Houzz Tours
House Tours
Houzz Pro Tours
Houzz Tour: A Design That’s Big on Storage for a Small City Flat
Clever built-in cupboards teamed with earthy tones and masculine touches bring style and serenity to this apartment
The owners of this London flat, close to Waterloo station, had lived here for 15 years when they asked Nicole Burnett of Wise Owl Interiors to redesign it. “They hadn’t done anything to it and were a bit embarrassed about its condition,” she recalls. “They said, ‘We’ll go with your lead, we need help, we haven’t got a clue!’”
Some careful probing by Nicole did truffle up some preferences, though – moody greens, natural materials – and helped her understand what wasn’t working. As the design developed, she used Houzz Pro tools to upload and share each new detail with the owners, from paint colours to lighting.
“In the end, I went more with the feel than a specific look – modern Scandi with masculine touches and earthy colours,” she says. “They just love it.”
Some careful probing by Nicole did truffle up some preferences, though – moody greens, natural materials – and helped her understand what wasn’t working. As the design developed, she used Houzz Pro tools to upload and share each new detail with the owners, from paint colours to lighting.
“In the end, I went more with the feel than a specific look – modern Scandi with masculine touches and earthy colours,” she says. “They just love it.”
This ‘before’ shot shows the kitchen and part of the living room.
Originally, the kitchen wall units were fitted very low over the worktop. “One of the owners is really tall, so it was very impractical,” Nicole says. “He hated it, but had just got used to it.”
Easily find and hire interior designers and kitchen designers on Houzz.
Originally, the kitchen wall units were fitted very low over the worktop. “One of the owners is really tall, so it was very impractical,” Nicole says. “He hated it, but had just got used to it.”
Easily find and hire interior designers and kitchen designers on Houzz.
Nicole designed cabinets that were slightly shorter than the originals to create plenty of food prep space on the worktop below.
She also designed a large peninsula unit. “It has a rounded end rather than a sharp edge, which wouldn’t have been great in a small flat. This felt softer,” she says.
The peninsula provides generous storage and somewhere to sit for meals or work. Its curved design is echoed in the rounded ply battens that line it and brings a modern Scandi feel.
With limited space to site a TV, Nicole mounted one on the right-hand wall of the kitchen. It’s fixed to a bracket, so the owners can swing it out to watch comfortably from the sofa. She also fitted a floating unit underneath for TV paraphernalia.
Pendant lights, Lighting Direct.
She also designed a large peninsula unit. “It has a rounded end rather than a sharp edge, which wouldn’t have been great in a small flat. This felt softer,” she says.
The peninsula provides generous storage and somewhere to sit for meals or work. Its curved design is echoed in the rounded ply battens that line it and brings a modern Scandi feel.
With limited space to site a TV, Nicole mounted one on the right-hand wall of the kitchen. It’s fixed to a bracket, so the owners can swing it out to watch comfortably from the sofa. She also fitted a floating unit underneath for TV paraphernalia.
Pendant lights, Lighting Direct.
The kitchen furniture is a combination of bespoke ply fronts and shop-bought carcasses, to save money. “Using off-the-shelf carcasses shaved about £5,000 off the overall bill, so it was worth it,” Nicole says.
The doors on the wall cupboards were designed to fit flush to the sloping ceiling, giving a clean, streamlined look.
The tall unit is home to the boiler. “The owners didn’t have a freezer, and wanted to put a fridge-freezer in there, but moving the boiler would have been a complete pain, so we worked around it,” says Nicole, who squeezed a smaller fridge-freezer in below it.
She kept the sink and hob in almost exactly the same space as before to minimise disruption and cost.
Bespoke ply cabinet fronts, Milk Furniture.
The doors on the wall cupboards were designed to fit flush to the sloping ceiling, giving a clean, streamlined look.
The tall unit is home to the boiler. “The owners didn’t have a freezer, and wanted to put a fridge-freezer in there, but moving the boiler would have been a complete pain, so we worked around it,” says Nicole, who squeezed a smaller fridge-freezer in below it.
She kept the sink and hob in almost exactly the same space as before to minimise disruption and cost.
Bespoke ply cabinet fronts, Milk Furniture.
The generous peninsula is home to drawers and a small wine fridge. The worktop is Durasein, which is a hardwearing and heat-resistant acrylic solid surface.
