Simple, Scandi Style Is Ideal For Small Homes

Nathalie Udvary and AJ Shome made their newly developed flat feel spacious and calm with the same pared-back, joined-up look throughout.

- Emma Knot,Vanessa Richmond

Stay neutral

The couple stuck to a palette of earthy, muted tones throughout the flat, using whites, warm blues and greys. ‘In the main living area, we kept the walls white but made a feature of the main wall by exposing the brick to give the space texture,’ says Nathalie.

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Nathalie and her fiancé bought their home as a one-off renovation project, but soon recognised the potential to create two flats to sell on. Their plans changed again when they fell in love with the space they’d created for the ground floor flat, and decided to make it their own.

Working closely with property development company Founthill, Nathalie and AJ started by building an extension onto the original living room to create the main, open-plan living space, which is big enough to accommodate seating, a dining area and kitchen in one space. ‘We are both sociable people and when I cook, I want to be in the same room as everyone else!’ says Nathalie. ‘For our main living space, we wanted an open plan, light and airy room with a simple, timeless look. I guess when we began developing the layout of the flats, subconsciously this is what we were designing – our dream!’

As part of the work, they were able to include three more windows in this part of the flat, allowing more light to flood in. Nathalie and AJ also managed to add another room, which became the bathroom, by working with unused space at the side of the property.