It was only a few weeks ago that renowned chef Massimo Bottura has opened what is an Ilse Crawford designed community kitchen in Kensington, London. Named Refettorio Felix, this community kitchen is located inside St. Cuthbert’s Community Centre and its interior design is current, contemporary and, most of all, cozy and with an incredible vibe made possible by the lighting designs and furniture used. So, let’s get to know this outstanding work by the Londoner interior designer!

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Refettorio Felix is the biggest project done by the chef’s non-profit organization Food for Soul. Crawford’s studio, Studioilse, was then brought on board to design the interiors for the Refettorio Felix space – her primary aim being to add a “universal pleasure that is often missing from social projects”.

By doing this, she noted that the kitchen and dining room could become more attractive for hire, which could in turn help fund and sustain the project.

EDITOR’S CHOICE

The only thing we would add to this already amazing interior design is a minimalist wall lamp on the other side of the sofa. Ella wall fixture would serve as a soothing and cozy task light and it would brighten up the space a little bit more.

The designer told Dezeen magazine that “as a studio, we have always aimed to balance the work we are paid for with work with projects with a social dimension where there is no or a limited budget, particularly in relation to the homeless and mental health.”

The only thing she was asked when her studio was commissioned for this project, was to make it look beautiful, seeing as many times, these type of social projects lack that attention to details and aesthetics. “This not only brings dignity to the space but also – rather more pragmatically – makes a space that is welcomed by the community and attractive to hire after hours.”

The studio felt that with the purpose of this space being to bring people together and get them close to each other and feel more comfortable, a different type of work should be done with the community kitchen.

Studioilse generated a sense of intimacy with darker paintwork and low-hanging pendant lights that would make the vast ceilings appear lower. Other lighting is kept soft to enhance this effect, while plants bring colour and a natural element to the space.

“It’s all the small details that add up to make a place feel special and cared for,” said Crawford.

Photos © Tom Mannion

READ MORE: A Modern Kitchen Decor with Copper Lamps and Nordic Details

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