Interior designer Laura Stephens is behind the transformation - here's how she helped her client create an ideal space for family gatherings in their Victorian home in north London. That's the challenge designer Laura Stephens faced when designing this kitchen, positioned in a brand-new addition to a 19th-century historic home. The brief was to create a 'light, bright, and neutral space,' so Laura chose the palest pink kitchen cabinets, a shade that hasn't seen much time in the spotlight among the dark reds that dominated kitchen color trends in 2025.
However, the. Laura Stephens gives traditional design a modern twist in this Victorian terrace in London. A large kitchen extension, a pantry addition and a clever reconfiguration of a box bedroom creates new breathing space for the family of five.
"Superficially, the existing kitchen looked okay but it was pretty soulless," explains Laura Stephens, an interior designer who had previously helped these same homeowners decorate the rest of their Victorian-era house. "And it didn't work ergonomically. They couldn't open the bin and use the oven at the same time.
Unbelievably, despite the grand period detailing on the cornicing and the implications of the Victorian era that come from the antique pendant light and antiqued island bench, this kitchen is all part of a new extension that designer Laura Stephens was involved with from the start. 'The priority of this project was that it didn't feel like a new box,' Laura says. 'It was important.
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The brief was to create a sophisticated members club style space with a sense of fun. Floor boards were stained, and a smokey green paint colour transformed the atmosphere of the rooms. The kitchen needed to feel distinct from the other living spaces, so Laura placed a bold blue lamp on the island as a 'punctuation mark' between the areas.
The lampshade is bespoke with a Samuel and Sons bobble trim. The island was made bespoke to Laura's design, with 'Gustavian inspired diamond motifs' that echo the bedroom wallpaper.