Cool & Calm - By Design

18 Jan 18

This classic 1930’s Arts & Crafts style house in Surrey has gradually undergone a radical transformation.  

Upstairs and down, its fussy, dated decoration has been replaced by a classic aesthetic with more than a hint of New England style.  It’s home to a large family with teenage children, but, with clever use of storage and organisation, pulls off a cool, uncluttered look… and nowhere more so than in the kitchen.

Martin Moore designer Andrew Wartnaby worked with the clients to create a simple, beautiful kitchen on a large scale.  It’s a painstakingly planned room where absolutely everything has its own place, housed within bespoke cabinetry from the Modernist Collection.

A great match to the 30’s architecture of the house, the furniture has a linear design with minimal, but well-considered decorative detailing, such as the mirror backed glass cupboard.  Much of the furniture’s hallmark style derives from its proportions and the unique way in which the cupboards are recessed, with a projection of just 50mm into the room.

The large central island is the heart of the kitchen, providing worksurface, prepping space and a sociable curved end for perching and informal eating.  Rather than have a second island, the kitchen features a large, multi-purpose Cook’s Table, which can be moved, giving the space a flexibility which is especially useful for parties.  The clients entertain often, usually on a large scale, and this is a kitchen designed to host gatherings of family and friends.

The rich tones of Walnut are used as a warm counterpoint to the handpainted furniture.  The island’s cabinetry makes a particular feature of the timber’s natural grain, used both vertically and horizontally to create a subtle decorative focus which also highlights the skills of the craftsmen in Martin Moore’s Yorkshire workshops.

The Aga was the only element of the previous kitchen which was retained.  Andrew Wartnaby sited it within a recess, creating a new mantel feature to define the cooking zone.  The Cook’s Shelf running behind is brilliantly practical for storage and display. 

There is no shortage of necessities, appurtenances and appliances in this kitchen - but they are all carefully stored behind the doors of purpose-designed cupboards.

The Larder Cupboard is lined with Walnut shelves and racks for packets, boxes, jars and cooking ingredients of all sorts.  Although shallow enough to keep everything on view, it holds all the essentials a busy cook needs and keeps them ready to hand. 

The Appliance Cupboard serves both the kitchen and the dining area.  It houses the clients’ extensive cookery book collection alongside bulky appliances including a KitchenAid, toaster, microwave and coffee machine.  The drawers below are fitted out to hold cutlery and kitchen/dining room linens.

Kitchen Details:
Cabinetry: Martin Moore Modernist Collection, custom built to order
Painted in Martin Moore’s ‘Bark Grey’
Floor: Edessa Limestone from Martin Moore Stone
Worktops: Bianca Eclipsia Quartzite