Open plan or keep things separate? There is another way, as this farmhouse kitchen shows

Opening up space on either side of the chimney has transformed this kitchen and dining area designed by Susie Atkinson.

When Susie Atkinson and her husband Justin bought a home in Hampshire in the late 1990s, they added an extension to the main building to create a new family-friendly kitchen and living room.

The two rooms were originally separate rooms, but “over time I realized that there was a lot of light coming from the living room, so we decided to break through it to let more light into the kitchen – after all, this was where everyone gathered,” explains Mrs. Atkinson .

At the same time, she decided to add tongue-and-groove panels to the walls and beading to the ceiling. “It seems odd since the ceilings in this room are low, but it worked because the detailing added interest and kept the ceiling from looking low and empty.”

When it came to decoration, her approach was to let art and the “random pieces of china” on the plate stand take the lead and refrain from introducing a host of other colors and patterns.

The farmhouse table was purchased from an antique shop on Pimlico Road, and the cane chairs are made by her own artisan and are part of the Studio Atkinson collection.

The lampshade is “vintage Ikea,” she adds. “I just replaced the plastic tip with a Chinese one.”

The photo in the frame is by Kate Friend and purchased from the Lindsey Ingram Gallery in Mayfair, London, W1. “It’s almost like a Dutch abstract and I love how it goes with the garden view.”

Learn more at Studio Atkinson – www.studio-atkinson.com

Susie Atkinson sympathetically approached the interior of the Queen Anne mansion in London. Arabella Youns explains

Of all the decorating trends that have been in vogue over the past 50 years, be it Scandinavian style, minimalism.

Susie Atkinson, a designer whose projects include Soho House, shared her best lighting tips with Country Life.

People all over the country spend their time decorating and since the big companies are still providing delivery services, you are probably