The sun is always shining in architect Josh Piddock’s apartment in London’s Hackney. That’s thanks to the kitchen mural, a simple but game-changing circle, that Josh planted in the heart of his carefully orchestrated flat.
When the contractor he was waiting for unexpectedly left town, Josh, who heads his own firm, Studio Merlin, orchestrated the remodel himself. He did his share of the scutwork as well, including stripping the kitchen’s 1970s wallpaper. While painting the walls white “as a temporary lift prior to the full refurbishment,” he left a large, round patch of brown plaster bare because he liked the way it added a moon-like presence (scroll below to see it).
As work got underway, Josh decided to turn to the moon into a sun, rendered in a warm yellow clay plaster. The circle serves as a focal point for his quarters, which are in Gibson Gardens, a late-19th century enclave of brick buildings—Josh chose his palette from the colors outside his windows. He also continued with the decorative wall painting: there’s a Mondrian-style pattern adjacent to the sun. Join us for a tour.
Photography by Richard Chivers, courtesy of Studio Merlin (@studiomerlin).
Simple white floor tiles form, in Josh’s words, a “soft corridor and and circulation zone leading to the other rooms of the flat,” and the kitchen is set off by terrazzo floor tiles.
The Granby Workshop terrazzo tiles contain recycled brick and slate from demolished buildings in Liverpool. The exposed steel beams appear in each of the rooms and are painted Farrow & Ball’s Red Earth.
The Remodel In Progress
The apartment was built as workers’ housing: explains Josh, “Gibson Gardens was created by an organization called The Metropolitan Association for Improving the Dwellings of the Industrious Classes.”
The Apartment Floor Plan
Here are three more kitchens that architects designed for themselves:
- New York Architect Elizabeth Roberts’s Own Kitchen Update, Before and After
- London Architect Jonathan Nicholls’s Skylit Compact Kitchen
- Undercover Architecture’s Custom Kitchen in London
Frequently asked questions
Who is the architect of the apartment in London's Hackney?
The architect of the apartment in London's Hackney is Josh Piddock, who heads his own firm, Studio Merlin.
What inspired the kitchen mural in the apartment?
The kitchen mural in the apartment was inspired by the sun, which was turned from a moon into a sun rendered in warm yellow clay plaster by Josh Piddock.
What type of tiles were used for the kitchen floor in the apartment?
Terrazzo floor tiles were used for the kitchen floor in the apartment.
What material were the kitchen cabinets made of?
The cabinets were composed of Ikea Metod innards with custom fronts of cut-to-size Moisture Resistant (MR) MDF, with a shop spray finish in colors to match the Farrow & Ball Red Earth and Strong White.
What finish was used for the kitchen walls in the apartment?
The kitchen walls in the apartment were finished with Smooth Clay Plaster from Clayworks of Cornwall, a mix of YEL-06 and TER-08.
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