22 Feb 18
Although fairly recently completed, this house was built on a grand scale and in a period style using traditional materials. The space for the kitchen was enormous (nearly 900 sq ft) so above all else, the clients wanted a well organised design to make coherent and fluent use of the massive space. They also wanted to make sure that despite the space, and the sheer size of the furniture and appliances needed to fill it, the kitchen had a powerful sense of homeliness and family living.
Situated on the top of a hill, the house has sweeping views across a spectacular valley. Making the most of those views from all the key zones was another key priority for the designer.
The biggest challenge, as the clients correctly identified, was posed by the size of the kitchen. For both pleasure and convenience, they need to be able to use it ergonomically. For
Martin Moore’s designer John Davies, this required detailed analysis of their lifestyle, cooking habits and aspirations for the new kitchen before he could even start plotting out the design for and location of the furniture and appliances.
It also became clear that the appliances the client had originally asked for were going to be too small dimensionally, requiring a change up to larger models. Overall, the kitchen needed to respect the aesthetics of the house, but have a classic contemporary feel. To achieve this, the designer had to gracefully integrate the industrial feel of the super-sized steel appliances with the hand painted furniture.
The central island is the largest of its kind that Martin Moore has ever constructed. Comfortably seating seven people, it is both the social and functional heart of the kitchen.
The breakfast cupboard holds everything from a kettle and toaster to the high-tech coffee machine. Favourite cups and mugs for three generations of the family sit on the shelves above.
As extremely knowledgeable wine experts, the clients’ brief also included a specially fitted and equipped wine area, dedicated to comfortably enjoying fine wines with friends and family. John was determined to make this area just as impressive as the main kitchen itself. Every element of it is purpose designed and fitted out for a pleasurable wine tasting experience.
Equipped to a professional level, it includes a vacuum pump system designed to keep wine in premium condition as well as a sink, a wine fridge and specially fitted out storage for all the different types of glasses. All of this sits comfortably within the purpose-built break-fronted dresser design.
Comfortable bar chairs surround the high central table (which is also just the right height for standing) all oriented to make the most of the exceptional countryside views. The French doors open directly onto the terrace beyond.
The back kitchen is a multi-purpose area. With a back door directly leading to the garden, it’s a perfect place for coats and boots as well as being somewhere to arrange flowers. The two shelves above the coat rack were specially designed for outsize vases. An additional fridge/freezer also makes the back kitchen a perfect space for caterers to set up and work from when the entertaining is on a grand scale.
The walk-in pantry has ‘staged’ shelving stepped up at the back to raise items into view. LED lighting underneath the shelves automatically turns on when the doors are opened. Wicker baskets keep vegetables in good condition and the solid marble shelf is perfect for storing ambient foods such as cheese.
Well organised, highly functional, dramatic in scale but domestic in concept, this is a highly successful project for both the client and Martin Moore.
The designer, John Davies, commented, “It’s rare to be presented with such a large area in which to design and build a family kitchen. It was also a pleasure to work with clients who derive such huge enjoyment from the simple love of cooking, drinking fine wine and spending time with their children and grandchildren. I believe that this project pulls off the dual challenge of creating a really warm family kitchen on a grand scale.”
Kitchen Details
• The cabinets are a combination of Martin Moore’s
English and
New Classic
collections, painted in Soft Grey and French Blue
• Aged Bourne limestone floor from
Martin Moore Stone
• Main worktops: Silestone ‘Lagoon’
• Island unit worktop: Unistone ‘Bianca Carrara’
• Splashbacks: ‘Oyster’ glass with integral LED lighting
