A Luxury London City Flat

Open Plan flat. Layout Of A London City Flat

Doors aren't usually something you give lots of attention to when refurbishing a flat, but Louisa Guinness and Ben Brown aren't your usual homeowners, and their south London flat is far from run-of-the-mill.

When the couple bought it four years ago, they set to work with architects to bring out the best in the attractive, three metre tall rooms, including the living area with its five, long, south-facing windows.

Removing The Doors

The first things to go were many interior doors. 'There were just too many of them,' says Louisa.

'Five in the entrance hall, a couple in the main room and others opening into the bedrooms and bathroom. We got rid of some, enlarged a few rooms and, where we needed doors, had them made so they open flat against a wall or disappear into it.'

Replanning The Layout

Next on their list was swapping rooms about. 'The kitchen was at the back of the flat in what has become our son's bedroom, and where the kitchen is now, there was originally a bathroom,' says Louisa. 'The kitchen is important for us because we love to cook and often entertain friends and clients here,' she explains. The resulting changes have given them an open-plan functional space with two steel sinks, an oven and a broad white Corian-clad unit, which conceals appliances and storage beneath. The unit also serves as a divide between the kitchen and dining areas.