<\/p>\n Ripping out the entire ground floor and starting from scratch, this home is a true manifestation of Alfie’s vision: a space that can function as his studio and backdrop, as well as a home for him and his fianc\u00e9e, Angelica. And, as Alfie discovered, there was plenty to be learnt along the way.<\/p>\n Latest Videos FromLivingetc<\/p>\n The Brief<\/p>\n \n The perfect filming setup, complete with open shelving for added character, this light-filled kitchen is made to be camera-ready. <\/p>\n (Image credit: Alfie Steiner, Roca)<\/p>\n Before the renovation was even underway, there was one clear priority for this space: introducing more light. As with many of the city’s period properties, the home was overwhelmingly dark, with a closed layout that prevented any natural light, leaving the whole space feeling dingy and unwelcoming.<\/p>\n For Alfie Steiner<\/a>, the ability to open up the layout was make-or-break for this home. “The only way I felt comfortable buying the place was if we could knock down the wall <\/a>and let more light in,” he explains. As a full-time content creator, natural light wasn’t just a preference; it was essential. His home doubles as his office and set, and without good lighting, shooting high-quality food content is close to impossible.<\/p>\n You may like<\/p>\n Along with an open-plan layout, sliding doors leading directly onto the garden have also helped bring more light into the kitchen, as well as some much-needed scenery for long work-from-home days.<\/p>\n “The plan was always for it to be open plan, with the kitchen running into the living room, so the space would work two ways: a home for hosting family and friends, and a studio where I can film and work,” Alfie explains of his choice of kitchen layout<\/a>.<\/p>\n \n Custom storage units were added throughout the home to help make better use of the space. <\/p>\n (Image credit: Alfie Steiner, Roca)<\/p>\n This theme of enhancing light carries through into the interior design<\/a> of the home, too. “The main inspiration was Scandinavian style<\/a>: clean, minimalist, and built around light wood and bright, neutral colors,” explains Alfie.<\/p>\n Opting for a bright, neutral color palette<\/a> allowed the open-plan space to feel cohesive throughout, building warmth and texture through accessories and details, like a rust-colored sofa and colorful cookware<\/a> displayed on the open shelves in the kitchen.<\/p>\n When working with a calming color palette<\/a> like this, there’s more room for experimentation when it comes to the finishing touches; you can add layers of personality and character without worrying about clashing with your overall design.<\/p>\n What to read next<\/p>\n “Above all, I wanted it to feel homely and vibrant, but also sharp and smart enough to work as a home kitchen studio, where everything has its place, and the space works as hard as I do,” says Alfie.<\/p>\n The Process<\/p>\n \n Blue tiles within the fireplace add a surprising pop of color to the neutral kitchen. <\/p>\n (Image credit: Alfie Steiner, Roca)<\/p>\n Despite his first impressions, it didn’t take long for Alfie to see the potential in this home. “The kitchen was a decent size and had everything it needed functionally,” he said. But in order to get it to a place where it would work as a backdrop for his career, seen daily by over 5 million people, some changes were in order.<\/p>\n But beyond the kitchen, there was also the issue of the student-friendly layout to work through: “On the other side, where the living room is now, there were two bedrooms separated by partition walls, because the landlord had squeezed in as many bedrooms as he could,” he shares.<\/p>\n Perhaps if the home had been left in its original form, it would have been easier to embrace the home’s existing layout<\/a>, but with these newer additions, clearly made with student living in mind, a fresh canvas was required. So, they ripped out the entire ground floor and started from scratch.<\/p>\n From there, they began to construct the foundation of the home, a large, open-plan space where the living room, kitchen, and garden flow from one another seamlessly. The neutral palette remains consistent throughout, as does the tiled floor running across the entire ground floor, making for a more cohesive finish.<\/p>\n \n Adding an ensuite bathroom for the primary bedroom was a priority for Alfie, and the pocket door design made it possible without using masses of space. <\/p>\n (Image credit: Alfie Steiner, Roca)<\/p>\n Every element of the home introduced new challenges and surprises to work through. Even the ground-floor bathroom \u2014 one of the smallest rooms in the home \u2014 came with its own kind of learning curve. “You don’t realize how much goes into a bathroom until you start with an empty room,” says Alfie.<\/p>\n Luckily, the team at Roca<\/a> guided him through the process, finding the perfect fittings to give that dream spa bathroom<\/a> finish. “The rain shower gives you full coverage, which matters when you’re as tall as I am, and the Roca Plenum hand shower<\/a> has three settings,” says Alfie, adding, “I always finish on the last one, a single soft stream that feels almost like a massage.”<\/p>\n When they first purchased the house, there was only one small bathroom<\/a>, cramped into the corner of the ground floor. As part of the renovation, Alfie added a secondary bathroom on the upper level, offering them a private ensuite bathroom <\/a>right off the main bedroom.<\/p>\n With limited space available, there wasn’t a clear spot for the bathroom at first. But with some clever planning, they found a way to make it work: “There was a corner of the main bedroom that was just part of the room, and Tom [Guy<\/a> from Guy Piper Architects] worked out that with a pocket door it could be closed off as a small ensuite <\/a>bathroom,” explains Alfie.<\/p>\n \n “The hob being central looks beautiful, but it was a surprise challenge with my filming setup at first, so I’ve adapted around it. However, the fact that it\u2019s an extractor hob, instead of a hob with an overhead hood, is great because it keeps the sightlines clear,” says Alfie. <\/p>\n (Image credit: Alfie Steiner, Roca)<\/p>\n While renovations often reveal several challenges, Alfie was surprised to discover that the biggest challenge of all was finding a way to live normally while the renovation was happening. “My office is my home, so I was filming, managing people, and starting some big projects while all the building work went on around me,” he explains.