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Houzz Tour: Clean Scandi Neutrals Open Up a 1980s Property
A family home dazzles with light and life thanks to the reconfiguration of its conventional downstairs layout
This semi-detached house has been revamped by its interior architect owner to create light-filled sociable spaces on the ground floor and rich-toned rooms upstairs.
When Kate Whitfield and her family moved into the 1980s home, the ground floor was made up of four rooms separated by a hallway in the centre with a cloakroom behind. A lounge-diner ran from the front to the back of the house along one side, while an office and the kitchen ran along the other. With two young sons, Kate and her partner wanted a more open-plan living space and a proper connection with the garden.
When Kate Whitfield and her family moved into the 1980s home, the ground floor was made up of four rooms separated by a hallway in the centre with a cloakroom behind. A lounge-diner ran from the front to the back of the house along one side, while an office and the kitchen ran along the other. With two young sons, Kate and her partner wanted a more open-plan living space and a proper connection with the garden.
As an interior architect and designer, Kate was able to reconfigure the house herself in collaboration with a structural engineer.
Her design has opened up most of the internal walls downstairs, creating an L-shaped space that runs to the side and back of the original hallway and the staircase. The downstairs loo came out and the only ground floor room left intact was the office.
Her design has opened up most of the internal walls downstairs, creating an L-shaped space that runs to the side and back of the original hallway and the staircase. The downstairs loo came out and the only ground floor room left intact was the office.
The new layout takes into account the dynamic of family living. “We didn’t want to all be in separate rooms when we were downstairs,” Kate explains. “We wanted to be able to see each other.”
Under the stairs, with its original banisters, bespoke, ply-faced, push-to-open doors conceal shoe and coat racks.
Stylewise, Kate was after a modern Scandinavian look: neutral and clean-lined downstairs for the larger, social spaces, and bolder with warmer shades for the cosy and more private, smaller scale upstairs rooms.
Pendant lights, Dowsing & Reynolds. Dining chairs, vintage Ercol. Bench, Tom Dixon.
Under the stairs, with its original banisters, bespoke, ply-faced, push-to-open doors conceal shoe and coat racks.
Stylewise, Kate was after a modern Scandinavian look: neutral and clean-lined downstairs for the larger, social spaces, and bolder with warmer shades for the cosy and more private, smaller scale upstairs rooms.
Pendant lights, Dowsing & Reynolds. Dining chairs, vintage Ercol. Bench, Tom Dixon.
Within the open-plan layout, Kate has created functional zones, with a lounge space to one side of the chimney breast and a dining area to the other. French windows at the dining end lead into the garden, helping to open out the back of the house.
“The doors are double-glazed black aluminium,” Kate says. “I got our supplier to add glazing bars to give them a Crittall look, which I love.”
Black coffee table, Made. Leather chairs, Zara Home.
“The doors are double-glazed black aluminium,” Kate says. “I got our supplier to add glazing bars to give them a Crittall look, which I love.”
Black coffee table, Made. Leather chairs, Zara Home.
The red-brick chimney breast has been painted white with a black inset and retains its original timber lintel. Kate added the wood-burner. Engineered oak boards are fitted across the entire ground floor to unify the space.
White sideboard, noo.ma.
White sideboard, noo.ma.
The original kitchen was closed off from the rest of the ground floor.
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Find reviewed interior designers in your area on Houzz.
The kitchen is now connected to the adjacent dining area while remaining in the same position at the back of the house. Aluminium bifold doors open up the rear wall and also feature glazing bars. The windows throughout the house were replaced with the same black aluminium glazing.
The kitchen units are topped with a cast concrete worksurface and have smart black handles to match the tap.
Kitchen units, Ikea. Tap, Franke.
The kitchen units are topped with a cast concrete worksurface and have smart black handles to match the tap.
Kitchen units, Ikea. Tap, Franke.
In such an open space, storage was extra important, particularly in the kitchen and hallway. “It had to look as clean and decluttered as possible, so nothing is out on show unless it’s being used,” Kate says.
The kitchen island has storage on both sides, while a run of floor-to-ceiling units along the wall houses small appliances, two fridge-freezers, an oven, general kitchen paraphernalia and food.
