Georgina

Tour this charming kitchen with Italian and French country flair

Posted on 19th June 2025

From hilly east London to the beauty of the Italian countryside, we explore how the two are connected in this stunning kitchen extension…

“Ever since I was a little girl, I’ve planned how I’d like to decorate my own house,” says interior designer Bianca, who, originally from South Africa, now lives with her husband in south east London. “So, although renovating our home was intense, it was also such an enjoyable experience, because I finally got to see my dream house come to life.”

Galley kitchen design with Italian and French countryside flair — Bianca Serrao Jones of The Home Reform used to work in recruiting and in tech, but with a passion for interiors, she decided to take that big next step. She’s been working as an interior designer for the last two and a half years. Photography: James French. Styling: Marisha Taylor.

The plans for the house renovation

While the couple were living in the ground-floor flat of a Victorian terrace in Hither Green, they decided they’d like more space, so they made the move – a quick 15-minute walk – to Catford. “The house hadn’t been touched since the 1970s, and although it was actually really well kept, it just needed updating everywhere. From the electrics, the plumbing to the configuration,” says Bianca.

Along with a loft conversion, most of the ground floor was reworked, which included an extension to create a large kitchen-living-diner split over two levels – the hilly landscape having a big part to play in its final design.

A split-level extension with a galley kitchen and a lower dining area. — The hilly landscape has meant that the extension created a two-level open-plan kitchen-living-diner.

“I wanted an open-plan space, but I didn’t want just a box at the back; there needed to be some sort of division that felt cosy, with designated areas where you could interact with everyone,” she adds.

The perfect solution was to create a mini mezzanine for the kitchen on the top (part of the original property), and the extension housing the living and dining area below.

The layout

The extension’s extra-high ceilings (reaching an impressive four metres) also influenced the configuration of the kitchen cabinetry and appliances. “When you’re up there, you can look through the glazing out towards the garden; it’s such a beautiful view. Which is why I decided to keep this side of the galley layout completely appliance-free – I wanted to be able to put pretty things on top of the marble worktop (another must-have) and have nothing overbearing, and to just be able to sit and look out.”

A gallery kitchen run with marbled worktops, seating, storage, and open shelving. — This side of the galley kitchen doesn’t include appliances to keep the view out into the garden unobstructed.

On the other side of the galley sits the range cooker and sink run, while at the end of the scheme sits an integrated fridge, a mini pantry with a pull-out for a smoothie machine, and some additional tall storage.

A kitchen sink area with a range cooker next to it, open shelving and brass rail for utensils, and terracotta flooring oozing Italian charm. — The Quooker boiling-water tap was a must-have, along with the range cooker. Kitchen cabinets in Silent White Mid by Little Greene.

The look

For the look, Bianca’s vision was to create a space that was authentic and didn’t feel too modern. “I drew a lot of inspiration from the French countryside and Italy’s Tuscany. I really like a relaxed, lived-in feel with natural materials, vintage elements and bold colour.”

A Mediterranean-style design with Shaker cabinetry, plates on the wall, terracotta flooring, and a red bar area. — Bianca’s kitchen oozes French and Italian country charm. It features a mix of vintage pieces, standard-sized cabinetry and bespoke elements, such as the floor-to-ceiling bar area.

You can see this in Bianca’s choice of Shaker-style cabinetry, which includes a mix of standard-sized units and custom-made pieces, such as the striking red floor-to-ceiling bar unit.

A dining zone with slanted roof, banquette seating, and charming decor. — The banquette was custom-made by Bianca’s carpenter, Vlad Popov. Banquette seat pads in a weave blue fabric from Goldhawk road. The wall light is a vintage Murano from Vinterior.

Each of the surface choices adds a layer of interest to the house, too – from the marble worktop to the terracotta flooring. “I must have sealed the tiles around 17 times, and they are a nightmare to upkeep, but I just love them,” she says.

View of the house from the garden. — The new kitchen, inspired by the French and Italian countryside, makes the most of an inside-outside connection with the use of glazed doors and windows.

Looking back…

On the overall experience, Bianca sums it up as being ‘rewarding, really enjoyable, yet also stressful and very intense’. “It involved a lot of research, a lot of planning, and a lot of rejigging, to make sure I could get what I wanted, at a price that was affordable. It’s funny, isn’t it, how you just kind of forget the whole drama, and the time, and the money – because suddenly, you get to enjoy the space and you forget everything that went into it. But I love it, and I love our home,” she laughs.