With a Hidden Pantry and Pocket Door Cabinets, This London Kitchen Does Discreet Practicality Just Right
A modern extension in a Victorian terrace in south-west London, this timeless kitchen is a masterclass in balanced design
Fit for entertaining, while designed for family life; overflowing with storage, yet simultaneously seamless and clutter-free; highly functional, yet also warm and inviting — these are all the often opposing things we come to expect from our kitchens nowadays, and yet, somehow, this design managed to do all of them, and more.
A modern space within a traditional Victorian terraced home, this kitchen extension feels thoroughly timeless, interweaving elements of the home's period origins with contemporary touches. "The kitchen sits within a traditional Victorian terrace, but the rear extension introduces a distinctly contemporary character," Greg Daulby, senior designer at Cor Domi, says. "Flooded with natural light and defined by generous ceiling heights, the extension presented an opportunity to create a kitchen that felt modern whilst remaining sympathetic to the original home."
Designed by Cor Domi and Project London, this south-west London kitchen renovation epitomises exactly what we all hope for from a kitchen today. Full of texture and warmth, with a welcoming, open layout and masses of hidden storage, this project is a masterclass in intentional design.
The Brief
Exposed steel beams bring an industrial edge to this design.
Perhaps the most universal desire when designing a kitchen is for the room to become the central hub of the family home, and this project is no exception. "The client wanted the kitchen to become the true heart of the home, a sociable, convivial space where cooking, dining, and entertaining could happen simultaneously," shares Greg.
Primarily a family home, though also frequently used as a hub for hosting, Greg's clients wanted both possibilities to be equally supported by the design, with plenty of space for younger children to move around and feel at ease, while still feeling sophisticated enough to welcome their friends in, too.
It's always easier to plan out a kitchen renovation timeline when there are clear ideas from the beginning, and that was certainly the case in this project. "From the outset, there were several key requirements that shaped the design," says Greg. And primary among these was a large, central kitchen peninsula, used to create "a natural gathering point for cooking, casual dining and conversation."
In addition, Greg adds, "The client was also keen to incorporate a comfortable banquette seating area to encourage more relaxed everyday use of the space, blurring the line between kitchen and living." With seating at both the peninsula and the dedicated banquette dining area, this kitchen is as suited to large dinner parties as it is to intimate family meals.
"Kitchen storage and functionality were equally important," says Greg. Wanting to keep the kitchen as tidy and uncluttered as possible, they opted for a concealed walk-in pantry behind pocket doors and direct access to the utility room through this hidden cabinetry.
Set within a modern extension of a traditional Victorian terrace house, Greg explains, "The architecture played a significant role in shaping the joinery. Rather than treating it as a series of standard cabinets, we designed the furniture to respond directly to the volume of the space, using changes in height and proportion to emphasise the full-height ceilings and create a more architectural composition."
The result is a room that feels beyond time, with elements of Victorian and contemporary design seamlessly interweaving with one another.
The barstools featured in this project are a classic design from Marcel Breur. The contrast between the warm, wicker seat and cool steel frame makes for a striking effect.
Having begun his career in kitchen design, Greg then pivoted over to furniture design, applying his unique understanding of proportion, materials, and practicality,. He now works as a senior designer for Cor Domi, where he collaborates closely with clients, architects and contractors to create completely customized, bespoke homes.
The Process
Including both a sink and a hob on the peninsula introduces a greater sense of flow in the cooking process.
Intentionally avoiding any reliance on popular kitchen trends that could quickly fall out of style, the vision for this design came about more naturally. "The design evolved from the material palette rather than a particular style or trend," explains Greg.
"From the outset, we wanted to create a calm, tactile environment where the richness came from texture and craftsmanship instead of bold color or ornamentation," he says, and with plenty of natural materials and a warm, earthy color palette, they achieved this with ease.
As a fundamentally functional space, optimal usability was, of course, a priority when developing this design. They spent time considering exactly where to position the kitchen appliances and mapping out how the space would most likely be used to ensure a kitchen layout that felt intuitive and seamless for the clients to live in.
