KBB l HOMES
How PATIENT would you say YOU are? Would you be FRUSTRATED if your
TO FOUR years? Or 10? HOW ABOUT 20?
Well, at some point this fi ve-storey Victorian property had been divided into fl ats – and over an impressive two decades, the couple who now own it bought it up one apartment at a time, restoring the house to its former glory. The kitchen, located in the basement, was one of the fi rst projects they completed when they acquired the fl at. They put in an industrial-looking scheme, but by the time the other parts of the house were restored two decades later it no longer worked with the rest of the building. The couple also decided they wanted to extend into the garden and create a beautiful dining space, relying on a brick and glass extension to create an indoor-outdoor feel. Here, Toni Silver, senior designer at Martin Moore, explains how the new kitchen scheme came together…
The FACTS
Who? A couple What? A new kitchen as part of a basement extension Where? St John’s Wood, north London Cost? Martin Moore bespoke kitchens start from £35,000 Time? One year for the kitchen remodel
The design brief The couple who live here travel widely, have very eclectic taste, and are incredibly social too – so not only did the kitchen have to blend with their new extension, it had to tick many diff erent boxes as well. The husband, who is Malaysian, cooks and loves to entertain, which meant the space needed to be practical for many reasons – whether they were hosting four or 24 guests. The existing scheme had the hob placed on the island, with an unsightly overhead steel extractor above which had to go. It also featured one of the fi rst Sub Zero fridges in the UK, which the owners loved and initially wanted to keep. However, over the years the technology of this appliance has evolved and we found one with a better confi guration that suited their needs more, so we changed it. A gas hob was required because they do a lot of wok cooking, but they also wanted an induction design, too, which we placed on the island while leaving plenty of work surface for food preparation to the side.
Creating the space The room has two doorways – one is mainly used as an entrance, the other as an exit. It was decided early on not to do a full L-shaped layout, as the kitchen is not large and we didn’t want to overwhelm the space with tall cabinetry. Next to the door that is mainly used to leave the room, the run of cabinetry on the right contains a double sink with a dishwasher to one side and a double bin to the other. We added glazed cabinets on either side, too, and a vintage mirrored splashback to create light and literally refl ect the glass extension. There was a chimneybreast, which we could not take away as it went the length of the house, so we opened it up to accommodate the hob and extraction. Either side of this sit the ovens and a larder which features back racks and drawers. A nice little touch are the pull-out trays made from walnut included near the ovens, as I had a bit of additional space to play with. Sub Zero appliances were a must from the outset, so Wolf – which is part of the same company – naturally followed for the ovens and hobs. The preparation sink is so shallow, it was an ideal fi t next to the gas hob and great for draining pans. This was paired with the Quooker tap – it’s perfect for fi lling pots with boiling water without having to move to the main sink, so makes cooking nice and easy. A small dresser by the other door has a walnut worktop and glass cupboard with walnut internals, plus works as a place to dump keys and phones as you come in. Finally, the island includes a seating area and features cutlery drawers opposite the dishwasher, pull-out pan solutions opposite the hob, a large pull-out spice cupboard, plus a dedicated mixer unit with a pull-up shelf to raise the appliance to worktop height. What I love about the design is that two people can work comfortably in it, whereas they were forever bumping into each other in the previous layout.
The next stage The conservatory, which was designed with the idea of separating the dining area from the cooking zone – thanks to sliding doors that match the external glazing – pulled everything together and took some demand off the kitchen. The dresser also helps with this, as it contains an integrated dishwasher, as well as a sink concealed behind bi-fold doors – perfect for clearing away dirty plates during dinner parties without getting in the way of the chef. The unit also includes a built-under integrated pull-out fridge and a base cupboard for cutlery. The top has glazed dresser wall cabinets to either side, the microwave, and plenty of storage for china.
Finishing touches In terms of décor, purple was an early decision for the couple – the glass extension was going to be dramatic, which meant the kitchen had to fall in line. The island is made from walnut, which was also an early choice, and although the pair favoured a strong colour we decided on two shades of light and dark purple to both complement and counter the rich wood. Creating something light, airy, and delicate from a basement with a low ceiling was a challenge, but I think we pulled it off . It just shows that good things really do come to those who wait...
renovation project took THREE
116 KITCHENS BEDROOMS & BATHROOMS l APRIL 20
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