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Anna Hope reworked the kitchen extension in her Victorian townhouse, removing a cramped bathroom and changing the layout to create more usable family space. The redesign pairs dark cabinetry and terracotta tiles with antiques and period-inspired details. The project was reported by Ideal Home; costs and the renovation timeline were not provided.
Anna Hope has transformed the kitchen extension in her Victorian townhouse from a stark, awkward space into a warmer family kitchen, according to a report by Ideal Home. The renovation removed a narrow bathroom from the kitchen, changed the cabinetry layout and brought in antiques and period-inspired finishes to help the modern extension sit more comfortably alongside the older house.
The original kitchen had white gloss cabinets, cream floor tiles and dark worktops. Although roof lights, windows and glazed French doors brought in daylight, Hope told Ideal Home that the room felt cold and sterile. A downstairs bathroom had been built into the back of the extension, taking up space and leaving the kitchen as a narrow rectangle.
Hope worked with designers at Harvey Jones to rethink the floor plan. The bathroom walls were removed, cabinetry was arranged in an L shape, and a local building company carried out the work, including rerouting plumbing and moving the bathroom under the stairs. The team also rewired the room so lighting and sockets could be placed differently. Several spotlights were filled in, and reclaimed antique lighting was part of the plan.
The redesign also changed the connection between the extension and the original house. A rectangular doorway was replaced with a curved archway. Several windows and roof lights were filled in to make the room feel cosier, while the former bathroom window was enlarged to accommodate a traditional Victorian sash window. The old doorway lintel was reused as the windowsill behind the sink.
A More Usable Family Kitchen
The project shows how changing the layout—not simply adding more floor area—can address problems in a kitchen extension. Moving the bathroom and removing its walls gave the kitchen a different working arrangement, while the L-shaped cabinetry replaced the previous narrow run. Hope told Ideal Home that “Everything works so much better” after the renovation.
The design choices also respond to a common challenge in period homes: making a modern addition feel connected to older rooms. The archway, sash window, reused lintel and antique furnishings give the extension visual links to the house’s history. These details are specific to Hope’s home, but the underlying approach is to coordinate the room’s function and character rather than treating the extension as a separate, purely modern space.
For readers considering a similar project, the report describes substantial building work, including plumbing changes, wall removal and electrical rewiring. It does not provide a budget or advice on permissions, so the example cannot establish what a comparable renovation would cost or require in another home.
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From Cold Extension to Character
The kitchen was already part of a modern extension to a Victorian townhouse. Its large amount of glazing made the room bright, but Hope said the finishes and layout made it feel unwelcoming. The bathroom at the back also reduced the working area, while the rest of the home was, in her view, better proportioned.
Instead of pursuing a brighter, more contemporary look, the renovation aimed for a warmer and more lived-in feel. Raw terracotta tiles from Floors of Stone anchor the palette; muted plaster pink walls sit alongside dark cabinetry. Hope said the cabinet beading gave the units more detail than a standard Shaker-style design. A century-old French dough-bin table serves as the island, joined by a Victorian dresser and a Georgian buffet. Aged brass hardware, cupboard curtains and Persian rugs add further texture.
Ideal Home credited the project’s kitchen design to Harvey Jones and photography to Laura Marin Rupolo. The feature first appeared in Period Living magazine, according to the report.
Project Costs and Timing Not Given
The Ideal Home report does not state when the renovation took place, how long the work lasted or what it cost. It also gives no measurements for the room or detailed account of the building’s planning and approval process. The report describes the finished design and the work carried out, but does not independently assess the project’s budget, construction performance or impact on the property’s value.
Some choices, such as filling in roof lights and windows while enlarging another window, are described as responses to Hope’s preference for a cosier atmosphere. The report does not provide technical details on how those changes affected daylight, ventilation or energy use.
No Further Work Announced
The report presents the kitchen as a completed renovation and does not identify a further phase or upcoming milestone. Hope’s account indicates that the redesigned room is now being used as a family kitchen, with the relocated bathroom and revised layout addressing the problems she described. No additional project plans or follow-up updates are included in the source.
Key Questions
What was changed in the kitchen renovation?
The renovation removed the bathroom walls from the kitchen, moved the bathroom under the stairs, and introduced an L-shaped cabinetry layout. The work also included plumbing changes, rewiring and a new archway to the rest of the house.
Why did the owners change the windows and roof lights?
Hope told Ideal Home that she wanted a cosier atmosphere, so several windows and roof lights were filled in. The former bathroom window was enlarged to fit a Victorian-style sash window. The report does not provide measurements or technical details about the effect on light or ventilation.
Which antiques feature in the finished kitchen?
The centrepiece is a 100-year-old French dough-bin table used as an island. The room also includes a Victorian dresser and a Georgian buffet, alongside aged brass hardware and worn-in Persian rugs.
How much did the kitchen renovation cost?
The cost was not reported by Ideal Home. The article describes the design and building work but does not give a project budget or itemised prices.
Source: idealhome.co.uk
