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Houzz Tour: Clever Design Decisions Elevate an Edwardian Flat
The secret to why this home is at once elegant and functional lies in the brilliant balance of modern and traditional
Clever design decisions are often not immediately obvious, but they can make all the difference to both the feel and function of a home. Take this two-storey flat in an Edwardian house, for instance.
The owners wanted to keep the period features and mood, but create a warm and well-functioning home for their young family. Searching through pros on Houzz, they saw just the delicate balance between modern and traditional they were looking for in the projects on interior designer Maya Salfati’s profile and got in touch.
Maya has, if anything, given the flat more of a period feel than it had before, and she’s incorporated design ideas that increase function and comfort while retaining that mood, from fitting sockets for charging inside an old cupboard to using classic tiles in a modern way and carving out a hidden dressing room.
To see more great projects where the homeowner found their professional via Houzz, take a look at our Born on Houzz series.
The owners wanted to keep the period features and mood, but create a warm and well-functioning home for their young family. Searching through pros on Houzz, they saw just the delicate balance between modern and traditional they were looking for in the projects on interior designer Maya Salfati’s profile and got in touch.
Maya has, if anything, given the flat more of a period feel than it had before, and she’s incorporated design ideas that increase function and comfort while retaining that mood, from fitting sockets for charging inside an old cupboard to using classic tiles in a modern way and carving out a hidden dressing room.
To see more great projects where the homeowner found their professional via Houzz, take a look at our Born on Houzz series.
The new design feels calmer. “As the rooms are open to each other, the couple didn’t want anything too kitchen-y,” Maya says. “That also influenced the choice of colours – navy at the bottom, which works well with the dark bookcases in the living room, and white on the wall units, which blends with the wall colour.”
Maya kept the kitchen chimney breast and used it to vent the now much more discreet extractor fan. She’s taken the marble-look quartz of the worktops into the chimney niche to create a splashback for the hob.
The wall unit nearest the living room has glass doors. “The couple had some dishes they wanted to display, so the cabinet has a light and glass shelves, so the light can flood through,” Maya says.
She’s fitted three pendants in rose pink glass over the sink. “This area was quite dark,” she says. “There’s under-cabinet lighting on the two sides, but this patch doesn’t have any cabinets. If I’d put a wall light on one side, it might not have been enough, so I went for three pendant lights instead.”
Chelford kitchen in Navy and White, Howdens.
Maya kept the kitchen chimney breast and used it to vent the now much more discreet extractor fan. She’s taken the marble-look quartz of the worktops into the chimney niche to create a splashback for the hob.
The wall unit nearest the living room has glass doors. “The couple had some dishes they wanted to display, so the cabinet has a light and glass shelves, so the light can flood through,” Maya says.
She’s fitted three pendants in rose pink glass over the sink. “This area was quite dark,” she says. “There’s under-cabinet lighting on the two sides, but this patch doesn’t have any cabinets. If I’d put a wall light on one side, it might not have been enough, so I went for three pendant lights instead.”
Chelford kitchen in Navy and White, Howdens.
The ovens were originally on the opposite side to the hob.
Now the hob and oven sit together within the chimney breast, this side has been freed up. Maya installed a tall cabinet containing a fridge-freezer and a pantry cupboard. The washing machine sits to the right of the cupboard, with a dishwasher next to the sink.
The wall cupboards set back on the right of the pantry contain a microwave, keeping it out of view for anyone relaxing in the living room.
Maya has included some ceiling spots – though not arranged in a grid, but instead placed to highlight certain areas.
Glass pendant lights, Soho Home.
The wall cupboards set back on the right of the pantry contain a microwave, keeping it out of view for anyone relaxing in the living room.
Maya has included some ceiling spots – though not arranged in a grid, but instead placed to highlight certain areas.
Glass pendant lights, Soho Home.
The flat hadn’t been renovated for decades. “We stripped back the whole place – floors, tiles, electrics, plaster and plumbing,” Maya says.
They kept several original features, including the cast-iron fireplace with floral tiles. “These had jewel colours – green, red, yellow and rose pink – so that set the direction for the [accent] colours,” she says.
They kept several original features, including the cast-iron fireplace with floral tiles. “These had jewel colours – green, red, yellow and rose pink – so that set the direction for the [accent] colours,” she says.
Now cleaned up and with a new marble surround and slate hearth, the floral tiles stand out prettily.
Bespoke joinery by Brightman Furniture makes the most of the alcoves. The bookcases stop short of the ceiling, Maya simply carrying the blue-black paint up to the cornice. “The ceiling is 3.2m high, so we thought there was no need to have them that tall,” she says. “Also, on the opposite wall, there’s a bookcase from Ikea [just seen in the mirror], which only goes up to 2.4m, so if these were higher, it would look asymmetrical.”
The team replaced the coving. “The original was in bad condition and partially damaged,” Maya says.
The flooring is dark-stained engineered oak. “The couple wanted dark wooden floors everywhere, as Edwardian houses often had.”
Mirror, Coach House.
Bespoke joinery by Brightman Furniture makes the most of the alcoves. The bookcases stop short of the ceiling, Maya simply carrying the blue-black paint up to the cornice. “The ceiling is 3.2m high, so we thought there was no need to have them that tall,” she says. “Also, on the opposite wall, there’s a bookcase from Ikea [just seen in the mirror], which only goes up to 2.4m, so if these were higher, it would look asymmetrical.”
The team replaced the coving. “The original was in bad condition and partially damaged,” Maya says.
The flooring is dark-stained engineered oak. “The couple wanted dark wooden floors everywhere, as Edwardian houses often had.”
Mirror, Coach House.
