News — London

Last month, we spotlighted Ferren Gipson’s Ikea hack kitchen that she designed herself. The existing kitchen had been encumbered by a washer/dryer and giant boiler that needed to be moved elsewhere—which is what led Ferren to overhaul the family bathroom first. An American art historian in London, Ferren finds visual inspiration all over—for the bath, she looked to Victorian public restrooms for ideas and started sketching plans. Ferren worked with local contractors Palali Construction on the bath and kitchen, and managed to get both done in the midst of the pandemic—while she, her husband, and their five-year-old son were all...

At a time when the lived-in look has entered and taken over in all of our homes, here’s an inspiring, rarefied version on the theme. London architecture firm Jonathan Tuckey Design—a member of the Remodelista Architect and Designer Directory—was presented with a four-story Regency townhouse, the longstanding home of a family involved in the art world. The place was well lived in, according to project architect James Moore, and the requested top-to-bottom refresh set out to embrace rather than erase all the visible everyday things. “The scheme is really about creating a backdrop to their busy lives, introducing functional storage...

It’s hard not to be seduced by the all-white kitchen, but for those willing to make permanent decisions, think colorful ranges and painted cabinets, the payoff can be huge. Take this pastel kitchen designed by Nicola Harding for a couple living in a renovated Georgian manse. On color, Harding explains: “We used dark colors to make large or shady spaces feel more intimate, and warm, uplifting tones to make grand spaces feel more relaxed.” With Plain English cabinets, factory lights, antiques, and the children’s artwork, the result is a gentle elegance. Here is our list of sources to match the...