Minimalist effort

With neutral decorating staging a comeback, the layered simplicity synonymous with Belgian designers like Axel Vervoordt is a big influence. Stick to their playbook and keep it simple with natural materials

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Squeezing a dining area into a small kitchen is simple when you keep the designs slimline and the material palette visually minimal. In this London apartment, interior designer Tala Fustok (talafustok.studio) has paired pale-leather-wrapped ‘Caribou’ bar stools from Ochre, £2,886 each (ochre.net), with a bespoke café table crafted from brass and oak in a subtly lighter shade than the custom-made oak cabinets. The counters are by Caesarstone (caesarstone.co.uk), while the ‘Soren‘ light, £995, is from Pinch (pinchdesign.com). The shapely sculptures and artwork are all from M.A.H Gallery (mah-gallery.com).

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Carved from Grigio Alpi limestone, the compact yet impactful bespoke island in this kitchen, designed by interiors studio Andy Kerstens (andykerstens.be) for stylish Belgian guesthouse MUD Residence, shows that keeping to a tight edit of materials can sometimes be the most effective approach. The ‘Tractor’ stool by BassamFellows, approx £1,122 (bassamfellows.com), is an equally honest design, honed from solid walnut.

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A masterclass in simplicity, no clues remain in this ultra-minimal kitchen as to its former life as a school. The Rotterdam home of interior designer Nannette van der Vooren (by-nu.com) combines monochromatic materials to great effect. Sphere8 can supply and fit similar polished-plaster walls, from £1,716 per sq m (sphere8.com), while Caesarstone will create a counter like this from £2,000 (caesarstone.co.uk). For a floor in the same style, look to ‘Classic Travertine’ tiles, £21.99 per sq m, Travertine Store (travertinetilesuk.com).