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There are small spaces, and then there are really small spaces. The apartment of Craig Ross and his partner, Jessie, falls into the latter category. At just under 400-square feet, their flat in Kentish Town, north London, on the first floor of a Victorian townhouse, has just three rooms—which means the kitchen has to also function as the dining and living areas.

Good thing Craig happens to be a furniture designer and maker who recently started fell, a multi-disciplinary design studio co-founded with architect Hilly Murrell (the two met while studying architecture at university). Craig and Jessie’s tiny home became fell’s laboratory, “an opportunity to explore ideas that had been developing in the previous years,” he says. “The main question was ‘could a kitchen be made without the use of sheet material?’—to which the answer was ultimately, yes.” Rather than resorting to using plastic and MDF (medium-density fiberboard) plywood boxes, Craig built a sustainable kitchen with solid beech cabinets and dovetail drawers.

As for the lack of space, Craig’s solution was to design the combination kitchen/dining/living area holistically, leaning on custom light wood built-ins and furniture pieces for cohesiveness. “We focus on the material first, designing and making within the constraints of each material,” he explains. “We’re all about minimising the number of processes and details to highlight the natural beauty, using good materials, and making pragmatic decisions to create a practical and functional end product.”

Craig and Jessie sold their flat not too long ago (see the listing here on The Modern House). We can’t wait to see what they do with their new space. In the meantime, let’s tour their first renovation project.

Photography courtesy of The Modern House.

Above: Craig chose soaped beech wood for their kitchen cabinets. “I learnt about soaping furniture whilst working at Carl Hansen & Son. It is a traditional and very commonplace finish in Denmark and across Scandinavia, which uses natural soap flakes dissolved in water to build layers of protection on the wood. This gives timber the closest finish to a raw state. Soaped furniture…picks up grease from hands and in this case cooking. I love this expression of human interaction and the story that is told through this patina.”
Above: In a small space, a wall of cabinets would have been overwhelming, Instead a slim floating shelf with metal rail and hooks is both useful and beautiful. Along the same lines, an integrated refrigerator is critical in downplaying the kitchen-ness of the space. Just beyond the small hallway is the bedroom.
Above: Our favorite feature in the room? This drying rack drawer. “I was fortunate enough to visit John Pawson’s Home Farm and got a bit of a tour from John himself. In the small breakfast kitchen, he had a sliding tray that held a toaster, kettle, and coffee machine in a similar location [next to the refrigerator]. Due to the proximity to the sink in our case, it made sense to use ours as a draining rack drawer, to hide away the drying dishes.”
Above: Craig also built the floating bookshelf, the console under it, and the dining set. “I made everything in the flat apart from the sofa, all with the same approach,” says Craig. The stove is from Smeg.
Above: Another view of the area opposite the kitchen. The pine floorboards, original to the home, were sanded and refinished with soap as well.
Above: “The table is oak, along with the long bench, and the stools are ash. I love how all of the varieties of timber unify when collaged together.”

See also:

• Kitchen of the Week: Rethinking Perfection in a Cabinetmaker’s Own Kitchen
• Steal This Look: Making the Most of a Small Kitchen in Vancouver
• Carved in Wood: The Bespoke Home of a Self-Taught Carpenter and an Interior Designer

N.B.: This story originally ran on November 14, 2024 and has been updated.

What are the Gardenista editors up to these first days of fall? Finding ways to stretch the hours in the garden longer, longer, longer. Here, a few favorite ways to keep living (comfortably) outside in September and beyond:

Above: “Currently dreaming of adding a sweet Bonni outbuilding to my garden,” writes Fan, “even though there are two insurmountable obstacles in my way: I don’t have the space, and the company is based across the Atlantic in Oxfordshire, UK.” Read more nevertheless in Object of Desire: Bonni Outbuildings.
Above: Gather ’round: a minimalist fire pit keeps the patio comfortable long into the cooler months. See our picks in 10 Easy Pieces: Modern Wood-Burning Fire Bowls.
Above: Reimagined, the driveway becomes not just a prettier spot to park but an extension of the garden—perfect for perching with morning coffee. Take a look at a few ideas in Yes, You Can Park Here: Naturalistic Permeable Driveways.

For much more, including tasks to do in the garden now that fall’s officially here, head to Gardenista.