A Small Flat in London’s Historic King’s Cross Neighbourhood
When interior designer Sara Leonor of Sara Leonor Studio was invited by a pair of young professionals to redesign their London flat, what she encountered was a space that was dark, outdated, and lacking in storage. The 40-square-metre (430-square-foot) flat in London’s King’s Cross – once an industrial hub and now a vibrant, fast-evolving neighbourhood – exposed both the charm and tiredness of its early 20th-century architecture. But what it lacked in finish, it made up for in layout.
Organised around a central hallway, the apartment featured three distinct “wings”: a bedroom, a living room, and a kitchen and bathroom zone. Rather than change the bones of the flat, Leonor focused her redesign on maximising storage, enhancing function, and most importantly, creating a sense of cosiness: “The idea was to create different areas where the client could feel cosy, while making the spaces look larger,” she explains. The surprising solution? Colour.
A Colourful Transformation in 40 Square Metres
Though not part of the original plan, colour quickly became the unifying strategy that brought life and depth to the compact home. From the moment you enter, rich tones guide you through the space, leading you to the kitchen – the heart of the home. Since the owners love to cook, this room received the boldest treatment, wrapped in deep greens across walls, cabinetry, and SOLUS CERAMICS metro tiles. “Using the same colour broadens the visual perception of the room, making it appear a bit larger than it is,” explained Leonor. A copper countertop adds a warm industrial touch that both contrasts and complements the green. “We were inspired by London’s traditional industrial aesthetic,” she added. “The copper will patina over time, adding character.”
A year after the initial renovation of the kitchen, Leonor was asked back to complete the rest of the home to give it a sense of cohesion. She took inspiration from the bold monochromatic colourway of the kitchen to shape the designs of the living room and bedroom. The multi-use living room space, which serves as a lounge, home office, and guest bedroom, was given a terracotta-red palette. Below the wainscoting and on the ceiling, the same rich red creates continuity and warmth, while the white in the centre offers a place for them to display their art and cherished travel souvenirs. Flexible furnishings include a new expandable coffee table that can be converted into a dining table that seats six. Paired with a built-in L-shaped bench by the window, a built-in glassware shelf, and a bar cart, the room adapts easily to entertaining.
In the bedroom the defining colour is blue, offering a nice calming and cosy feel to the space. Here, storage was the primary concern. Leonor introduced custom cabinetry disguised with wallpapered panelling from ROMO, stretching from wardrobe to wall to ceiling. The leafy design, according to Leonor, was selected to give the illusion of windows looking into a forest, infusing serenity into the small space. Beyond the wardrobe systems, custom built-in shelving was added to either side of the bed to serve as nightstands as well as by the door to offer a vanity for doing your make-up or even working from home in a pinch.
Made to Measure Perfection
Though playful and full of its own distinct style, Leonor’s design approach is rooted in functionality. “When I work on a project, I believe every part of the house and every object that’s there has to serve a function,” she explained. “We design many of the pieces to measure so everything has its place.” Her process always begins with layout, ensuring the home flows and feels expansive, no matter the size.
