The Brief

The clients wanted a kitchen that would be high-tech but without losing sight of the building's rustic origins. It needed to look modern and unfussy but beautiful in the open-plan space and when seen through the large, full-height glazed doors on either side of the room. The design needed to be sympathetic to the beamed space and as the clients were planning to have an induction hob, the island would need to be extra wide so it could be used for entertaining as well as cooking. They also asked for lots of natural materials to make the room feel connected to nature.

The designer's solution puts a showstopping island with a hidden induction hob at the front and centre of the kitchen area, with a run of ash-veneered cabinetry along the wall behind it painted earthy green to set off the newly stripped beams and polished concrete floor. The full-height, flatfront cabinets that bookend the sink are finished with Buster & Punch brass handles, to tie in with the antiqued brass-wrapped cabinetry of the island, including a strip of the same that joins the ceramic cooking surface with a piece of natural stone, carefully selected to match the ceramic and all with the same edge profile to provide the owners with the extra-wide surface they dearly wanted.

Special Features

No detail too small - the cabinet door beside the built-in Meile cookers hides the doorway into a hidden pantry, and so as not to jar on the eye when the door is left open, leather casings were handmade to hide the stainless-steel hinges.