The old floor was removed and a cork underlay installed, for soundproofing, topped with a laminate. Its pale, natural oak finish helps keep the space feeling light and open.
The old floor was removed and a cork underlay installed, for soundproofing, topped with a laminate. Its pale, natural oak finish helps keep the space feeling light and open.
Work on the flat took around four months, longer than planned due to a delay with the new sash windows, which were being manufactured in Poland.
The owners moved out while work took place. “They wanted to be out. It would have been chaos otherwise; it’s not a huge flat,” Nicole says.
Discover why you should hire a professional who uses Houzz Pro software.
The owners moved out while work took place. “They wanted to be out. It would have been chaos otherwise; it’s not a huge flat,” Nicole says.
Discover why you should hire a professional who uses Houzz Pro software.
A deep grey-green zones the living area, while black accents via the lighting, radiator (see previous photo) and side tables bring that masculine edge the owners wanted.
Wall painted in Darlington, Coat Paints. Sofa, Swyft. Wall lights, La Redoute.
Wall painted in Darlington, Coat Paints. Sofa, Swyft. Wall lights, La Redoute.
The bedroom before the redesign.
Now, the bedroom looks fresh and elegant, with both the green tones and black accents – most noticeably on the shutters – that feature in the living space.
The bespoke headboard can be lifted up and taken off, revealing storage behind.
Wall lights, Lighting Direct.
The bespoke headboard can be lifted up and taken off, revealing storage behind.
Wall lights, Lighting Direct.
A ‘before’ shot of the bedroom shows how the hinged door swung awkwardly into the room. “We put in pocket doors throughout the flat to save space,” Nicole says. “The owners were so pleased with them. They’re all painted black to match the radiators.”
New built-in wardrobes that fit right up to the ceiling provide lots of storage space and contain a mix of rails, shelves and drawers.
“On the left of the wardrobe, there was only a little rail before,” Nicole says, “so we built in the chest of drawers with shelves above to really make the most of all the available space.”
Woodwork painted in Mansard, Coat Paints.
“On the left of the wardrobe, there was only a little rail before,” Nicole says, “so we built in the chest of drawers with shelves above to really make the most of all the available space.”
Woodwork painted in Mansard, Coat Paints.
The bathroom as it looked before the redesign. It was completely ripped out.
The colour green features again in the bathroom, bringing nature in and complementing the rest of the design scheme.
Nicole felt that black accents would get lost against this deep tone, so opted instead for brass taps, radiator and shower. “Brass brings that elegant, luxe feel and really stands out,” she says.
Tap; radiator, both Victorian Plumbing.
More: How to Plan for a Bathroom Renovation
Nicole felt that black accents would get lost against this deep tone, so opted instead for brass taps, radiator and shower. “Brass brings that elegant, luxe feel and really stands out,” she says.
Tap; radiator, both Victorian Plumbing.
More: How to Plan for a Bathroom Renovation
Nicole showed the owners a choice of tiles and they fell for these luxurious rectangular designs. “They loved them,” she says. “They were happy to save in some places, but when they saw something they really liked, they were willing to spend on it.”
Tiles, Mandarin Stone. Shower, Victorian Plumbing.
Tiles, Mandarin Stone. Shower, Victorian Plumbing.
The mirror has lighting within it, adding a further luxury touch.
Tell us…
What do you like about this redesigned London flat? Share your thoughts in the Comments.
Tell us…
What do you like about this redesigned London flat? Share your thoughts in the Comments.
Sponsored
Sponsored
Who lives here? A couple
Location Waterloo, London
Property A flat above a shop
Size One bedroom and one bathroom
Interior designer Nicole Burnett of Wise Owl Interiors
Photos by Veronica Rodriguez
This project went beyond the aesthetic. “It was a total rip-out, a gut job,” Nicole says. The windows were rotting and there was a crack running around the entire flat from movement in the past, probably caused by the trains going in and out of nearby Waterloo station.
“The floors were uneven, too, and the kitchen wasn’t working for the owners,” Nicole continues. “And they had nowhere to sit when working from home.”
So, in addition to creating that moody Scandi vibe, her aim was to maximise the space and create as much storage as possible, helping the whole flat feel lighter and less cluttered. “It was important that it didn’t look busy,” she says.