Alma Road

A London family home where the back of the house became the place everyone actually lives: cooking, eating and stepping straight out into the garden. Shown here in design visualisations.

The skylight and folding glass doors pull daylight deep into the kitchen and make the garden feel like another room, with an outdoor fireplace so it is used well beyond summer. The island is where everyone gathers, so we made it generous and topped it in the same marble as the splashback. Tall timber joinery opposite takes all the everyday clutter, keeping the room calm, and the banquette by the glass is made for slow breakfasts.

Through the arch, the living room is the quieter retreat. Bespoke shelving either side of the fluted fireplace is built around the television, so the screen never dominates the room, and the striped blind and shutters let the light be dialled down for evenings in.