Stylish, Budget-Friendly Update for a Kitchen and Living Area
A designer found on Houzz reuses, refreshes and replaces features to transform a family space in just six weeks
The owners of this London home were pretty happy with the kitchen when they moved in but felt it didn’t really reflect their style. Unsure how to remedy that, they looked to Houzz, where they came across the profile of interior designer Jo Kaur Llogarajah of Studio JKL. “We instantly connected and they were drawn to what they described as my personable approach and understanding of the home being an intimately personal space, rather than promoting a ‘house style,’” Llogarajah says. “The family are from Senegal and wanted their heritage incorporated into the design.”
Llogarajah, using Houzz Pro, addressed the look of the space and tweaked the layout to create a more family-friendly environment. And thanks to some thoughtful and sustainably minded choices, it was all done on a tight budget. Check out the before-and-after photos below.
Llogarajah, using Houzz Pro, addressed the look of the space and tweaked the layout to create a more family-friendly environment. And thanks to some thoughtful and sustainably minded choices, it was all done on a tight budget. Check out the before-and-after photos below.
The project has some significant sustainability wins, with Llogarajah reusing all she could. The kitchen cabinets, which were in good condition, were a biggie. Llogarajah changed just the hardware.
The refrigerator is new, but the oven was inherited from the previous owners. The sink was relocated from the laundry room to replace a worn but identical one. This also, of course, greatly helped to reduce costs.
The refrigerator is new, but the oven was inherited from the previous owners. The sink was relocated from the laundry room to replace a worn but identical one. This also, of course, greatly helped to reduce costs.
Before: This photo of the space before Llogarajah started work highlights one of her small but significant tweaks. The solid wood countertops were not in great condition so she replaced them, which enabled her to reconfigure the orientation of the island breakfast bar.
She reused the old wood countertops to make shelves and a countertop for the laundry room.
She reused the old wood countertops to make shelves and a countertop for the laundry room.
After: The island tweak allowed for bar stools to be positioned on the side rather than at the end of the island. “This meant we could better zone the living space,” Llogarajah says. It also created room for an additional stool.
This did mean the island cabinets were blocked off, but the homeowners felt they had more than enough storage already — especially as Llogarajah added the new tall gray cupboard, a combined breakfast station-pantry. Llogarajah initially considered painting this cabinetry the same shade as the others but was unhappy with the color match, so instead she picked a contrasting shade to tie it in with the island seating, flooring and TV unit. It creates lots of new storage where there had just been a few open shelves previously.
Greenwich cabinets in Reed Green with knurled brushed black T-bar handles: Howdens; Tribeca bar stools: Cult Furniture
See why you should hire a professional who uses Houzz Pro software
This did mean the island cabinets were blocked off, but the homeowners felt they had more than enough storage already — especially as Llogarajah added the new tall gray cupboard, a combined breakfast station-pantry. Llogarajah initially considered painting this cabinetry the same shade as the others but was unhappy with the color match, so instead she picked a contrasting shade to tie it in with the island seating, flooring and TV unit. It creates lots of new storage where there had just been a few open shelves previously.
Greenwich cabinets in Reed Green with knurled brushed black T-bar handles: Howdens; Tribeca bar stools: Cult Furniture
See why you should hire a professional who uses Houzz Pro software
These beautiful pendant lights were also already in place, but there had originally been nine of them hanging over the island. Llogarajah reduced the number to three and the owner sold the other six.
“The color of the shades’ interior works well with the floor, which has a gold detail in it,” Llogarajah says.
Lights: Tom Dixon
“The color of the shades’ interior works well with the floor, which has a gold detail in it,” Llogarajah says.
Lights: Tom Dixon
Llogarajah created a cozy and elegant living space at the backyard end of the room, to the right of the kitchen.
The previous owners had had the sofa against the wall, but the family wanted a TV in here, so Llogarajah added the gray wall panel in the same color as the new, full-height kitchen cupboard. It doesn’t just look good; it also hides all the cables.
Flinton wooden accent chair: Next Home
Flinton wooden accent chair: Next Home
The seating and floor lamp are new. “As they’re close to the sliding doors, we picked soft green shades for the rug, chair, cushions and throw to bring in the greens and blues from outside,” Llogarajah says.