"Natural light was another key driver of the design," says Greg. "The extension benefits from two generous rooflights and large glazed doors, flooding the space with daylight throughout the day. Rather than competing with this, we selected a soft, neutral material palette that reflects the light and enhances the sense of openness, resulting in a calm and inviting atmosphere."
A minimalist approach to the kitchen lighting allowed for the existing natural light to remain central to the design.
As an open-plan kitchen, cohesion was crucial. But, to ensure it never felt too monotonous, Greg says, "We introduced moments of contrast through the client's carefully curated artwork and a striking natural stone peninsula, which acts as the focal point of the room while adding depth and character to the otherwise restrained palette."
In addition to the client's requests and desires, the team had to take note of the structure itself, adapting the vision to suit the requirements of the space. For example, "Exposed steel beams formed part of the structure, so the cabinetry had to be meticulously detailed around them, allowing the joinery to feel completely integrated."
The Design
Sleek cabinetry opens to reveal a hidden pantry space.
Perhaps the most enviable feature of this space, at first hidden from view, is the generously sized walk-in pantry. Concealed behind a wall of kitchen cabinetry, a pocket door opens to reveal this extra space, designed to store any kitchen appliances and other clutter.
"The location of the pantry entrance was fixed architecturally, so rather than allowing it to interrupt the flow of the kitchen, we embraced it as part of the overall composition," explains Greg.
"We created a full-height wall of bespoke joinery that conceals the pantry entrance within the cabinetry, allowing the elevation to read as one continuous architectural element. This approach not only creates a much calmer visual language but also provides the opportunity to introduce additional storage throughout the run, ensuring the design is as functional as it is refined."
Although the design in its final form looks thoroughly intentional, there were a fair few compromises that had to happen to arrive there.
The most significant example of this was the island. As Greg explains, "Like many clients, the original brief centred around a large island, but once we assessed the proportions of the room, it became clear that a freestanding island would have resulted in compromised circulation and an inefficient working layout."
Instead, Greg chose to rework the island into a peninsula, attached to the perimeter wall at one end. By doing this, they were able to create the same focal point that an island offers, without impacting the overall layout of the kitchen.
Used across the cabinetry, Rolling Fog is a lovely, neutral paint shade with warm undertones.
Pocket doors bring a sleek finish to the cabinetry, neatly tucking away when opened.
Opting for a neutral kitchen color palette, this design was all about letting the materials do the talking. "We kept the material palette deliberately simple, allowing texture and quality to take center stage," says Greg.
The lacquer-finish cabinets provide a warm, smooth backdrop for the rest of the design, allowing the bold, veined kitchen worktops to be the main focal point. Although the monochromatic, veined surface looks like marble, it's actually made of porcelain, allowing for a more durable, low-maintenance kitchen design. "They capture the elegance of natural stone while offering exceptional durability for everyday family life," adds Greg.
Counteracting the hard, cool finishes on the cabinets and counters, warm brass kitchen hardware, and Clayworks plaster walls bring a tactile warmth that spreads across the room.
The built-in bench bring a coziness to this kitchen, sitting snugly between the peninsula and outer wall.
The foundation of warmth and tactility in this design comes from the softly mottled, warm-toned walls that wrap around the room.
To create these plaster-effect walls, Greg used a Clayworks plaster, supplied by Surface Design London. This finish, he says, "Brings a beautiful sense of depth and movement to the space."
For a more cohesive effect, Greg opted for a near-identical shade for the cabinetry, too. "We selected the wall finish first, before choosing a complementary paint color from Little Greene for the cabinetry to ensure the two materials worked together harmoniously," he explains, which was Little Greene's Rolling Fog.
This, paired with the sage green upholstery and wooden details of the banquette area, makes for a sophisticated yet welcoming effect.
Although not identical to the sconces in this kitchen, this marble and bronze light has a similarly sophisticated finish and is surprisingly well priced.
As gorgeous as a glass kitchen extension can be, there's one major issue with them, and anyone living with one will be all too aware of that issue at the moment: heat. Luckily, these heatwave-proof house extension tips will save you from that dreaded greenhouse effect. And for even more helpful tips and ideas, subscribe to our newsletter.
