Kitchen Case Study: Elegant Efficiency
Eating dinner by a roaring fire, rummaging in a beautifully planned, well-stocked larder, warming crumpets in an Aga… this kitchen design spells pure pleasure for us. How about you?
'I'm not a gadgety person; I still use a plunger for my coffee,' says the owner of this kitchen designed by Lindsey Pierce of Plain English.
Mixing classic, elegantly designed appliances with traditional joinery, the designers have created a warm, inviting space perfect for entertaining. Find out how they did it.
The Island
The designer 'At three by two metres, the island is a dominant feature of the room, providing surfaces for prepping and dining, as well as extensive storage space, which would otherwise have been in high cupboards on the wall. A large, double Normandy sink placed directly behind the Aga has an elegant Dornbracht "Tara" tap with a spray nozzle, and is big enough to hold even the biggest roasting tin. I would always advise painting your island a darker shade than the walls and cupboards. This ensures instant visual gravitation. The Pietra Cardosa stone worktop is thick (40mm) and has been used smooth-side up on the worktops, while on the island the raw, rough-sawn bottom face creates texture and complements the reclaimed flagstone floor. The stonemason hand-chiselled the sides to give an aged look, as if the island had always been part of the kitchen.'
The Fridge
The owner'I bought the fridge before I bought the house, then kept it in storage until I finally had a kitchen big enough for it. It is a Meneghini "La Ghiacciaia Icebox", imported from Italy by Robeys.
The Dishwashers
The designer'The client's three children all now live away from home, but at certain times of year, especially when they entertain, there's an inevitable accumulation of dirty dishes. Round the corner from the sink, concealed within the island, we have used two Fisher & Paykel dishwasher drawers, so that they don't have to set off a half-empty dishwasher when it's just the two of them.'
The Fireplace
The owner'I love having an open fire in the kitchen, and being able to eat in front of it on a chilly winter evening is a real joy. Most of the time we use real logs, but in summer the heat can be overpowering, so the solution I found was to use Duraflame logs (made from recycled sawdust and bio wax). These create an attractive flame that gives off far less heat, and are also much easier to light than a full log fire - useful if you have people round for tea.'
The Windows
The designer'Originally this was two rather dark rooms and the owners undertook major renovations which included installing some Crittall and french windows, flooding the room with light. However, where we wanted to place the worktop beside the Aga, the original Georgian sash windows were so low on the wall that we were forced to run the worktop across the front of them. To make this work we fitted the back of the cupboards with tongue-and-groove panelling, so from the outside of the house they have the look of a shutter.'
The Aga
The owner'This was our first Aga, and even my husband is enamoured with the fact that he can pop things in there without having to preheat. It is electric, which is more economical than oil and allows better temperature control - one half functions like a conventional Aga, and the other is like a standard convection oven.'
The Larder
The owner'All our food is stored in this beautifully designed walk-in larder, which contains a honed Carrara marble worktop and shelves alongside practical details, such as a wine rack and space for baskets.'
plainenglishdesign.co.uk
Like this? Then you'll loveAll our kitchen __design ideas
Written by admin
