Step by step: inside the ground floor Wimbledon flat that became a dream kitchen
After converting a first-floor apartment, this Wimbledon couple seized the chance to gain the whole house when the ground-floor flat came up for sale, providing them with their dream kitchen space
Nine years ago, Brooke and Kieran were searching for a home in London with potential, the main requirements being a convenient location, and a grocery store and dry cleaners within walking distance.
Eventually they found a first-floor apartment in an Edwardian house in Wimbledon. Straight away, they went about updating the property, with a loft conversion taking the two-bed flat to three bedrooms and an en-suite. A few years later, having welcomed Milo, the miniature schnauzer into the household, Brooke and Kieran began their search for a house with a garden.
As luck would have it, the flat downstairs became available, offering the perfect opportunity to extend their previous project. By this time, Kieran’s project management company, Beacon Lofts & Extensions, had taken off, meaning he could oversee the work to convert these two flats into a five-bedroom home.
Since Kieran had worked with Vivienne Warman of Kitchen Coordination on many previous projects, they knew they wanted her to design this kitchen too. ‘My main ask was for a large island with storage and several electric sockets,’ explains Brooke.
‘I wanted it to be the centre of the room, where I could cook, entertain and work. The kitchen needed to look clean, not necessarily like a kitchen, but more like standard furniture. Nothing too traditional – very contemporary.’ As Brooke is a keen cook, storage and functionality were vital elements to consider in the design.
‘We actually included two separate pull-out spice drawers because we have that many spices,’ she says. ‘I was drawn to darker kitchens when looking for inspiration,’ she adds, and with light pouring in from the back of the house, the Anthracite finish they liked had just the right effect, allowing the couple to get the contemporary, sophisticated style they desired.
With the kitchen complete, Brooke and Kieran both adore the space. ‘We do everything in the kitchen, including hosting our annual Christmas get-together. Every time we have people over, everybody stands around the island – it’s great for parties!’
And the snug is an ideal add-on for watching television and relaxing, while still being contained in the space. Now, with a baby on the way, Brooke and Kieran have made their home ready for the next stage of their lives. ‘We absolutely love our kitchen and will certainly ask Vivienne to design our next kitchen if we get the renovating bug again!’
Project profile
Q&A with Vivienne Warman, Designer, Kitchen Co-ordination
What was your client’s brief? Brooke cooks a lot so we needed good worktop space, lots of storage, and they wanted a wine cooler. I had worked for Brooke and Kieran before, but this time we obviously had a much larger space to work with. We went through lots of colour options and Brooke was great to work with as she was very decisive. The Tio Anthracite was a new colour and they loved the feel and look of the super-matt finish.
How did you decide on the layout? Knowing the requirements, we ensured ample workspace, and incorporated the wine fridge and spice racks into the island – the rest of the design just fell into place.
Were there any challenges to overcome in the design of the space? This kitchen was really easy for me, and Brooke and Kieran were a delight to work with. We talked through every aspect of the design and the way they work in the kitchen and came up with a successful plan.
Which details make you particularly proud of this design? I think the whole space looks great, but I love the Anthracite with black details. The lines of the calacatta worktop are also really beautiful.
Photos by Paul Craig.
