Room Tour: Clean, Calm Style in an Extended Home
A design full of subtle texture, dark accents and practical surfaces brings beauty and functionality to this family pad
The owners of this semi-detached house in Hertfordshire were initially very clear about the colours they favoured for the interior. “They wanted black and white,” says Randa Kort of Randa Kort Interior Architectural Design, who designed and managed the extension and renovation of the whole property. “They were determined,” she adds, “but as I got to know them further, I realised they only wanted this because they didn’t want to think about colour at all.”
Their brief was an industrial look. “We modelled that for them, with exposed brick and steel beams, but eventually they decided they needed clean surfaces,” Randa says. “However, if you take those details out, it’s a white box.” The challenge, therefore, was to work in some soft colour and texture to prevent the space looking too stark, while also incorporating the hygienic, low-maintenance materials the owners specified.
Their brief was an industrial look. “We modelled that for them, with exposed brick and steel beams, but eventually they decided they needed clean surfaces,” Randa says. “However, if you take those details out, it’s a white box.” The challenge, therefore, was to work in some soft colour and texture to prevent the space looking too stark, while also incorporating the hygienic, low-maintenance materials the owners specified.
The original layout of the house consisted essentially of two rooms with a skinny kitchen on the side. There was also a garage to the left.
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These plans show the scale of the extension, which was added to the back and side of the house. The garage was moved further off to the left, on the edge of the property’s boundary.
The entrance remained in the same location, but the stairs were moved to create space for the new cloakroom and utility room, constructed where the old garage had been.
The entrance remained in the same location, but the stairs were moved to create space for the new cloakroom and utility room, constructed where the old garage had been.
The beam in the ceiling, parallel with the arm of the sofa, marks the original external wall of the house.
To introduce some colour and steer the interior away from a strictly black and white scheme, Randa suggested a pale blue sofa, “to break the monochrome down and help it all feel more homely. I talked the owners into the blue sofa and they loved it. That became a statement piece,” she says.
Sofa, BoConcept.
To introduce some colour and steer the interior away from a strictly black and white scheme, Randa suggested a pale blue sofa, “to break the monochrome down and help it all feel more homely. I talked the owners into the blue sofa and they loved it. That became a statement piece,” she says.
Sofa, BoConcept.
This before shot shows the former dining room.
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The former dining room is now home to the living and dining areas in the open-plan space. Randa designed a unit containing storage and a spot for the TV.
The owners liked the industrial look, but didn’t want too much texture, so they decided against exposed steel beams and brickwork in the room. However, Randa wanted to add some subtle texture and suggested using reeded glass in the kitchen cabinets, then repeating that design detail in the cupboards in this unit. “It looks slightly industrial, but not totally,” she says, “and that way we have a nod to the kitchen without having this unit look like a kitchen cabinet.”
Randa also added an acoustic slatted panel behind the TV. “That’s where the use of vertical lines started,” she says. They now feature throughout the house, on panelling, cabinet handles and in the hallway seating nook.
Joinery, Samuel Edgar. Cabinets painted in Railings; walls and wall panelling painted in Skimming Stone, both Farrow & Ball.
The owners liked the industrial look, but didn’t want too much texture, so they decided against exposed steel beams and brickwork in the room. However, Randa wanted to add some subtle texture and suggested using reeded glass in the kitchen cabinets, then repeating that design detail in the cupboards in this unit. “It looks slightly industrial, but not totally,” she says, “and that way we have a nod to the kitchen without having this unit look like a kitchen cabinet.”
Randa also added an acoustic slatted panel behind the TV. “That’s where the use of vertical lines started,” she says. They now feature throughout the house, on panelling, cabinet handles and in the hallway seating nook.
Joinery, Samuel Edgar. Cabinets painted in Railings; walls and wall panelling painted in Skimming Stone, both Farrow & Ball.
The kitchen features a mix of white units and black wall cabinets with reeded glass doors. To the left, a bank of floor-to-ceiling storage contains two larders, a full-size fridge and freezer, and ovens in the middle. Above the ovens there’s a unit containing the switches and fuses for all the equipment.
The door in the far wall leads into the study/playroom.
Kitchen, Audus Kitchens.
The door in the far wall leads into the study/playroom.
Kitchen, Audus Kitchens.
One important criterion was designing the house so it was hygienic and easy to clean, as one of the children has allergies. “The family has a robot vacuum cleaner, which they run every day,” Randa says. “We needed to make sure that whatever furniture we specified was either built in and solid or raised up, so the vacuum can clean under it.”
The owners also wanted practical, wipeable surfaces. “So they can put a glass down anywhere without worrying,” Randa says.
The flooring is wood-effect porcelain tiles, which are durable and low maintenance. “The floor looks really good,” she says.
Porcelain floor tiles, Caesar.
The owners also wanted practical, wipeable surfaces. “So they can put a glass down anywhere without worrying,” Randa says.
The flooring is wood-effect porcelain tiles, which are durable and low maintenance. “The floor looks really good,” she says.
Porcelain floor tiles, Caesar.
Randa tweaked the architectural plans so the kitchen window stretches down to the worktop.
“It worked out really nicely,” she says, “although positioning that tap in the middle of the windows was a challenge. We had to alter the kitchen design to centre it, otherwise it would have looked a bit silly.”
Having black frames inside and out was also Randa’s suggestion.
