The pendants over the island are glass, so they’re not too heavy in the space, but smoked for a warm feeling,” Tej says.
Island painted in Travertine, Little Greene. Pendant lights, CTO Lighting. Rustic oak flooring, One Flooring. Bar stools, &Tradition.
Tej smarted up the old fireplace with a stone surround, but suggested all the cornices and picture rails were retained. “I didn’t want it to be a completely modern house – I wanted the owner to keep some of the old character,” she says.
She removed some tired joinery from the alcoves and left them free to increase the sense of space. “We opened up the alcoves so we could have wall lights, and wanted to make the room feel open but practical at the same time,” she says.
Natural stone tiles, Via Arkadia. Walls painted in Pale Nutmeg, Dulux Heritage. Wall lights, Bert Frank. Sofa; side chairs, all Julian Chichester. Rug, The Rug Company.
She removed some tired joinery from the alcoves and left them free to increase the sense of space. “We opened up the alcoves so we could have wall lights, and wanted to make the room feel open but practical at the same time,” she says.
Natural stone tiles, Via Arkadia. Walls painted in Pale Nutmeg, Dulux Heritage. Wall lights, Bert Frank. Sofa; side chairs, all Julian Chichester. Rug, The Rug Company.
The homeowner told Tej she loves going home now – and has asked her to tackle the top floor of the house. The review she left on Houzz says it all. “Tej just finished redesigning the kitchen and downstairs living areas of my house and I couldn’t be happier,” she says. “What I really loved was that she took into account the character of our house and the way we use it in a very sympathetic and creative way. A very talented and very hard working designer.”
Tell us…
What do you like best about Tej’s redesign? Share your thoughts in the Comments.
Tell us…
What do you like best about Tej’s redesign? Share your thoughts in the Comments.
Who lives here? A woman with two teenagers
Location Cricklewood, north-west London
Property A Victorian house
Room dimensions Kitchen, around 5m x 3.1m; dining area, 4.1m x 3.1m; living room, 4.3m x 3.7m
Designer Tej Narula of Narulas Design Studio
Architect Felix Padfield of Felixdb
Project year 2022
Photos by Tony Murray Photography
Taking out the wall between the kitchen and living room has resulted in an L-shaped space where the three zones – kitchen, dining area and living room – all have their own identity, but share a cohesive palette and abundant daylight.