Flat LX

Location: Kensington, London
Type: residential (refurbishment)
Status: Completed

Design: Maryse Rénier Architecture with &INK Design
Staging: Maryse Rénier Architecture with Kromatic Interiors
Photographs: Megan Taylor

The initial client’s brief called for a new kitchen and increased storage. Preliminary design meetings soon revealed that despite living there for several years, the 1940’s conversion flat did not match the client’s needs or lifestyle.

It was then agreed that what was once a collection of segregated spaces with little storage capacity and a dark oversized entry hall and corridor would be transformed into a bright space with seamless transitions between the rooms, a large library, and additional storage.

The new layout no longer includes the entry hall and corridor. The circulation is now integrated within the rooms. Sliding pocket doors throughout the flat and openings located in high wall elevations improve flow between the rooms, while the property’s double exposure helps them bring natural daylight into the centre of the flat. The soft colour scheme repeated throughout the property with small variations for the kitchen and wet rooms enhances this sense of openness and continuity.

Finally, the revised kitchen layout, built-in cabinets, and library shelves spreading throughout several rooms achieve the requested storage increase, while also constituting a defining element of the design. Further long-term storage is concealed above new ceilings in the dining area and the new laundry room.