This Open-Plan Kitchen in a Period Property in Chislehurst Was Designed to Feel Like A 'True Room' In The Home

Nestled in the leafy suburb of Chislehurst, surrounded by nature and overlooking a duck pond, this striking family home brings a touch of modernity to the storybook settings.

The project was a chance for Matt and Louise McGarry, the husband-and-wife duo behind Studio Braw, to explore the intersection of traditional and contemporary design styles, creating their own concept of the 'modern heritage' trend in a way that felt truly reflective of the large family they were designing this home for. Drawing inspiration from the original architecture of the period property, as well as the family themselves, this project speaks to Studio Braw's holistic design approach.

Designing and manufacturing bespoke modern kitchens and furnishings with custom pieces, Studio Braw doesn't work to a fixed aesthetic; they match their clients', making each of their designs a unique reflection of the people living within the homes.

The Brief

With three children, it's no surprise that designing a family-friendly modern home was the main goal for this couple. Looking for a sense of continuous flow, the family wanted a space that felt free of strict boundaries.

"Their objective for this project was to create a large open plan, kitchen, living, and dining area for the whole family," explains Louise. "There was a balance that needed to be achieved, too, between functionality and visual appeal. "They wanted a wow space with architectural interest, but also a space durable enough to withstand the wear and tear of daily family life."

It was this dual desire that really shaped the design. So often, the most impressive architectural trends feel too harsh or unattainable to imagine having in a family home. And, because of this, many end up feeling rather bland or uninspiring. For Matt and Louise, the challenge was finding that middle ground between the two.

As much as the design was shaped by the clients, it was also shaped by its surroundings and the home's origins. "The house is a beautiful period property, full of character and history. Our aim was to honor that heritage while also acknowledging that this particular space is a newly created addition," says Louise.

Instead of attempting to match the original property and adding traditional kitchen features, Louise and Matt decided to embrace the fact that this was, in fact, a modern kitchen extension and leaned into that within the design.

Simultaneously, though, they were keen to draw inspiration from other similar period properties. "We spent time looking at kitchens in large, old country houses — spaces where the kitchen feels more like a collection of furniture than a fitted installation," says Louise.

"That approach inspired the L-shaped island with its chunky legs, giving it the presence of a freestanding piece. It also informed details such as the glazed wall units and the use of copper for part of the work surface, adding warmth and a sense of age that feels perfectly at home in the setting."

The Process

While people continue to debate whether open-plan layouts are still in style, when it comes to designing a family home, they're hard to beat. They introduce a sense of ease and flow into your home that you'd struggle to achieve with a traditional closed structure, and help to create a more cohesive feel.

As Louise says, "With young children, it allows the kitchen, dining, and living areas to work as one connected space, so cooking, homework, chatting, and general family life can all happen together rather than in separate rooms.

"At the same time, we were mindful that open-plan spaces can sometimes feel a little too open, so the goal was to design it in a way that still felt like a series of 'rooms' within the whole," Louise explains.

To achieve this, Louise and Matt created a series of subtle borders and boundaries within the space. "Elements such as the L-shaped island, the positioning of the furniture, and layered materials help to subtly define different areas for cooking, eating, and relaxing," she explains, "The result is a space that feels sociable and practical, while still retaining the warmth and character you’d expect in a period home."

Even more than just wanting the home to be open-plan, what was of the utmost importance to the team was creating a sense of visual cohesion throughout the space. They didn't want the kitchen to feel like a kitchen; they wanted it to feel like a natural extension of the rest of the home.

"Because this space is used by the family every day, it was important to us that it felt like a proper room rather than just a place to cook," explains Louise. "We wanted the kitchen to read more like furniture than a fixed installation." By combining traditional kitchen materials with other, more striking finishes and designing bespoke fittings, Louise and Matt were able to bring this goal to life.

These materials also speak to the age of the home — combining contemporary finishes with more traditional ones, and purposefully choosing materials that will adapt and change over time. This can be seen in the untreated copper that tops the breakfast bar, "which will gradually develop a patina over time — one of those materials that only gets better with age."

As well as the new features that will grow with the family, the team also included those that speak to the home's history. "A small section of the house’s original kitchen was even repurposed and reimagined as a sideboard, giving a quiet nod to the building’s past," says Louise.

The Design

Sitting at the center of the kitchen, and undoubtedly the most immediately eye-catching feature, is the kitchen island. Instead of a traditional island design, in a rectangular shape with a cohesive kitchen worktop, Louise and Matt opted for the more visually-intriguing split design, combining two materials in an L-shaped formation for a more sculptural, striking look.

Explaining the thought behind the design, Louise says, "The split island came from our desire to make the kitchen feel more like a collection of furniture rather than one large, fixed block. In many old country houses, kitchen pieces tend to feel freestanding and layered, and we wanted to bring a little of that character into this space."

However, this decision didn't just have visual benefits; it also speaks to the wider intention of how this home should be used and lived in. "One side works as the practical prep and cooking area, while the breakfast bar creates a more sociable spot for sitting, chatting, or quick meals." This breakfast bar area, cloaked in copper, has a more relaxed warmth than the crisp, white countertops.

The warmth and softness provided by this copper counter also helps to counteract the more striking visual effect of the dramatically veined marble backsplash. Picked out specifically by the clients, this marble was chosen for its dramatic effects and its coloring, which mirrored that of the flooring and kitchen cabinetry.

"The marble, with its dark veining, felt like a natural partner to the cabinetry. Rather than contrasting heavily, it echoes those darker tones and ties everything together in a way that feels rich and cohesive. At the same time, the movement in the stone keeps it from feeling too heavy or flat — it adds just the right amount of softness and visual interest," says Louise.

While the dark cabinetry may intimidate some, the result does not feel heavy or moody, but anchored and comforting. "In a large open-plan room, darker cabinetry can actually help anchor the kitchen and give it real presence, rather than letting it disappear into the background," Louise explains. "The black tones create a strong foundation for the room, which feels appropriate for a house with this much character." To balance out these darker elements, they opted for pale limestone flooring, bringing a natural, grounded feel to the room.

The kitchen leads directly onto a dining area, which in turn leads onto a glass-fronted sitting area. As one long, free-flowing space, there needed to be some kind of visual link running through these three rooms.

"Creating cohesion between the kitchen and dining room was really about making sure the spaces spoke the same design language, while still allowing each to have its own role within the room," explains Louise.

Sticking to one consistent palette throughout allowed them to achieve this cohesion with relative ease. "The darker tones of the kitchen cabinetry are echoed in elements of the dining furniture, while the lighter limestone flooring runs throughout, helping to visually link the spaces together. We also carried the same layered approach to materials across both areas — mixing woods, metals, and soft textiles — so the room feels collected and harmonious rather than overly 'designed.'"

Meanwhile, the larger, standout features, like the island and the dining table, help to 'zone' the space, creating a clear definition between the various functions of the room.

Creating a cohesive and inviting open-plan home isn't easy, but as this project shows, it's worth the extra effort. If you're on the hunt for some helpful tips, our experts have shared all the open-plan layout mistakes they recommend avoiding, as well as their tips for what to do instead.

For more inspiring design ideas, why not sign up for our newsletter, and they'll be delivered straight to your inbox.