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Kitchen Tour: A Sustainable Green Kitchen With Inventive Storage
Low on toxins and high on sustainability, this nature-inspired, characterful room is both practical and spirit-lifting
Having lived in Southeast Asia for a number of years, interior designer Celine Da Silva wanted to bring some of the region’s warmth and colour into her new home in south-east London. “I chose green for the majority of my kitchen to remind me of my time strolling through paddy fields in Indonesia, exploring the jungles in Borneo, and walking to work among the lush greenery in Singapore,” she says.
The kitchen is green in more ways than one. When it came to redesigning the space, instead of binning the old units, Celine sold them, then chose new, FSC- and PEFC-certified birch plywood cabinets from a local company that uses 100% recyclable packaging.
The finished room is a warm and welcoming space that, thanks largely to designated display areas, manages to be full of interest without feeling cluttered.
The kitchen is green in more ways than one. When it came to redesigning the space, instead of binning the old units, Celine sold them, then chose new, FSC- and PEFC-certified birch plywood cabinets from a local company that uses 100% recyclable packaging.
The finished room is a warm and welcoming space that, thanks largely to designated display areas, manages to be full of interest without feeling cluttered.
Celine also aimed to squeeze storage into as many places as possible. “We have so many display pieces that I wanted to think about how we could utilise all the dead spaces,” she says.
The niche above the sliding doors is a case in point and was the result of a happy accident. “The builder had made the opening a bit too high for the doors we’d bought, so when we asked him to fill it in, I thought it could be another chance to have a little display area,” she says.
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The niche above the sliding doors is a case in point and was the result of a happy accident. “The builder had made the opening a bit too high for the doors we’d bought, so when we asked him to fill it in, I thought it could be another chance to have a little display area,” she says.
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The display niche was created beneath the boxed-in RSJ, seen here during works.
The cabinets are made from ply with a nature-inspired mix of forest green laminate and plane wood veneers. “I have an autoimmune disease, so I was looking at ways to cut down on toxins in my environment,” Celine says. “Most standard kitchen carcasses are made from MDF, particleboard or similar materials, which can emit harmful VOCs. Mine are sustainably sourced birch plywood ones made with solvent-free adhesives, and the finishes are water-based or derived from plant oils.”
She chose Caesarstone quartz for the worktops, as it withstands day-to-day knocks and spillages very well.
Units in Bonnington Green and London Plane-veneered birch plywood, Pluck.
She chose Caesarstone quartz for the worktops, as it withstands day-to-day knocks and spillages very well.
Units in Bonnington Green and London Plane-veneered birch plywood, Pluck.
For the splashback, Celine went for white tiles that add a little interest without dominating. “I wanted them to be simple, to contrast with the cabinetry, and to have subtle hints of texture and pattern,” she says.
The slim tiles run plain, ribbed, convex. “I had a few different iterations, all laid out on the floor, and moved them around to decide which pattern worked best,” she says.
Splashback tiles, Domus.
You might also enjoy How to Choose the Perfect Splashback.
The slim tiles run plain, ribbed, convex. “I had a few different iterations, all laid out on the floor, and moved them around to decide which pattern worked best,” she says.
Splashback tiles, Domus.
You might also enjoy How to Choose the Perfect Splashback.
Celine has included two open wall cabinets amid the dark green units. “I’d always had kitchens with full wall units before, so it was a real adjustment for me to have so much open shelving,” she says. “I can’t imagine not having it now – it’s great and it saved a lot on the overall budget, compared to having wall cabinets everywhere.”
The open shelves are lined in pale pink laminate “for a hint of playfulness”. The laminate is easy to wipe, so it helps the couple to keep the potentially dusty shelves clean. “As we have things like keys stored in jars, we’re constantly taking things down and using them, so if we see any dust, we can wipe it away,” Celine says.
Laminate in Ruskin Blossom, Pluck.
The open shelves are lined in pale pink laminate “for a hint of playfulness”. The laminate is easy to wipe, so it helps the couple to keep the potentially dusty shelves clean. “As we have things like keys stored in jars, we’re constantly taking things down and using them, so if we see any dust, we can wipe it away,” Celine says.
Laminate in Ruskin Blossom, Pluck.
