'I love coming home,' says Arlene Ingram, looking around the London flat she shares with her husband Simone and their two boys, Rufus and Felix. 'That sounds so cheesy, but when we first moved here I couldn't believe this was our home.'

It's certainly lovely. On the top floor of a handsome redbrick mansion block, with views over rooftops from the numerous windows, this flat manages to be both cohesively stylish and family orientated, all within a compact square footage. 'We wanted clean, open space, that was also kid-realistic,' says Arlene. 'There had to be room for their lives, too.'

Practical, 'kid-realistic' touches include the rubber flooring in the main kitchen and dining area, where the family loves to spend time. 'It's easy to clean,' says Arlene, 'and also good for people who fall down a lot!' But perhaps the ultimate child-friendly element is the layout itself. One end of the flat is opened out, with the kitchen and dining space leading into a living room and snug. 'The boys can sit at the table and I can cook and still see them,' says Arlene.

It's all a far cry from the family's previous home. The couple shared Arlene's tiny flat until Rufus was 18 months old. This is the first place they have bought together. It took four months of work, with help from friend and architect Jeremy Southgate, to open it out and lose the tired, dark atmosphere. 'It just needed updating,' says Arlene, rather generously. In fact, it needed completely reconfiguring. The kitchen was in what is now the master bedroom, the bathroom was in the kitchen and there was a long, skinny living room down one side. 'We cut that in two,' she says, 'then basically flip-flopped the rest.'

The layout now makes the most of the limited floor space and allows light to flood in, but this is no open-plan white box. Part of this flat's huge charm is its original features, including five - count them - fireplaces, which have all been incorporated into the new design. This has created interesting nooks, like the snug, and semi-enclosed spaces, like the children's play area off the kitchen. The property's unusual angles also proved the ideal candidates for some shelves here or a slimline cupboard there. 'Creating enough storage was a big thing for us,' says Arlene. 'We built it in everywhere! The flat now lends itself to tidiness. Everything has a place.'

Cupboards are not this place's only secret weapon. The long table, a dramatic extension of the kitchen worktop, is another genius touch. 'It's a work table, a dining table, a place to hang out when friends come over,' explains Arlene. And with no legs, it's beautifully streamlined, too - ideal in a small space. It's here that Arlene can relax with a glass of wine, while Simone cooks. 'He does all the cooking and it's amazing,' she says.

No wonder, then, that Simone chose the kitchen appliances. 'He was very concerned about fitting a good extractor fan so you don't sit surrounded by cooking smells,' laughs Arlene. 'He thinks I don't understand the full importance of it, but I do! It's a bit of a running joke.' Simone also stipulated a large wine fridge and a professional oven. 'We got a good oven - not the best or most expensive, but a good one. We were sensible about it.'

In fact, the couple were refreshingly sensible at every stage of creating their home. 'We are good at budgeting,' says Arlene, 'and Simone is good at spotting things that look more expensive than they really are.' That's why you'll find plenty of Ikea pieces, from rugs and blinds to the kitchen sink, alongside some very convincing design classic lookie-likies. 'There's plenty of good value stuff out there,' adds Arlene. 'We weren't set on anything, so we picked up pieces all over the place.'

Having moved in in December 2010, the family has quickly adapted to its new home. 'I was worried the boys would be sensitive to a change in their environment, but they settled in within minutes,' says Arlene. Rufus says his favourite place is 'my kitchen, because the living room is right beside it.' Open-plan living clearly works for him, then! They now spend a great deal of time enjoying central London's parks and museums, all on their doorstep, but coming home is always a treat. 'I love every aspect of the flat,' says Arlene, before apologising once more. 'Sorry, I'm sounding cheesy again!'