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Anna Hope has redesigned the kitchen extension in her Victorian townhouse, removing a downstairs bathroom that restricted the workspace and replacing the old galley layout with an L-shaped arrangement. The renovation pairs dark cabinetry, terracotta tiles and muted pink walls with antique furniture and reclaimed details; Hope says the room now works better for family life.
Anna Hope has redesigned the kitchen extension in her Victorian townhouse, replacing a narrow, awkwardly planned room with an L-shaped kitchen and a warmer, vintage-influenced interior. The changes included removing a bathroom from the kitchen, moving it under the stairs and adding antique furnishings, with the aim of making the space more practical for family life and more in keeping with the period home.
Before the work, the kitchen had glossy white cabinets, a cream tiled floor and dark countertops. Although roof lights and glazed doors brought in plenty of daylight, Hope told Ideal Home that the finishes made the room feel cold and sterile. A narrow bathroom built into the back of the extension also reduced the usable kitchen area to what she described as a small rectangle.
Hope worked with kitchen designers at Harvey Jones to rethink the floor plan. The bathroom walls were demolished, the plumbing was rerouted and the bathroom was relocated beneath the stairs. A local building company carried out the construction work, while the kitchen was rewired so the lighting and sockets could be repositioned. Existing spotlights were removed in favour of a plan that included reclaimed antique lighting.
The redesign also changed the room’s relationship with the older part of the house. A rectangular doorway was replaced by a curved archway. Several windows and roof lights were filled in to create a more enclosed atmosphere, while the former bathroom window was enlarged to accommodate a traditional Victorian sash window. The original doorway lintel was reused as the windowsill behind the sink.
A Better Link to the Victorian Home
The project addresses two distinct problems common to this particular home: a kitchen layout that restricted everyday use and an extension that felt visually disconnected from the older house. Moving the bathroom freed space for a more workable arrangement, while the archway, sash window and reused lintel bring period references into the newer part of the property.
Hope’s approach also shows how a renovation can change the feel of a bright room without simply adding more glazing. The work reduced the number of windows and roof lights, then used warm materials, softer colours and furnishings to make the kitchen feel more inviting. These are design choices specific to this project, not evidence that reducing daylight is suitable for every home.
For the family, the reported result is a room intended to serve as both a practical kitchen and a place to spend time together. Hope told Ideal Home that “everything works so much better” and described the finished kitchen as a joyful place to spend time. The report does not provide costs or independent measures of how the redesign has affected the home’s value.
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From Galley Kitchen to Family Space
The kitchen was already situated in a modern extension to the Victorian townhouse, a configuration Hope said made the room feel out of proportion with the rest of the home. The previous owners had placed a narrow bathroom at the back of the extension. Its location, alongside the existing cabinetry and fixtures, left little room for a more open kitchen plan.
The renovation combined structural and decorative decisions. Harvey Jones designed and fitted the cabinetry, while a local building company handled the construction changes described in the report. Dark green cabinetry was paired with raw terracotta floor tiles and muted plaster-pink walls. Hope said she chose cabinet detailing with intricate beading rather than a more familiar plain Shaker-style finish.
Antique and secondhand furniture forms a prominent part of the finished room: a French dough-bin table about 100 years old serves as the island, alongside a Victorian dresser and a Georgian buffet. Hope also selected aged brass finishes, cupboard curtains and worn-in Persian rugs to give the space a lived-in appearance. Ideal Home reported that the feature first appeared in Period Living magazine.
Costs and Project Dates Not Given
The source does not state the project’s cost, construction timeline or completion date. It also does not provide measurements, planning details or independent assessments of the finished kitchen. The report presents Hope’s account of the design and its effect on family life, but does not include comments from the builders or designers about the work.
Details such as the number of windows and roof lights filled in, the specific lighting fixtures used and the full scope of the structural changes are not supplied. The article describes the new bathroom location and the rerouting of plumbing but does not give technical or regulatory information about that work.
The Renovation’s Reported Outcome
Ideal Home’s report presents the kitchen as a completed renovation and gives no indication of further work or a scheduled next stage. Hope’s comments describe the room as functioning better for the family, but the source does not set out plans for additional changes.
Readers seeking project specifics would need further information from Hope, Harvey Jones or the building company. The published account does not say whether detailed plans, costs or product specifications are available beyond the design and furnishing details it names.
Key Questions
What was changed in Anna Hope’s kitchen?
The renovation removed the bathroom that had occupied part of the kitchen, moved it beneath the stairs and replaced the narrow layout with an L-shaped run of cabinetry. The work also included rewiring, a new archway and changes to the windows and roof lights.
How did the redesign bring character into the extension?
The design used terracotta tiles, muted pink walls, dark cabinetry and aged brass finishes. It also incorporated architectural details such as a curved archway and a sash window, plus antique furniture and a reused original lintel.
Which antiques feature in the kitchen?
The room includes a French dough-bin table described as about 100 years old, a Victorian dresser found through Instagram and a Georgian buffet sourced from Vinterior.
Why were some windows and roof lights removed?
Hope told Ideal Home that she wanted a cosier feel, so several windows and roof lights were filled in. The former bathroom window was enlarged to accommodate a Victorian sash window. The report does not give measurements or a detailed assessment of the resulting daylight.
How much did the renovation cost?
The Ideal Home report does not state the project cost or provide a breakdown of building, cabinetry or furnishing expenses.
Source: idealhome.co.uk
