It’s a well-worn cliche that the kitchen is the heart of a home, but in the case of this north London residence, it really is true. Designer Tatjana von Stein was brought on board by the family who own the five-bedroom house to reimagine its internal layout and infuse it with a sense of art deco-style glamour – a brief she embraced with aplomb.
Close to the bustling urban villages of Hampstead and Highgate, the neighbourhood feels ‘slightly suburban yet still carries the dynamic energy of London,’ says the designer. ‘Long residential roads lined with family homes, distinctively Edwardian at heart, give it a sense of heritage.’
The family with two young children (one of whom was born during the renovation) and three teenagers were introduced to Tatjana through a friend and former client. They wanted a family home, but in contrast to their countryside base, desired something with ‘allure – perhaps even a touch of seductiveness. This was of course music to my ears,’ she says.
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The house was a complete shell when Tatjana and her team first saw it; it was a full interior architecture project, requiring everything to be changed, from the floors to the doors and staircase. Daunting, perhaps, but also ‘a total joy as you can really expand a design narrative into every corner and moment’.
The biggest challenge, but also the greatest reward, came through the kitchen’s transformation. Tatjana explains that the local architecture – typically Edwardian homes like this one – don’t easily allow for large, open communal areas.
Reconfiguring the layout was essential to create an inviting, social flow centering around the kitchen, as the client is a passionate cook ‘so this was certainly going to be the beating heart of their home’. The space had to be flexible, serving both daily family life but also somehow able to accommodate up to 20 guests around the dining table.
Rather than a traditional kitchen-dining set up, Tatjana elevated the kitchen space with a Verde Guatemala marble floor, framing a semi-circular banquette and a bespoke oval walnut dining table surrounded by vintage Italian chairs, reupholstered in Schumacher fabric.
Versailles parquet flooring, custom lacquered cabinetry and a stainless steel Lacanche Range cooker gleam in the plentiful daylight which floods in through skylight windows and floor-to-ceiling glass doors onto the garden.
Decorative detailing includes Dedar wallcoverings, De Gournay wallpaper and a bespoke geometric Peter Page stair runner, whilst character is added through the selection of art, objects and a mixture of new, vintage and antique furniture.
Another of Tatjana’s favourite spaces is the main bedroom, where the hand painted de Gournay wallpaper complements an indulgent custom mohair bed. One design detail she’s particularly satisfied with is the fabric-padded wardrobe wall with its tinted mirrored pocket door offering a glimpse into the stone-clad bathroom – ‘perhaps a subtle nod to our more dramatic hospitality designs,’ she explains.
‘A great deal of love and attention went into the project, and the house is full of special moments. We took the clients on the journey, ensuring the design felt deeply personal and tailored. I have full admiration for them — renovations are always an exciting yet stressful time, and in the midst of it all, a newborn arrived to join the party!’ tatjanavonstein.com
