Design for Life: Interior designer Jessica Williamson on colour and ‘feeling’ in a bespoke kitchen

In this stunning bespoke kitchen, bold colour sets the tone for the whole home. We invited Jessica Williamson, Head of Interiors at BVDS architects, to share her insights on what makes for a joyful, colourful kitchen designed for real life…

“...The kitchen is a great place to use and have confidence in colour – I think colour is an economical way to create calm or lift the mood and feel of a space in which we spend a lot of our home lives…”

We love seeing Naked Kitchens’ cabinets being used in beautiful and unusual bespoke kitchens – like this extraordinary space in a home that joins two mansion apartments in Belsize Park to create a two-storey family home among the treetops.

It’s the work of the architects Bradley Van Der Straeten (BVDS) – and what really struck us about the design was the bold use of colour, particularly the strong bespoke reds and blues of the Naked Kitchens cabinet fronts.

We spoke to BVDS Head of Interiors, Jessica Williamson, about the project, her views on kitchen design, and why colour and ‘feeling’ are so important in the finish of a kitchen…

Tell us a little about your role as Head of Interiors at Bradley Van Der Straeten (BVDS)…

My role is to develop, play with and push the interiors direction of our studio’s work. We work really closely with individual clients to help them achieve something personal to them, their needs and their taste. And we like to surprise them with playful suggestions to achieve an unexpected and personal outcomes.

How did you get started in interior design/architecture, and when did you first realise you had an ‘eye’ for interiors?

I trained as an architect back in Australia with that being my initial passion but I’ve always considered architecture and interiors intrinsic to one another. Perhaps because I’ve always preferenced smaller projects, where these are and can be completely interwoven with one another both in the design process but also the outcome.

I’ve always seen interiors as ‘the fun bit’ in a project, which became even more apparent and enjoyable when I moved from Melbourne to London and found my place in the BVDS studio. I’d come from a studio where whites and natural timbers and stones were paramount and was incredibly excited and encouraged by George and Ewald’s openness. [George Bradley and Ewald Van Der Straeten are the founders of the BVDS studio.]

How would you describe the ethos and general approach of BVDS to design?

I think joy, intimacy and individual personalities are present in all of our projects. I don’t think there is a consistent aesthetic to a BVDS designed home because each project is designed and developed so closely with each client that it’s a reflection of themselves.

What makes a really great kitchen design?

For the layout – its about the thinking. How does a client use a kitchen, what do they do most? How do they like to cook, are they a neat freak or a mess? How do they like to socialize? So many things must be understood to enable a kitchen to come together to seamlessly work for a family or individual.

For the finishes – I think it’s all about feeling. Inspiration can come from all walks of life, fashion, art – inspiration is everywhere, its just about noticing and a good eye to put it all together in an exciting way.

One recent project of yours combined two mansion apartments in Belsize Park and included some colourful Naked Kitchens cabinets. Can you tell us a little about the particular challenges of that project and how you solved them – and why you chose to use Naked Kitchens?

The kitchen was a key space at Mazarine – designed for clients who love cooking and entertaining – this was always going to become the hub of their reworked home. Gautham and Sreeja came to us with an initial brief that circled three priorities; daylight, natural materials and colour – all three are celebrated in this kitchen.

The kitchen was positioned at the front of the property which faces South. Before the renovation, this space was broken up into cellular rooms but we opened the plan to make use of the four existing beautiful sash windows that run around this corner of the property.

The kitchen joinery itself was conceived as three parts; the long, wide Blazer red island is used from all four of its sides and employs contemporary style Naked Kitchens J groove cabinetry and a bespoke curved end that improves the flow of the space.

Behind the island, Naked Kitchens Shaker doors are painted in bright blue and provide a more traditional background with a Belfast sink and open shelving. Backing onto the living room, Naked Kitchens pantry and appliance housings are fronted in bespoke oak veneer fronts which mirror the finish of the living room cabinet they back onto to create one continuous joinery object that you can experience from both the living room and the kitchen.

The collaboration with Naked Kitchens resulted in a cost effective kitchen with a vibrancy and practicality individual to its inhabitants.

What do you most enjoy about your work?

Putting together a palette and design for a home is incredibly fun in itself but like most designers, I love seeing it all come together at the ‘end’, which is really just the beginning for our clients – ready for them to move back in and rediscover their home!

I love the process too – I love the people aspect to our job – getting to know individual clients and working with them on something so personal, I think is such a privilege. To hear at the end of a project how they love living in a space we’ve created is so rewarding.

In most homes, the kitchen is where all life happens – so it has to do a lot of work. From an interior design point of view, do you have one practical tip you can share for improving life in the kitchen?

I find it hard to narrow it down to one thing, kitchens are so subjective to each person. I love my own kitchen where people can stand and chat while I’m making food for everyone and not get in my way – we all have our vices!

But I do think the kitchen is a great place to use and have confidence in colour – I think colour is an economical way to create calm or lift the mood and feel of a space in which we spend a lot of our home lives.

See more of Bradley Van Der Straeten’s work at b-vds.co.uk and follow them on Instagram @bvdsarchitects

All images courtesy of Bradley Van Der Straeten. Photography by Felix Speller + Jim Stephenson

See also:

Unusual kitchen colours – tips, ideas and inspiration

Design for Life: A contemporary kitchen in a Victorian townhouse by Jake Lai

Design for Life: Dawn Scargill, as featured on George Clarke’s Remarkable Renovations

Design for Life: Jennifer Haslam on The New Naturals and sustainable living