Circa teak unit: Tikamoon; Cricket four-seater sofa with footstool: Sofology
New to home remodeling? Learn the basics
Circa teak unit: Tikamoon; Cricket four-seater sofa with footstool: Sofology
New to home remodeling? Learn the basics
Before: Llogarajah turned the space behind the island, seen here prior to the renovation, into a dining area.
After: Llogarajah had a cabinet maker build a hinged-seat storage bench base to match the table, which is fair trade and made from sustainably sourced mango wood. She added a custom faux leather backrest and seat.
Anton solid wood dining table: West Elm; Chiswick dining chairs: Cult Furniture; Abira pendant light, H&M Home
Anton solid wood dining table: West Elm; Chiswick dining chairs: Cult Furniture; Abira pendant light, H&M Home
The owners brought this painting back from Senegal. “We were able to measure up to see what size would be perfect here, and the colors we wanted,” Llogarajah says.
Llogarajah accessorized the shelves to the right with a mix of items the owners already owned and a few new pieces. “We spent a day going through what they already had and went to the shops together to see what else we could find,” she says.
Before: You can see the shelves were already at the back of the room. “They didn’t want any more concealed storage and so they remained, with a fresh coat of paint,” she says.
After: This view of the dining area shows how the room connects to the rest of the ground floor. The front door is ahead.
The floor plan helps to make sense of the space.
Before: As part of the job, Llogarajah also smartened up the boot room, or mudroom.
After: “The cupboard and bench with an oak seat were there,” Llogarajah says. “We just repainted them and added the paneling and hooks. We also altered the storage inside the cupboard to create suitable space for shoe and boot storage.”
Before: This sink in the utility room, or laundry room, is the one that now sits in the kitchen.
After: Llogarajah installed new cabinetry in the laundry room. She added housing for a washer and dryer, plus some storage. There’s also a new sink, but she kept the original faucet and, as mentioned, the countertop and shelves are made from what was the island countertop.
Cabinets, Howdens
Cabinets, Howdens
Llogarajah says the renovation process was helped by the use of Houzz software, which she used to create the initial proposal and a full quotation.
“What I like is that, for the furniture, the owners could go in and tick off what they did and didn’t want,” she says. “It was really helpful to be able to do it that way with them doing it in their own time just with a tick. I could then go back to certain things that weren’t ticked if I wanted to discuss them further.”
The owners left Llogarajah a lovely review, in which they said they were particularly impressed with the job coming together over such a tight timeline. “The experience was truly ‘transformative,’ as Jo brought our vision to life and added unexpected functional benefits through meticulous attention to detail. Working with Jo was a joy; she understood our preferences, creating a design that perfectly suited our lifestyle,” they wrote.
More on Houzz
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Browse kitchen photos for ideas
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“What I like is that, for the furniture, the owners could go in and tick off what they did and didn’t want,” she says. “It was really helpful to be able to do it that way with them doing it in their own time just with a tick. I could then go back to certain things that weren’t ticked if I wanted to discuss them further.”
The owners left Llogarajah a lovely review, in which they said they were particularly impressed with the job coming together over such a tight timeline. “The experience was truly ‘transformative,’ as Jo brought our vision to life and added unexpected functional benefits through meticulous attention to detail. Working with Jo was a joy; she understood our preferences, creating a design that perfectly suited our lifestyle,” they wrote.
More on Houzz
Read more kitchen stories
Browse kitchen photos for ideas
Find a kitchen remodeler on Houzz
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Kitchen at a Glance
Who lives here: A family with three young children
Location: London
Designer: Jo Kaur Llogarajah of Studio JKL
The owners had seen another of Llogarajah’s kitchen redesigns on Houzz and really liked it. “They messaged me directly through the website, having seen my profile,” Llogarajah says. “They were renting nearby and it was before they got the keys. They wanted to see what was possible.
“The brief was to create a space with more color and pattern,” she says. “They wanted their heritage incorporated into the design and they sourced artworks from Senegal. The husband went over for work and sent photos before buying, so we could make it all work together.” The family lived offsite during the job, and this helped Jo finish the work in less than six weeks.
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