This couple, one of whom runs her food business from home, were bursting out of their compact London row house. And with baby No. 2 on the way, they needed a skillful update that would give them more elbow room and entertaining space.
They found interior designer Yoko Kloeden on Houzz and worked with her to expand the home to the side and back. Kloeden then used the extra square feet to create a roomier kitchen that enjoys a seamless connection to an updated back deck. In fact, with the new bifold glass doors open, the couple can push a rolling kitchen island onto the deck to act as a serving table during parties. Sleek oak kitchen cabinets and natural materials add tons of storage and style. Elsewhere in the home, a focus on neutral, organic colors and finishes creates relaxing and inviting spaces.
Before Photo
Yoko Kloeden Design
Photos by Cathy Pyle
House at a Glance
Who lives here: A couple with two young daughters, one of whom was born in the middle of the project
Location: South London
Size: Three bedrooms, two bathrooms
Designer: Yoko Kloeden Design
Before: The former kitchen was cramped and couldn’t house all the professional equipment the owner needs to run her food business, which includes hosting workshops and supper clubs, providing catering and making pickles and chutneys. She also uses the back deck to entertain guests.
Yoko Kloeden Design
After: Kloeden extended into the side yard but only went out by 4½ feet at the back to boost the kitchen while retaining as much of the small back deck as possible.
“A big part of the brief was to make the ground floor an indoor-outdoor space,” Kloeden says. With that in mind, she made the opening as wide as possible and designed the interior microcement flooring and exterior decking to be flush. She also chose exposed brickwork for the back wall to boost the indoor-outdoor feel.
“The kitchen is a galley style, i.e., with cupboards on both sides — but with the workspace in the middle,” Kloeden says. “This is a movable island, so the client can wheel it out to the [deck], where it works as a serving cart.”
The pendant lights are a rise-and-fall design, Kloeden says. “We specified these. I think really low pendant lights look good, but they obviously wouldn’t be practical if the island was [outside]. This means they work whether it’s in here or outside.”
Watch now: Go inside this expanded London row house on Houzz TV
Yoko Kloeden Design
Kloeden designed the kitchen herself and had it made by cabinetmakers to maximize the available space, particularly because the lefthand wall has sections at different depths. (See floor plan below.)
The handleless units are stained oak. “We used oak with a rustic grade, so it has knots and grain, then got it stained to look slightly vintage-y, which is very much the client’s aesthetic,” Kloeden says.
Though new, the movable island has a vintage look and is made of pine with a zinc top. Storage compartments hold utensils and large serving bowls. “It can’t store anything too heavy, as it needs to move,” Kloeden says.
A dishwasher and a freestanding refrigerator are on the left, just visible in the previous photo. A slimline wine cooler sits on the right.
Storage is a mix of drawers and cabinets. “Because the space is so narrow, we put lots of shelves inside the units to make the space as flexible as possible,” Kloeden says.
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Yoko Kloeden Design
All the appliances are professional grade and the cooktop is gas. The cooktop sits flush within the cast-concrete countertop to keep the look clutter-free.
Kloeden chose zellige fish-scale tiles for the backsplash.
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Yoko Kloeden Design
Opposite the cooktop, the backsplash behind the sink is cast concrete to match the countertops.
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Before Photo
Yoko Kloeden Design
Before: The back deck wasn’t in great condition for hosting guests and serving food during events. A neighbor’s exposed brick wall was a particular eyesore.
Yoko Kloeden Design
After: Now an outdoor kitchen spans one side, with shelves, a green grill and a freestanding sink. A living wall covers the neighbor’s brick wall.
Watch now: See more of this updated deck on Houzz TV
Yoko Kloeden Design
Here’s a different view of the new outdoor kitchen. The decking is larch.
Yoko Kloeden Design
Kloeden also designed the bench seating below the living wall in the same larch decking wood.
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Yoko Kloeden Design
Inside, the kitchen opens to a dining area, which features more exposed brick. The bench seating is custom and continues from the kitchen in the same materials. Drawers beneath the bench store cooking appliances, and the dining table can be extended. The homeowners sourced the lighting and mirror from French antique markets.
The flooring is original. Kloeden had it sanded and restored. To the right of the dining room is the living room, which is at the front of the home.
Yoko Kloeden Design
This is the living room as seen from the dining area. The lighting and coffee table are vintage.
Watch now: Take a virtual tour of this remodeled London row house
Yoko Kloeden Design
All the single-paned windows throughout the house were upgraded as part of the remodel, and the home was rewired and replumbed. In here, there are new radiators as well as new wall lights.
Yoko Kloeden Design
“We restored the cornices, sanded the floor and added built-in storage” on either side of the fireplace, Kloeden says. She also designed the striking custom cast-concrete fireplace surround.
Yoko Kloeden Design
On the second floor, the smaller of the two bedrooms, at the back of the house, is now a spare room-home office with a sofa bed and this fold-down desk, designed by Kloeden to make best use of the space. The front bedroom (not photographed) had originally been the couple’s room, but their two daughters now sleep in there.
The whole house is decorated in lime paint. “It gives you a lovely soft texture, which you can see best in this room,” Kloeden says.
The paint in this room is an antique blue.
Yoko Kloeden Design
The second-floor bathroom is used by guests and the children.
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Yoko Kloeden Design
The vanity, which has drawers and an open shelf, is custom and made with oak stained with a white oil.
Yoko Kloeden Design
The couple’s bedroom is in a converted loft, where windows overlook the back deck. The palette again is soft and natural, and the wall behind the bed is covered in grasscloth for organic texture.
“What was here previously was just a space within two pitched roofs, so it was very narrow,” Kloeden says. Working within building guidelines, she designed a dormer to create height and added a bathroom above the back room on the second floor.
Vintage tables flank the bed. Pendant lights help save space on the table on the left. The en suite bathroom is to the left, out of view.
Yoko Kloeden Design
This is the loft en suite. “It’s a tiny room, but we installed a bath as well as a walk-in shower, which is where this picture is taken from,” Kloeden says. “There’s also a niche between the en suite and the main bedroom, which we used to create more storage. We added storage into all kinds of alcoves, as it’s such a small house.”
The vanity matches the one in the second-floor bathroom, but with a Silestone quartz countertop and brass faucet.
Yoko Kloeden Design
Zellige-style tiles with a matte finish and minimum grout lines cover the shower walls and add texture.
Yoko Kloeden Design
Before the renovation, the house had one bathroom, two bedrooms and a loft. However, the loft didn’t meet building regulations or make best use of the available space.
This floor plan of the home shows how the spaces now work and fit together.
Watch now: Go inside this expanded London row house on Houzz TV
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