<\/p>\n Though the result makes it all worth it, building a home from the ground up isn’t exactly the most relaxing process, and many underestimate the emotional toll of renovating, especially while still living in the house<\/a>. With builders constantly coming and going, your space is not really your own, and a constantly changing timeline can force you to adjust your plans and expectations. Not to mention the logistical difficulties it can introduce: “For the first month we had no shower, so I showered at the gym, and at first we had a toilet that didn’t work, so we used the loos in local restaurants,” he recalls.<\/p>\n And, though many people may brush over it, there’s a certain level of doubt that can inevitably creep in after such a major commitment. After the months of hard work and money spent, it’s impossible for expectations not to be high, and oftentimes, the reality of it all can feel a little different from what you may have anticipated. “We’d built all of this, and it was our home, but it didn’t feel like it, particularly through the first winter when it was darker and colder and you wonder whether you’ve made the right choice,” he admits.<\/p>\n Eventually, though, it all began to fall into place: “It took six to nine months. We went away in February, and when we came back, I thought, ‘This feels like home.’ That was the first time,” says Alfie.<\/p>\n The Design<\/p>\n \n Color-coded cookbooks add another layer of color and personality to this kitchen. <\/p>\n (Image credit: Alfie Steiner, Roca)<\/p>\n It’s common for the kitchen to be labeled the heart of the home, but in this space, it couldn’t be more true. Not only does it function as the central hub of activity \u2014 the natural gathering space for friends and family \u2014 but it also plays a central role in Alfie’s work, serving as his home office<\/a>, studio, and backdrop for his recipe videos.<\/p>\n It’s perhaps unsurprising then that his vision for the space was clear from the jump. “I always pictured an open design: neutral and Scandinavian-inspired, with light woods and bright, neutral colors, then open shelving to show off pops of color so it feels homely and vibrant.” By blending open shelving with traditional closed kitchen cabinetry<\/a>, they were able to find space for decorative, character-adding “clutter” while keeping any true clutter hidden away.<\/p>\n “We went to Wickes for the kitchen cabinets<\/a> and, with all the above in mind, chose Natura Dawn, an oak veneer, to create the light wood look we wanted,” explains Alfie. The wooden cabinets were complemented with white kitchen worktops<\/a> \u2014 Wickes’s hard-wearing Metzo White surface \u2014 for a bright but neutral finish.<\/p>\n Maintaining as much countertop<\/a> space as possible was another priority for Alfie, as was a centrally-located kitchen island<\/a>. “Through making content, I’ve learnt that the more worktop space, the better,” he explains. “There’s always lots going on when I’m shooting, so being able to move from hob to board seamlessly is so important. Having an island as a filming space has been brilliant, too. It allows for more front-on filming and talking to the camera, which is great for YouTube and longer-form content.”<\/p>\n \n An enviable collection of cast-iron cookware makes a beautiful focal point in the dining area of this open plan kitchen. <\/p>\n (Image credit: Alfie Steiner, Roca)<\/p>\n Having to consider how the kitchen would look on camera, as well as day-to-day, added a whole new dimension to the design process.<\/p>\n “The open shelving has become a real backdrop for my content; it lets me display things and bring some color into the shot, so it’s visually identifiable as my kitchen,” he says. Undercabinet lighting<\/a> with strip LEDs helps add extra warmth to the backdrop, too.<\/p>\n The kitchen appliances <\/a>and finishes were also chosen with content in mind. “The Zip hot water tap<\/a> has been a game changer too \u2014 instant hot water for quick cooking, and the spray function makes cleaning up after shoots so much easier,” Alfie explains.<\/p>\n Shop The Look \n <\/a><\/p>\n A favorite of Alfie’s, this hand shower allows you to take control, adjusting the height to suit you exactly. And with three different functions for you to switch between, you can create your perfect shower every time. <\/p>\n <\/p>\n \n <\/a><\/p>\n Le Creuset<\/p>\n Cast Iron Round Casserole<\/p>\n Inspired by Alfie’s rainbow array of Le Creuset’s? So are we. And the newest color, this gorgeous deep green, is the perfect place to begin to build your collection. <\/p>\n <\/p>\n \n <\/a><\/p>\n Bloomingville<\/p>\n Phoenix Butter Dish<\/p>\n The best thing about opting for a neutral kitchen is just how much fun you can have with the accessories. This striped butter dish would make the perfect addition to a simple kitchen, adding a little playful touch to your counters. <\/p>\n <\/p>\n \n <\/a><\/p>\n H&M Home<\/p>\n Wooden Wall Shelf<\/p>\n The perfect choice for bedrooms that are short on space, these petite, wall-hung tables add an extra touch of storage without eating into your floor plan. <\/p>\n <\/p>\n \n <\/a><\/p>\n M&S<\/p>\n Medium Ribbed Glass Storage Jar<\/p>\n If you have open shelving in your kitchen, investing in some matching glass jars is always a good move. Suddenly your dry goods can double up as decor, giving your kitchen a laidback but still considered look.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \n <\/a><\/p>\n Gallery UK<\/p>\n Eat Your Veg: Over 100 Easy and Exciting Plant-Based Recipes From @alfiecooks<\/p>\n And of course, the one addition your kitchen really needs: pre-order Alfie’s cookbook now, and look forward to plenty of delicious and nourishing meals in your future.<\/p>\n Want to get some more kitchen tips from the people who know the space best? Check out these chefs’ kitchens<\/a> for even more inspiration.<\/p>\n![\"Alfie](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/FbHEL3KCxabi5os65HWaMX.jpg\")
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