Room Tour: A Thoughtful Redesign for a New-build Apartment
Better storage, improved lighting and fresh colours transform a bland, cluttered kitchen-living space
After two years of living in this newly built apartment in south London, the owners called in Jess Blake of Happybeams Interiors to rethink their kitchen and living area. “They were really excited to have bought their first home together, but the space wasn’t working for them at all,” she says. “They wanted more practical storage, more colour and somewhere to eat, too. They mostly ate on the sofa; that was the main bugbear.”
Jess transformed the space by creating a new breakfast bar and additional storage, replacing cupboard doors and worktops, and updating the lighting throughout. She worked carefully to bring a timeless feel to what was a very recently built home, while keeping sustainability in mind throughout.
Jess transformed the space by creating a new breakfast bar and additional storage, replacing cupboard doors and worktops, and updating the lighting throughout. She worked carefully to bring a timeless feel to what was a very recently built home, while keeping sustainability in mind throughout.
“The original kitchen had taupe gloss doors and had been popped in without much thought,” Jess explains.
Find and hire interior designers on Houzz.
Find and hire interior designers on Houzz.
The owners shared inspiration images with Jess, all of which were Shaker and country-style kitchens. “It was a fun challenge,” she says. “How can you bring a style that’s quite traditional into a modern building without it looking odd?”
For the units, Jess chose a simple, clean design in a very pale grey that instantly brightened the space. Rather than rip out the entire kitchen, she simply replaced the doors.
“The kitchen carcasses were decent, so we kept them,” she says. “It’s more sustainable to work with what you’ve got. The owners were on the same page, believing it doesn’t make sense for the world to take out a perfectly good kitchen.”
She then replaced the original laminate worktop with a marble-look quartz. “This allowed us to change the sink, tap and hob at the same time, as they were all integrated into the work surface.”
Kitchen cupboard doors, Kitchen Door Workshop.
For the units, Jess chose a simple, clean design in a very pale grey that instantly brightened the space. Rather than rip out the entire kitchen, she simply replaced the doors.
“The kitchen carcasses were decent, so we kept them,” she says. “It’s more sustainable to work with what you’ve got. The owners were on the same page, believing it doesn’t make sense for the world to take out a perfectly good kitchen.”
She then replaced the original laminate worktop with a marble-look quartz. “This allowed us to change the sink, tap and hob at the same time, as they were all integrated into the work surface.”
Kitchen cupboard doors, Kitchen Door Workshop.
“There was only a little bit of space behind the peninsula,” Jess says. “The owners had put a table and benches there, but it was cramped. They mostly sat on the sofa to eat and they avoided cooking!”
Jess redesigned the peninsula to create space for dining. “We extended it to give an L-shaped breakfast bar that could fit four stools,” she says.
She also designed an oak frame that supports the breakfast bar to give it a stylish, high-end feel. To maximise all the space beneath it, she added storage into the corner that can be accessed from under the worktop.
Bar stools, Dunelm. Seat pads, Cox & Cox.
She also designed an oak frame that supports the breakfast bar to give it a stylish, high-end feel. To maximise all the space beneath it, she added storage into the corner that can be accessed from under the worktop.
Bar stools, Dunelm. Seat pads, Cox & Cox.
Extra units on the wall behind the breakfast bar provide useful storage, with shelves above for display. “This works as a little bar and cocktail area,” Jess says.
“If a family was living here, we might have gone for something different, but for this couple, who eat out a lot, a breakfast bar ticked all the boxes,” she adds.
“If a family was living here, we might have gone for something different, but for this couple, who eat out a lot, a breakfast bar ticked all the boxes,” she adds.
There was no splashback in the original kitchen, so Jess added one, using slim white tiles laid in a herringbone style. Their pale colour and glossy finish helps to lighten the space further.
She chose elegant brass handles for the doors. “They are an unusual shape and sit really nicely in your hand,” she says.
Tiles, Topps Tiles. Handles, Plank Hardware.
She chose elegant brass handles for the doors. “They are an unusual shape and sit really nicely in your hand,” she says.
Tiles, Topps Tiles. Handles, Plank Hardware.
To improve the lighting throughout the space, Jess fitted downlights under all the shelves, which create a soft glow. “We also swapped all the cool white bulbs for warmer tones, and added some more lamps,” she says.
The entire space was repainted in a fresh off-white. This wall light was one of Jess’s additions. “It’s a plug-in design, so was very easy to install,” she says.
Wall light, Pooky. Walls painted in French Grey Pale, Little Greene.
Wall light, Pooky. Walls painted in French Grey Pale, Little Greene.
For the styling, Jess worked with her design assistant, Nicole Morant, and they sourced lots of pieces from charity shops and car-boot sales. “The owners loved that. They wanted to invest in quality materials and appliances, but then bring in personality more affordably,” Jess says.
The budget was reserved for a stylish boiling-water tap, beautiful tiles, and a quality worktop and hob, which are practical but also bring the timeless look the owners wanted.
Tap, Lusso Stone.
The budget was reserved for a stylish boiling-water tap, beautiful tiles, and a quality worktop and hob, which are practical but also bring the timeless look the owners wanted.
Tap, Lusso Stone.
Affordable finds were teamed with the owner’s pieces to personalise the space. “She had lots of lovely art, books and houseplants on display, but they were a bit lost among everything,” Jess says. “It was nice to give them a moment and create some space around them.”
The owners sold some of their furniture, including a sofa and coffee table, to make space for new pieces, but reused what they could, including several lamps and this TV unit.
Jess then sourced a huge new sofa. “The delivery men were very grumpy about bringing it up several flights of stairs and were worried it wouldn’t fit in, but it fits perfectly,” she says.
It’s safe to say the owners are very happy with Jess’s redesign, enthusing, “We absolutely love all the new spaces. We can’t wait to get home every day, and it’s just so calming, but so cosy, too. It’s like a new flat!”
Sofa, Loaf.
Tell us…
What do you like about this kitchen and living space? Share your thoughts in the Comments.
It’s safe to say the owners are very happy with Jess’s redesign, enthusing, “We absolutely love all the new spaces. We can’t wait to get home every day, and it’s just so calming, but so cosy, too. It’s like a new flat!”
Sofa, Loaf.
Tell us…
What do you like about this kitchen and living space? Share your thoughts in the Comments.
Who lives here? A couple in their thirties
Location Balham, south London
Property A new-build apartment
Size Two bedrooms and two bathrooms
Designer Jess Blake of Happybeams Interiors
Contractor DW Interiors
Project year 2022
Photos by Chloe Williams
When Jess first saw the apartment, it was predictably neutral. “It was a typical new build,” she says. “Everything was very beige and, due to the owners being busy and the design of the space, it was quite cluttered, too. They hadn’t been able to figure out the layout.”
Despite big windows and doors out onto a balcony, it also felt dingy. “The owners wanted it to be lighter and brighter, with more colour,” she says.