The Open House
A FAMILY HOME IN HENLEY-ON-THAMES, REDESIGNED FOR THE LIFE THEY WERE ACTUALLY LIVING
Some homes get stuck. Not through neglect, but through the accumulation of life; the toddler years, the practical compromises, the furniture chosen for then rather than now. By the time this family came to Studio Santos, their house in Henley-on-Thames had exactly that feeling. A closed-off kitchen. A layout that worked against gathering. A home that didn't reflect the people living in it at all.
They are, by nature, generous people. Active, outdoorsy, outgoing - the kind of family whose door is always open, whose kitchen is always full, whose children are old enough now to have their own friends coming and going. They work hard. They entertain well. They just needed a home that knew it.
The brief was clear: make this house match who they are.
BEFORE - KITCHEN AND LIVING SPACES
OPENING UP
The starting point was structural. The kitchen had been cut off halfway along a long wall by a door to the utility room - a practical interruption that made the entire kitchen feel smaller than it was and prevented the kind of seamless flow the family needed. The solution was a hidden door, disguised as a kitchen unit, that dissolved the interruption entirely. Suddenly, there was a continuous run of kitchen the full length of the wall - and in front of it, a 3-metre island that anchors the whole space.
HENLEY HOUSE
That island is the heart of the house now. Long enough for guests to gather on one side while food is prepared on the other. Wide enough for the children to spread out homework while their parents cook. Generous enough to serve from at a dinner party without anyone feeling in the way.
The kitchen opens directly onto the garden and into the living and dining areas, which in turn open onto a large garden backing onto open fields. That view became the organising principle of the entire design.
THE LANDSCAPE AS BRIEF
When a garden is the most beautiful thing for a room, the interior designer's job is not to compete with it; it's to frame it.
The colour palette here is deliberately restrained: muted, neutral tones that recede into the background, allowing the green of the fields beyond to take the foreground. Nothing shouts.
But restraint is not simplicity. The geometric lines introduced throughout the space, vertical wooden slats behind the television, slatted table legs in the breakfast nook and dining area, provide deliberate contrast to the organic movement of the landscape outside. Rather than mimicking nature's curves, the clean lines frame and direct the eye toward the garden, making the view feel more alive by the contrast they create.
HENLEY HOUSE
Natural wood herringbone flooring runs throughout, chosen not only for its warmth and tactile quality underfoot but for its material honesty. Where synthetic flooring can off-gas VOCs and introduce invisible compromises into the air quality of a home, natural wood contributes to a healthier living environment - in keeping with the Studio Santos principle that a home should feel good in ways you can't always explain. The directional pattern of the herringbone draws the eye naturally toward the garden, gently pulling movement through the space toward the light.
SPACES WITHIN SPACES
The genius of a great open plan is that it never actually feels like one. The skill is in creating distinct moments within the flow; places to gather as a family unit, and places to expand when the occasion calls for it.
A breakfast nook tucks into one corner: intimate, contained, the right size for a family breakfast on a school morning. The island serves as the informal heart of the kitchen: a stool pulled up, a cup of coffee, a conversation. The dining area expands the space outward for entertaining, anchored by a custom bar area designed specifically for the evenings when the children are in bed, and the adults take over.
HENLEY HOUSE
A layered lighting plan makes each transition seamless; the same space can read as warm and domestic for a weekday evening or sophisticated and considered for a Friday dinner party, simply by adjusting what is lit and how.
Specific lighting was designed for every task in the kitchen: the washing-up zone, the cooking area, and the island dining. Existing architectural details, the stonework around the fireplace, for instance, are uplit to reveal texture and provide structural ambience when the room is at its most intimate. This is not incidental. It is design that understands how people actually use their homes across the hours of a day.
THE CLUTTER PROBLEM, SOLVED
One of the most persistent frustrations in family homes is the feeling that there is never enough storage and that things are always left out, that counters are never clear, and that the chaos is always visible.
This project addressed that head-on. Substantial storage was built into every space, designed not as an afterthought but as a structural part of the aesthetic. Joinery that conceals. Units that absorb. Surfaces that stay clear because there is somewhere considered for everything to go. The result is a home that can be lived in fully, toasters away, pantries for canned goods, microwaves built into ovens -everything in its place and still looks exactly as it should.
Practical and beautiful are not opposites. This house proves it.
THE RESULT
The family that lives here now has a home that fits. A kitchen that works for cooking, hosting, homework and Sunday mornings. A living space that opens to the garden and connects with it. Storage that absorbs the reality of family life without compromising the quality of the space.
It is a home and a project I absolutely loved working on, and I feel very proud of the result!
“We couldn’t be happier with the work Rhiannon did on the interior design of our kitchen and living area. She completely transformed the space, creating a home that works brilliantly for everyday living while also being perfect for entertaining and hosting friends and family. The level of thought and attention to detail was exceptional. From the placement of lighting to the careful selection of colours, textures, and materials, every element was considered and chosen to create a cohesive and beautiful design. Rhiannon took the time to understand how we use the space and translated that into a design that is both practical and stunning. We are absolutely delighted with the end result and would highly recommend Studio Santos to anyone looking for a talented and thoughtful interior designer.”
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