“It worked out really nicely,” she says, “although positioning that tap in the middle of the windows was a challenge. We had to alter the kitchen design to centre it, otherwise it would have looked a bit silly.”
Having black frames inside and out was also Randa’s suggestion.
“I get embedded into the design,” says Randa of her process, “and I ended up knowing the owners so well. They were lovely people.” This applied right down to taking into account their different heights when designing the kitchen. “He’s very tall, while she’s quite small, so I had to measure carefully and ask who does the cooking,” she says. “He does, so I checked with the other owner, was it OK to go slightly higher with the worktops? She said yes.”
Two striking black pendant lights hang over the island. “They’re gorgeous,” Randa says. “That’s what made the island. I drew them in my elevations from day one. I knew I wanted them.”
Spinning pendant lights, &Tradition.
Two striking black pendant lights hang over the island. “They’re gorgeous,” Randa says. “That’s what made the island. I drew them in my elevations from day one. I knew I wanted them.”
Spinning pendant lights, &Tradition.
The island provides a space to sit informally for coffee or breakfast, alongside the more formal dining area. There’s also a socket under the worktop so the owners can charge laptops and work there.
The island contains open shelves. “I didn’t want you to enter and just see a cabinet,” Randa says. “At the end of the day, it’s basically a white kitchen, so I also had to be strategic to stop it looking too stark and monochrome. I wanted there to be a black accent as soon as you come in, but it’s softened by the open shelves for books and decorative pieces.”
Yellow chairs flank the dining table on the other side, introducing another colour alongside the blue of the sofa to add warmth.
The island contains open shelves. “I didn’t want you to enter and just see a cabinet,” Randa says. “At the end of the day, it’s basically a white kitchen, so I also had to be strategic to stop it looking too stark and monochrome. I wanted there to be a black accent as soon as you come in, but it’s softened by the open shelves for books and decorative pieces.”
Yellow chairs flank the dining table on the other side, introducing another colour alongside the blue of the sofa to add warmth.
The worktop is ceramic, with a higher upstand behind the hob than on the window wall.
Glazed doors connect this open-plan space to the hallway, helping light flow right into the centre of the house. The door just seen on the right leads into the laundry room.
The glass doors are designed to look like steel-framed ones, but are actually wood. “They’re stunning – and a fraction of the price,” Randa says. “This is one example of where we saved some money, but still got the look we wanted.”
The wall dividing the laundry room from the study on the other side is fitted with sound insulation and a gap to create a sound buffer, so that when the owners are working, they can’t hear the washing machine and dryer.
The worktop has a darker, concrete effect to bring an industrial feel, and the sink is large enough for cutting flowers or washing football boots. “We designed those shelves to be just big enough to fit [the owners’] laundry baskets, too,” Randa says, “and there’s a huge cabinet on the other side containing the boiler, and compartments designed at precisely the right size to house things such as the ironing board and mops, plus an overflow fridge.”
The worktop has a darker, concrete effect to bring an industrial feel, and the sink is large enough for cutting flowers or washing football boots. “We designed those shelves to be just big enough to fit [the owners’] laundry baskets, too,” Randa says, “and there’s a huge cabinet on the other side containing the boiler, and compartments designed at precisely the right size to house things such as the ironing board and mops, plus an overflow fridge.”
The elegant storage in the hallway contains a built-in seating spot for putting on shoes. It has a slatted design again, here made from oak, while the long handles introduce more vertical lines and black accents to tie in with the rest of the ground floor.
There’s storage for coats of all sizes in the tall cabinet and, under the seat, there’s a drawer for scarves and gloves.
Joinery, Samuel Edgar.
There’s storage for coats of all sizes in the tall cabinet and, under the seat, there’s a drawer for scarves and gloves.
Joinery, Samuel Edgar.
In the downstairs cloakroom, which sits behind the hallway storage, the vanity unit with its slatted front beautifully echoes the black staircase banister, seen in the mirror. “Slats are a language all the way through, so we even used them in here,” Randa says.
The owners are thrilled with their finished home, saying, “Randa was so creative at finding solutions that took into account functionality, ergonomics and our personal preference, keeping in mind the flow between different rooms and creating a beautiful overall design.”
Tell us…
What do you like most about this updated and extended ground floor? Let us know in the Comments.
The owners are thrilled with their finished home, saying, “Randa was so creative at finding solutions that took into account functionality, ergonomics and our personal preference, keeping in mind the flow between different rooms and creating a beautiful overall design.”
Tell us…
What do you like most about this updated and extended ground floor? Let us know in the Comments.
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Who lives here? A family of four
Location Hertfordshire
Property A semi-detached house
Size Four bedrooms and three bathrooms
Designer Randa Kort of Randa Kort Interior Architectural Design
Photos by Laura Marin
The house was originally quite modest, with a living room, dining room and galley kitchen on the ground floor. “It was dated inside,” Randa says, “but it obviously had lots of potential.”
The owners had already acquired Planning Permission to extend at the rear, and an architect had drawn up plans for a kitchen-diner and study to be added. Randa worked to these plans, tweaking some details such as window sizes.
“I also changed the layout slightly, because originally you would enter the study through the laundry room,” she says. “I thought the study needed to be next to the kitchen, for drinks and food. I know I eat a lot when I’m working from home! That made sense to the owners, too.”