The washer-dryer has its home upstairs. “I hate looking at washing drying in living spaces in the winter,” Kate says. “We plumbed in the washer-dryer in the main family bathroom – into a space previously used for storage.”
The kitchen island has storage on both sides, while a run of floor-to-ceiling units along the wall houses small appliances, two fridge-freezers, an oven, general kitchen paraphernalia and food.
The washer-dryer has its home upstairs. “I hate looking at washing drying in living spaces in the winter,” Kate says. “We plumbed in the washer-dryer in the main family bathroom – into a space previously used for storage.”
The back of the house features faux pargeting (just visible above the bifold doors), a block-stamped decorative render seen in some traditional timber buildings. Kate left it in place to reference the local historic Essex architecture.
The decking runs to around 3m and lies flush with the threshold and the kitchen floor, creating an almost seamless boundary between inside and out.
Seats just outside the doors make it easy to pop out for a spell in the garden. “I love these lounge chairs,” Kate says. “The seats aren’t canvas, but are made from recycled plastic bottles, so the chairs can be left outside and don’t need to be stored away.”
Chairs, Ferm Living.
The decking runs to around 3m and lies flush with the threshold and the kitchen floor, creating an almost seamless boundary between inside and out.
Seats just outside the doors make it easy to pop out for a spell in the garden. “I love these lounge chairs,” Kate says. “The seats aren’t canvas, but are made from recycled plastic bottles, so the chairs can be left outside and don’t need to be stored away.”
Chairs, Ferm Living.
The main bedroom is in a loft conversion carried out by the previous owners and redecorated by Kate, who wanted the space to feel extra homely. Dark shades and natural materials create a cosy feel.
Walls painted in Studio Green, Farrow & Ball. Bench and bedside tables, Tom Dixon. Rug, Ferm Living.
Walls painted in Studio Green, Farrow & Ball. Bench and bedside tables, Tom Dixon. Rug, Ferm Living.
The boys’ bedroom features handy mobile storage and bunk beds that can be disassembled into singles in the future.
Shelves, House Doctor. Bunk beds, Warren Evans.
Shelves, House Doctor. Bunk beds, Warren Evans.
The guest bedroom is a tranquil space with carefully chosen accessories, some of which are from Kate’s online interiors store.
Vase, An Artful Life. Wall light, House Doctor. Throw, Slowdown Studio.
Vase, An Artful Life. Wall light, House Doctor. Throw, Slowdown Studio.
The fourth bedroom has been converted into a first-floor snug. There’s a TV in here and it’s where the children store their games.
“Because we’ve lost lots of walls downstairs, we decided to create a gallery in here of framed prints and pieces we’ve collected over the years,” Kate says.
Rattan chair, An Artful Life. Hanging pendant, House Doctor.
“Because we’ve lost lots of walls downstairs, we decided to create a gallery in here of framed prints and pieces we’ve collected over the years,” Kate says.
Rattan chair, An Artful Life. Hanging pendant, House Doctor.
The guest shower room features crisp white sanitaryware with brassware that adds a luxurious feel. The cupboards were existing and Kate decided to bring out the warmth in the wood rather than paint them.
The rest of the room is white. “I used low-budget, square white wall tiles,” kate says, “but laid them in a brick bond pattern with darker grout, which hopefully creates a more interesting backdrop for the fittings.”
Tell us…
What do you like about this light yet cosy family home? Share your thoughts in the Comments.
The rest of the room is white. “I used low-budget, square white wall tiles,” kate says, “but laid them in a brick bond pattern with darker grout, which hopefully creates a more interesting backdrop for the fittings.”
Tell us…
What do you like about this light yet cosy family home? Share your thoughts in the Comments.
Who lives here? Interior architect and designer Kate Whitfield of An Artful Life, her partner and their 10-year-old twin boys
Location Thaxted, Essex
Property A 1980s semi-detached house
Size Four bedrooms and two bathrooms
“It was dated and dark,” Kate says of the house. “When we thought about reconfiguring the layout, what we had in our heads was the idea of opening the front door directly into a clean, bright space that also connected with the garden at the back.”