SPACE SAVERS
Marta and Reinier Bosman turned the layout of their apartment on its head to fit in all the things they wanted and needed for their family home
With the help of an interior designer, the design of this maisonette flat now makes the most out of every inch of space, including the soaring ceilings
When Polish-dutch couple Marta and Reinier Bosman first viewed this maisonette flat occupying the first, second and third floors of a Victorian house in northwest London, it had been tenanted for a number of years and it looked decidedly different. ‘What is now the sitting room had been split down the middle to create two bedrooms,’ remembers Marta. ‘The living spaces were on the floor above and there was another bedroom on the top floor, beneath the eaves. For a family with two small children, it really didn’t work for us to have one bedroom so far apart from the others.’
Before the arrival of their children – Elizabeth, now eight, and Gabriel, five – the couple had undertaken an extensive renovation of a flat in east London, and they recognised that it had been a steep learning curve. ‘We agreed that this time around, we would work with a professional,’ explains Reinier, who was impressed by interior designer Sidika Owen’s practical approach to this project (studiosidika.com). ‘As well as having great ideas when it came to materials, she is
fantastic with spatial planning and really understood the needs of a growing family,’ he notes.
Sidika moved the sitting room to the first floor of the property in order to celebrate this level’s soaring ceilings and elaborate plaster detailing, which was painstakingly restored. A former utility room and bathroom were turned into a separate kitchen that still feels connected to the sitting room, thanks to a black-framed door and internal window. ‘Sidika brought ideas to the table that we would never have thought of, such as the glazed partitioning and the idea to carry the kitchen units right up to the ceiling,’ says Reinier, who adds, ‘We had crockery from Poland and Holland that we had been keeping in storage and we were finally able to fit it in these cupboards.’
Another key piece that the couple hadn’t previously been able to accommodate in London is the baby grand piano that belongs to Marta, a keen musician. Sidika incorporated it into the layout of the sitting room, sourcing
‘We love the way that the industrial glazing creates a natural connection between the kitchen and the sitting room, without it being open plan’
a compact yet comfortable corner sofa to delineate the seating area in the other half of this space. ‘We were very keen to reinstate the fireplace and rather than have built-in bookcases in the alcoves either side, we asked Sidika to help us find a modular system that wouldn’t appear too bulky in the room,’ says Marta of the choice of elegant shelving by Swedish brand String.
For the generously sized main bedroom, which lies directly above the sitting room, Sidika suggested a fabulous panoramic mural inspired by 19th-century French landscapes. ‘It’s not something I would have dreamt of myself but it is one of the features I love the most,’ comments Marta.
Practical touches abound, from space-saving banquette seating in the kitchen to the top floor bathroom that doubles as a utility. ‘Sidika helped us to get the most out of every centimetre of space,’ Reinier approves, adding, ‘We have a home that not only looks good but also works very hard for a family of four.’