Back to kitchens

This project is quite simply L–shape kitchen perfection. As with so many of our projects in older houses, the design aesthetic must always be led by the architecture of the room. A re-imagining of the existing dark and cluttered kitchen led to this design which has the dining table positioned in the centre and acts almost as a prep table. The brief from our clients was to create a kitchen that had a classic English look at its heart but that provided all of the modern conveniences we have to come to know and love. As you enter the kitchen from the main hallway, the Miele integrated fridge freezer is positioned just to the left hand side which essentially allows the kitchen to flow seamlessly as you walk in. Just to the right hand side opposite the main cooking run is a walk in crockery store and walk in larder that provide masses of essential storage.

The clients wanted a traditional range cooker but not necessarily something that would dominate the room. The choice to specify the small but mighty Lacanche Cormatin range cooker ensures that the kitchen design achieves the desired look and feel, but also crucially provides fantastic cooking functionality particularly with the easy-to-clean induction hob. The false chimney above conceals the excellent Westin extraction, meanwhile the antique effect mirror splashback allows the light to bounce back across the room.

To the left of the Lacanche is a breakfast countertop cupboard with a bi-fold door that opens to reveal worktop space for preparing hot drinks with space to put away the freestanding Nespresso coffee machine, whilst shelving above is used to store a microwave and crockery. What’s really great about a countertop cupboard is that it not only provides essential storage space but you can keep it open when in use, and then neatly shut everything away keeping the worktop free of unwanted clutter.

We will always think about the zoning of a kitchen design and an essential part of that is food preparation. The area in between the Lacanche and the sink area has been left deliberately clear to allow plenty of worktop space for getting on with food prep. In the top drawer of the three door chest is a bespoke cutlery and knife insert so that everything you need is easily to hand. Then just along a little further is the sink run with a Villeroy & Boch butler sink, Perrin & Rowe Ionian tap and Parthian instant hot tap, both finished in aged brass to match the surrounding hardware. A Miele dishwasher is located under the counter to the left of the sink which helps to make clearing away after meals at the nearby dining table super quick and easy.

In order to really capture that classic English look, we wanted to keep the colours in the kitchen very simple but not too neutral. The choice to paint all of the cabinetry in Top Hat with our Tailored Grey emulsion on the walls has created a really perfect balance of classic and contemporary that suits the heritage of this lovely Grade II listed house exceptionally well. Aged brass hardware used throughout just looks absolutely spot on against the charcoal/ graphite tone of the Top Hat paint colour.

Flooring is always a key detail in the overall balance of any room design and the Manoir limestone tumbled installed here provides a classic and understated foundation to this area of the home. The natural markings of the honey coloured Manoir flooring work perfectly with the painted cabinetry, particularly in this larger tile size of 60cm x random. Installing underfloor heating is always an excellent idea and definitely something we would recommend as it works so well with natural stone flooring.

Cambridge Kitchen Project

This L-shape Nickleby kitchen is finished in paint colour Top Hat (an exclusive paint colour for Humphrey Munson by Mylands) and is designed to allow the space to flow seamlessly with perfectly zoned spaces for storage, food prep, cooking and clearing away.

A small but mighty Lacanche Cormatin range cooker with an induction hob set within a false chimney designed and manufactured by Humphrey Munson, this conceals the Westin extraction unit and behind is an antique effect mirror splashback to help bounce light back across the room as well as concealing small splashes from food cooking on the hob.

A breakfast countertop cupboard with bi-fold door finished in H|M paint colour Top Hat that when open reveals worktop space to put away a Nespresso coffee machine, whilst shelving above is used to store a microwave and crockery.

A breakfast countertop cupboard with bi-fold door finished in H|M paint colour Top Hat that opens to reveal a lit worktop space for preparing hot drinks and a place to put away the Nespresso coffee machine, shelving above is used to store a microwave and crockery.

This knife drawer insert is finished in Classic oak which contrasts perfectly with the dark painted drawer, located under the counter that is used for food prep - it is perfect for keeping knives in one convenient place.

A sink run with a Villeroy & Boch butler sink, Perrin & Rowe Ionian tap with rinse and Parthian hot tap, all finished in aged brass to match the surrounding hardware. A Miele dishwasher is located beneath the counter to the left hand side of the sink helps to make clearing away after meals at the nearby dining table quick and easy.

A sink run with a large Villeroy & Boch butler sink, Perrin & Rowe Ionian tap with rinse and Parthian hot tap, all finished in aged brass to match the surrounding hardware which looks spot on against the dark painted cabinetry.