A passion for cooking and bringing people together
has led Carine Ottou to transform both her work and her home. The global pandemic and the impact it had on work/life patterns made many people rethink their living spaces to create multifunctional areas that operate as both offices and living spaces – however, Carine’s home has to work harder still: ‘Jacob and I both have busy jobs in IT, but I also host pop-up supper clubs, run cookery workshops and own my own food brand, Marie Little Jar – and we have two lively young girls,’ she says with a smile.
Having previously rented in nearby Tooting, in 2011 the couple bought their two-storey, three-bedroom house in Brixton. ‘It initially worked well for our needs, but as our family grew with the arrival of our two daughters, and our working lives became intertwined with home, we decided to take the plunge and make some big changes,’ explains Carine.
After careful research – and drawn to her nature-led aesthetic – the couple enlisted the help of Japanese interior designer Yoko Kloeden. Working with AMP Architecture and London-based building firm GDP Property, they undertook an extensive renovation, knocking through the entire ground floor and extending the kitchen to both the rear and side. This meant they were able to create a stunning open-plan living/dining/kitchen and garden space where the lines between indoors and outdoors are purposefully blurred. Upstairs, the loft space was also converted, adding a third storey to the house, and this became the main bedroom and ensuite, while one of the first-floor bedrooms was transformed into a home office.
With its simple lines, natural materials and calm colour palette, the resulting interior has a look that’s stylishly in tune with Jacob’s Scandinavian heritage, while Carine finds joy in the use of raw materials. ‘This project has been a celebration of nature – from the exposed brickwork and the living wall, to the Belgian lime paint on the walls and our handmade oak kitchen,’ explains Carine. ‘When we looked at Yoko’s previous work, we could see that she had a deep understanding of natural materials, using them in a way that is understated and yet lets them shine. This, along with her precision and attention to detail is what led us to her.’
Materials and accessories have been carefully selected to also reflect Carine’s Cameroonian and French heritage: original West African mud-cloth cushions are moved between the built-in wooden benches in the dining room and the seating under the living wall outside, as the family and Carine’s cookery workshop attendees and supper club guests dine according to the weather. ‘I love to cook and eat outdoors, but the great British weather sometimes has other ideas, so it is great to have the flexibility to be
able to move quickly between the two spaces,’ laughs Carine. The statement kitchen island, with its patinated zinc top, has been put on castors so it can be easily wheeled through the bifold doors and used for outdoor cookery workshops or as a bar for supper clubs. Giving old pieces new life is also important to Carine, who sourced the antique glass pendants over the dining table at a French brocante.
It wasn’t all plain sailing, though. ‘It was tough keeping to our budget with such a big project, and getting the building permit licences in place in time to coordinate with the work was stressful,’ remembers Carine. ‘We also had a dispute with our neighbours over the living wall in the garden, which meant that almost as soon as it had gone up, it all had to be taken down while negotiations took place. Watching the plants coming out just as we thought we’d nearly finished was so upsetting, but thankfully it was all resolved in the end.’
In fact, Carine feels she has learned a lot of lessons throughout the process and has some advice for anyone else thinking about a major building project: ‘Make sure you have a detailed design plan before you start, but also be prepared for the unexpected.’ Despite the ups and downs, the couple are thrilled with their newly renovated home, where every member of the family has space to work and follow their passions. So, would she do it all again? ‘Yes,’ she smiles. ‘Absolutely!’
Find out more at yokokloeden.com