Owned by a creative couple with three children, this large Victorian villa was undergoing a substantial renovation and extension when Uncommon Projects was called in to conceive a more spatially efficient alternative to the architect’s proposed kitchen layout. The partially double-height L-shaped space created the possibility of a much larger kitchen than the client was used to. Uncommon Projects’ task was to develop a design that suited the scale of the architecture while avoiding ostentation – and which highlighted the two large-scale artworks that help define the space.

To maintain a feeling of flow from the living area to the back garden, Uncommon Projects modified the plan to position the kitchen island directly below the doubleheight ceiling, overlooked by the half-landing, which introduced a touch of drama to the space. Incorporating an inbuilt extractor to the island hob allowed for an uninterrupted garden view.

Beside the sink, cabinets rising 3.4m highlight the dramatic ceilings. On the other side, a screen of open shelves marks the transition between the old and new parts of the house, and conceal the kitchen area from the front door, so the full drama of the space reveals itself gradually as you progress through the house.