Another of Maya’s small but effective design decisions was to chase LED strip lighting around the frame of the bookcases to create a light source for evenings without anyone being dazzled.
“I designed it to hide the source of the light,” she says. “It doesn’t matter where you sit or stand, you can’t see it, just the glow.”
“I designed it to hide the source of the light,” she says. “It doesn’t matter where you sit or stand, you can’t see it, just the glow.”
The living room is all about cosiness, with soft textiles and plenty of cushions.
The area between the white sofa and the Ikea bookcase to the right is a play space for the couple’s son, but at some stage they plan to put a small armchair there to create a library area.
Rene chandelier, Soho Home. Coffee table, Coach House. Zsa Zsa table lamp, Pooky.
The area between the white sofa and the Ikea bookcase to the right is a play space for the couple’s son, but at some stage they plan to put a small armchair there to create a library area.
Rene chandelier, Soho Home. Coffee table, Coach House. Zsa Zsa table lamp, Pooky.
The new floor plan shows the opened up kitchen and living room; the home office/spare room and bathroom on the half landing, and the newly created dressing room at the top.
The former view from the half landing down to the old living room and up to two bedrooms.
The original staircase had an orange-toned lacquered finish.
The original staircase had an orange-toned lacquered finish.
The team sanded and painted the staircase and fitted a smart runner.
Staircase painted in Down Pipe, Farrow & Ball. Custom-made runner, A Flooring Boutique.
Staircase painted in Down Pipe, Farrow & Ball. Custom-made runner, A Flooring Boutique.
Maya kept the big built-in cupboard on the landing, painting it to match the staircase. “We fitted it with new shelves to the required height and added sockets in there, so they can charge a vacuum cleaner and store cleaning stuff,” she says.
You can just see the doors to the bathroom and guest room/home office on the half landing below.
You can just see the doors to the bathroom and guest room/home office on the half landing below.
The main bedroom was originally quite large – around 20 sq m.
In another simple yet effective move, Maya sectioned off the space to the left to create a walk-in wardrobe. “I measured all the Ikea furniture for inside the dressing area, then positioned the walls so it would all fit perfectly,” she says.
“Again, there’s a mix of modern and traditional in here, with the bedside tables in a period style and the bed quite modern,” she adds.
ANYDAY Swirl metal bed frame, John Lewis & Partners. Bedside tables, Angel & Boho. Adeline bedspread in Sage, Soho Home.
“Again, there’s a mix of modern and traditional in here, with the bedside tables in a period style and the bed quite modern,” she adds.
ANYDAY Swirl metal bed frame, John Lewis & Partners. Bedside tables, Angel & Boho. Adeline bedspread in Sage, Soho Home.
Maya slotted in a desk beside the doorway to the dressing room as an extra little work station or dressing table. “I put a mirror above it so it would feel more open,” she says.
Desk, Ikea. Heather dining chair in Mustard velvet, Cult Furniture.
Desk, Ikea. Heather dining chair in Mustard velvet, Cult Furniture.
The bathroom has a sloping ceiling and a back wall only 2m high, so finding a way to make the room seem bigger was the challenge here.
Maya has used traditional metro tiles, but laid vertically. “I did it to modernise it, but also to bring in a vertical line to visually push the ceiling up and make it feel higher,” she explains.
In addition, bringing the white ceiling paint down onto part of the back wall takes the focus off the join, helping to make the room feel taller.
In addition, bringing the white ceiling paint down onto part of the back wall takes the focus off the join, helping to make the room feel taller.
Maya also swapped the loo, pedestal basin and towel radiator for wall-hung models.
The new vanity unit adds both set-down space and storage. As it’s raised off the floor, it sits lightly and the eye is drawn to the lovely floor tiles that nod to Edwardian style.
It’s no surprise to find the owners are happy with their refreshed home. “They like it very much and have recommended me to their friends,” Maya says. “They love that we opened up the living room and kitchen, and say [the flat] is very comfortable and everything is well thought through, such as having sockets where they need them. They really enjoy living here.”
See more of Maya’s projects here.
Tell us…
What do you like about the design of this home? Share your thoughts in the Comments.
It’s no surprise to find the owners are happy with their refreshed home. “They like it very much and have recommended me to their friends,” Maya says. “They love that we opened up the living room and kitchen, and say [the flat] is very comfortable and everything is well thought through, such as having sockets where they need them. They really enjoy living here.”
See more of Maya’s projects here.
Tell us…
What do you like about the design of this home? Share your thoughts in the Comments.
Who lives here? A couple with a three-year-old son
Location Herne Hill, south London
Property A flat in a semi-detached Edwardian house arranged over two floors and a half landing
Size Three bedrooms and one bathroom
Project year 2022
Designer Maya Salfati of Maya Salfati Designs
Bathroom and ‘before’ photos by Maya Salfati
Remaining photos by Chris Snook
The couple wanted a sociable space where they could cook and have friends over and their son could play, so Maya suggested removing the wall between the kitchen and living room. This also meant the kitchen, which only has a relatively small window, could benefit from the plentiful natural light in the living room.
One of Maya’s simple but effective design decisions was to retain a relatively chunky, 700mm nib wall between the rooms. This has allowed her to fit units right up to the living room and created an alcove to hold the bookcase.
Removing the bulk of the wall has also resulted in a nicer dining area. Now, the dining table isn’t crushed against the wall and can instead sit lightly between the two spaces.
“The couple decided to go for a dining table rather than an island, because they wanted to have the sitting dining experience,” Maya says. “The table is extendable, so they can accommodate more people.
“A round shape is much nicer for the flow between two rooms,” she adds, “plus it was a continuation of the living room, so a freestanding piece made more sense.”
Eulali extendable dining table, La Redoute. Baltimore dining chairs, West Elm.