How Inglis Hall created a showstopping kitchen for a 1960s London family home

Toby Hall, founder and director of Lewes-based bespoke furniture maker Inglis Hall, reveals how he set about creating an epic open-plan kitchen for a midcentury modern family home in Dulwich.

Our clients, James and Katia, have spent years in the hospitality business, so they understand a thing or two about flow and the way space dictates how people move and gather. Three kids complete the picture of a busy family life that needed a home capable of holding them. The midcentury house itself had good bones but felt tired. It was draughty and dim, a series of disconnected rooms that had lost their link with the garden outside.

We approached this project with a singular material focus. Band-sawn oak. It is our signature finish for a reason. It is raw and organic in a way that you simply do not find in smoother, processed timbers. It catches light and holds it. When you run your hand across it, you feel grain, the teeth of the saw and the history of the tree.

James and Katia were bold enough to use this material exclusively throughout their kitchen. It was a decision that showed confidence, and the result is a space that feels instantly cohesive. Timber brings warmth to the room, softening the architectural lines and restoring calm. 

To balance the warmth of the wood, we needed something with mass. Poured concrete cascades to the floor. This heavy, cool material locks in the cabinetry, giving the kitchen island a sense of permanence. 

We paired this with honed Raven, a smooth, matte surface with marked variation of colour. This is a palette that shouts confident subtlety.

The cook zone features burners by Novy that astonish with flames erupting directly from the worktop. Simplicity of form. Fire and stone. No clutter, no unnecessary visual noise. Just the tools you need, exactly where you need them.

A neat pocket door pantry tucks away the essentials, keeping the lines of the room unencumbered.

One of the most rejuvenating aspects of this project is the connection to the outdoors, devised by Feix and Merlin Architects. Large Crittall-style windows now frame lush greenery and woods beyond, turning the views into living landscapes.

Adjacent, open sunken seating creates a natural flow from the cook zone, offering retreat while still being connected to the action. Straight from the set of ‘Mad Men’.

This bold reconfiguration of the interior has turned a drafty mid-century house into a low energy haven. Small structural changes and a focus on how spaces are used mean the owners have reduced the carbon impact while maximising potential. This project was never going to be a follower of trends. It was about creating spaces that work for the people who live in them. Economy and quality of design, craft and honest materials. It celebrates the joy of cooking, entertaining, and living, surrounded by textures that enhance with age.