This Open Plan Kitchen Is the Blueprint for a Lived-In Design – and Proves How Easy It Can Be to Create a Truly Personalized Space

The most coveted kitchen designs revolve around sociable layouts, lived-in style, and personalized spaces. Yet so often it feels like a huge project to revamp a cooking space to achieve the look, something most people don't have the time or budget for.

But this open-plan kitchen by Next in Design 2025 winner Sophie Garland proves that the most successful spaces are all about the smaller, changeable details. Sociable zones have been considered just as much as functional ones, and materials have been meticulously selected to blur the line between utility and comfort.

Here's exactly how the designer created the look using a soft, layered color palette, a mix of materials, and collected decor, transforming the room into a beautifully timeless kitchen that marries practical and sociable style.

Mix Textures, Forms, and Materials For a Lived-In Kitchen

More lived-in, sociable kitchens have become all the more coveted over the last year, transforming these rooms from purely functional to a space you actually want to spend time in. For interior designer Sophie Garland, that meant designing this kitchen much like she did the adjoining living room.

'I wanted the kitchen to feel like an extension of the living room next door rather than a completely separate space. It's where we spend most of our time, so I wanted it to feel like a place where you could happily sit and relax, not just somewhere to cook,' she explains.

'Kitchens can easily feel quite hard because of all the stone, metal, and cabinetry, so it was important to introduce softer elements such as fabric lampshades, table lamps, curtains, and comfortable seating. Those details make the room feel much more relaxed and comfortable.'

Use Soft, Contrasting Colors For a Layered Kitchen Scheme

Color is just as crucial to a soft kitchen, especially one that needs to transition from a functional cooking space into a cozier living space. In this design, warmth and contrast were key, but to avoid overwhelming the room, Sophie chose a more muted palette of warm white, muted pink, and dark green.

'The walls are painted in Farrow & Ball’s Pink Ground, which has been used throughout the ground floor to create a sense of continuity. The cabinetry is painted in Pointing by Farrow & Ball and Puck by Little Greene. I love the contrast between the lighter and darker colors. Although Puck is a deep green, it has a vibrancy to it that stops the kitchen from feeling heavy,' she notes.

Rather than creating contrast between the walls and cabinetry, she chose to introduce it through the built-ins for a more dynamic look. 'Using two cabinet colors helps break up what could feel like a long run of joinery. It makes the cabinetry feel lighter and less imposing, and almost gives the taller cupboards the appearance of freestanding furniture.'

Mix Backsplash Materials For a Playful Design Element

One of the most eye-catching features of this design is the kitchen backsplash, an area where Sophie has decided to throw out the rulebook and create something more unique. While a stone countersplash alone is classic, a mixed material finish gives this scheme far more personality.

'I continued the green granite behind the range cooker, but because there is already so much of it on the countertops, I didn't want to carry it all the way beneath the wall cabinets. At the same time, it felt like that section of the wall needed something rather than being left plain,' she recalls, adding that not only did the granite influence the color palette, but it also helped to tie everything together.

'I asked decorative artist Eliza Downes, whom I've worked with on projects before, to create a hand-painted mural. I knew I wanted it to be decorative rather than pictorial, and together we developed this design, trying lots of different colors until we found the right balance of brighter, softer, and more neutral tones. I love how the waves of the pattern continue from one side of the wall to the other.'

Swap Out Built-In Cabinetry For Freestanding Furniture

Freestanding kitchen furniture is a timeless way to create a more livable space, but adding an armchair and sideboard in place of built-in cabinets is a bold yet effective way to emphasize the idea of a cozy kitchen that's used to live in, not just cook in. But it also creates space that can be utilized to create a more personalized design.

'Choosing an armchair and sideboard instead of more built-in cabinetry freed up wall space for artwork. The photographs are by my godfather, who was a wonderful photographer and took them in India, and alongside them hangs a seascape by my great-aunt, Sarah Churchill,' Sophie says. And this nook has become one of the most used areas of the kitchen.

'It creates a comfortable place to sit with a coffee or chat while someone is cooking,' she continues. 'The sideboard was the first piece I bought for the house, which I found on 1stDibs. It was the perfect size for that wall and meant I could have large antique lamps at either end, with one of my most treasured possessions, a marble sculpture by my aunt, Edwina Sandys, in between,' she explains.

Use Decor to Give a Dining Space Its Own Identity

Kitchen zoning is crucial in an open-plan space. It's an approach Sophie has achieved using decor and accessories throughout the space, giving the dining area its own identity while still feeling cohesive with the main kitchen.

'I wanted the dining area to feel like its own space within the open-plan kitchen. The curtains were actually the final addition to the room, but they completely transformed it. They introduced another layer of color and softness, and in the evenings, it's lovely to close them rather than look out into the darkness,' she explains.

'Those smaller details are what make a room feel collected and lived in. It's a large space with high ceilings, so it was important that it didn't feel empty or soulless. Mixing different colors, textures, and materials helps create a room that feels as though it has come together over time, rather than everything matching perfectly.'

Quick Tips

• Play with texture and forms to create a more layered look
• Use a soft color palette to set the scene
• Have fun with your backsplash to add personality and interest
• Add freestanding furniture to make it multifunctional
• Look for ways to create a more lived-in scheme through materials and decor

This project proves that creating a more personalized kitchen doesn't have to be complicated. It's about introducing collected and inherited pieces that make your kitchen feel more unique, and blending them with the more functional details that make a kitchen work for every member of the family.

'The main aim was to create a space that worked just as well for everyday family life, with children running around, as it did when friends and family were over,' Sophie explains, 'I wanted it to feel comfortable and relaxed, rather than like a purely functional kitchen.' And that's exactly what she has created using inherited decor, antique pieces, and freestanding furniture.

At Homes & Gardens, we believe a kitchen should work as beautifully as it looks. That’s the philosophy behind Dream Kitchens, our new series exploring the world’s most inspiring cook spaces. From clever layouts to the 'it' materials of 2026, we’re uncovering the design lessons tucked inside every home. Join us for an intimate look at the spaces that define modern living – and find the blueprints for your next big project.