Before & After: An Ikea kitchen transformed with a smart update
In a stylish Victorian terrace in Bristol, Rujina Alam, an avid collector of antiques, has created a characterful family kitchen that mixes old and new. Rujina has been slowly renovating the property since 2012, and her latest project saw its tiny kitchen, that her family of five had long outgrown, razed to the ground. In its place stands a glorious side return kitchen extension complete with a skylight and sliding doors that open onto a verdant courtyard garden.
With the expense of the extension, Rujina had to be savvy with the design of the kitchen itself, approaching the uber stylish Husk who specialise in creating bespoke fronts to cover Ikea units. 'We only had a small budget, having ploughed most of our money into building the kitchen extension, so the option of using Ikea carcasses to keep costs down was really appealing,' she says. Rujina chose the Ikea Metod kitchen inners, with Husk's Fenix drawer and cupboard fronts in Nero Ingo with exposed plywood edges and integrated scalloped handles.
Rujina and her Husk kitchen designer Georgia Wells talk us through the renovation process, and explain why contemporary black was the right choice in this vintage-inspired family kitchen.
Tell us about the original kitchen and why you chose to renovate
RA: We always planned to extend the kitchen – it was tiny, outdated and always made the house feel top heavy. As our family grew it became more important to have a space we could all be in together that would complement the house – a multifunctional space that would allow for cooking, dining, socialising and living where the kids could run around. Also as a Victorian terraced house it was pretty dark inside so we knew opening up the back would allow a lot of the south-facing light to come in.
How did you start the renovation and how did it progress?
RA: Originally we had a small kitchen in the space and a downstairs family bathroom on the back of that. The first phase of work involved moving the bathroom upstairs and fitting/redirecting the water and soil pipes.
All the existing walls we knocked down, we incorporated the redundant space from our side return and had steels put in to create our current kitchen space. We incorporated structural elements by keeping steel beams and bricks exposed, and used full glass wood sliding doors to make the space flow seamlessly into the small back garden to invite the outdoors in.
GW: After an extensive renovation, Rujina and Gavin had a fairly tight budget, and they were able to minimise costs by doing much of the work themselves. Husk’s fronts are designed to fit Ikea Metod units, so by ordering the Ikea units and installing them themselves over time they were able to fit the build around busy family life.
We worked with Rujina to help her find the best laminate finish, recommending Fenix that is very durable and easy to clean, and the beautiful smooth solid colour always looks contemporary.
Did you face any challenges in your renovation process?
RA: Our renovation was scheduled to take 12 weeks to complete and took almost 18 months due to the impact of covid on availability and cost of materials, building contractors not being free to work on the job as they were in such demand, and not having a good project manager.
We lived on site throughout and cooked on a camping stove with three kids which was tough at points, although I'm pretty good at cooking meals if we go camping now! Once the shell was built we did a lot of the remaining work ourselves – fitted the wooden floor, kitchen cabinets, painting, etc. and this was done while working and juggling kids which slowed it down further.
How did you decide on the colour palette?
GW: Rujina had already sourced a vintage kitchen island, which was painted in a unique colour. The intention for the main run was to either blend with this, or contrast it completely, so finding the right colour was a challenge. Rujina initially considered a dark green, finally opting for Nero Ingo, a classic and timeless true black.
RA: We chose black for the kitchen cabinets because we wanted a neutral base to provide a backdrop for the colour and pattern of all the vintage homeware. My husband was very keen on having black, I was a little nervous as I thought it could be a bit stark against our white walls, so we chose a plywood worktop which really softens the look. The ply edges and cutout handles give it a mid-century look which works with our retro homeware collection. He was right, the black looks amazing, I am so pleased with it.
What’s your favourite part of the kitchen?
RA: The amount of space it affords us as a family – it's the room we spend the most time in. I love all the clashes within it – modern kitchen cabinet fronts with vintage shop counter island, how the wooden floor softens the white walls and how together they create cohesion with the rest of the house. I feel it respects the original Victorian bones and features of the house and this makes me really happy.
GW: The kitchen has character and feels like a home. It's a multi-functional space, with a vintage leather sofa to slouch on while one of them is cooking, a family dining table for meals and craft projects, and there’s even a space for making music. It’s clear this is a creative space for the whole family. They have done a wonderful job!
What paint colours did you use?
Walls and brickwork: Brilliant White by Dulux 'to match and create a flow and connection with the rest of the house,' says Rujina.
Larder cupboard: Citrine by Little Greene
Pantry woodwork: Mouses Back by Farrow & Ball
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