Celine has been able to fit in plenty of storage cupboards, as the washing machine and tumble dryer have been moved up into the box room. “It’s actually quite efficient when you’re upstairs and can sling your clothes in, then, as soon as they’re dry, bring them back into the bedroom,” she says.
Open shelves on the end of the island unit offer more storage and another chance to add colour to the room.
Opposite the kitchen is a built-in sideboard. “I wanted this to feel like a lived-in room and not too much like a hard-working kitchen; I wanted it to feel relaxing and inviting,” Celine says.
The unit is fairly shallow to allow easy access. “Sometimes deep cupboards are great, but if you want to access things quickly, a shallow cabinet is effective,” she says.
“It also makes a nice little display area that I can change according to purpose,” she adds. “So if we’re having people over, it can be a bar area, or I can put things out for kids to play with. It’s constantly changing – it’s an area I can be playful with.”
Wall lights, Pooky.
The unit is fairly shallow to allow easy access. “Sometimes deep cupboards are great, but if you want to access things quickly, a shallow cabinet is effective,” she says.
“It also makes a nice little display area that I can change according to purpose,” she adds. “So if we’re having people over, it can be a bar area, or I can put things out for kids to play with. It’s constantly changing – it’s an area I can be playful with.”
Wall lights, Pooky.
There were floor tiles in the room before, but they were cracked and cold.
Celine chose engineered oak boards to run throughout the space. “Because it’s a suspended floor, we were advised cracking could always be an issue with tiles, so we thought we’d go a bit safe,” she says. “There’s no underfloor heating, but the wood feels warm.”
Engineered oak floorboards, Domus.
Engineered oak floorboards, Domus.
The dining and living areas at the back of the room were designed to feel warm and atmospheric. “I’ve taken lots of inspiration from southeast Asia,” Celine says. “The restaurants would have a lot of rattan and decorative lighting. I didn’t want anything that might feel cold.”
Celine has slotted more storage into the dining area by creating a bench seat from a row of cabinets with cushions on top. “I keep lots of books and niece and nephew toys in there,” she says.
Bench made from Eket cabinets, Ikea. Table, John Lewis & Partners. Chairs, Habitat. Plug-in wall lights, PENWORKSde at Etsy.
Bench made from Eket cabinets, Ikea. Table, John Lewis & Partners. Chairs, Habitat. Plug-in wall lights, PENWORKSde at Etsy.
The seating area continues the ‘jungly’ theme through textiles, artworks and houseplants. The doors hide a utility cupboard containing the boiler and cleaning paraphernalia, and Celine has squeezed in more storage with a shelf above.
While all the areas are subtly zoned, she’s linked this half of the room to the green kitchen by painting the skirting boards in a deep green-grey.
The finished room feels warm and inviting. Asked whether it’s ticked all her boxes, Celine says, “I’m happy every time I walk into it.”
Pouffe, Eva Sonaike. Skirting boards painted in Grey 07, Lick.
Tell us…
What do you like best about Celine’s design? Share your thoughts in the Comments.
While all the areas are subtly zoned, she’s linked this half of the room to the green kitchen by painting the skirting boards in a deep green-grey.
The finished room feels warm and inviting. Asked whether it’s ticked all her boxes, Celine says, “I’m happy every time I walk into it.”
Pouffe, Eva Sonaike. Skirting boards painted in Grey 07, Lick.
Tell us…
What do you like best about Celine’s design? Share your thoughts in the Comments.
Who lives here? Interior designer Celine Da Silva and her husband
Location Crystal Palace, south-east London
Property A 1920s house with three bedrooms
Room dimensions 6.8m x 5m
Designer Celine Da Silva
Photos by My Bespoke Room
When Celine moved in, an extension had already been added, as had Crittall doors across the back, which she was very pleased about, but the space was rather tired. “We stripped it back and started again,” she says.
Key to her design was the desire to create an open area where friends and family could gather, so there’s plenty of circulation space in the kitchen. She also widened the opening into the adjoining living room and fitted sliding doors for broken-plan flexibility.
This has pulled in more light, too. “It’s one of my favourite things we did,” Celine says, “as it allows a lot more light to pass through into the kitchen from the south-facing front bay window.”