This calm kitchen by Martin Moore looks fresh and welcoming, blending pale shades together with touches of blue for a tranquil and peaceful look. Designer Andrew Wartnaby kept the colour scheme neutral, as requested by his clients, who wanted a kitchen space with a calm and restful atmosphere.

Q: What did your client want to achieve, was there a particular ‘must-have’ for this project, and was there an initial request for ‘contemporary’ or ‘classic’?

The owners wanted to restore this Queen Anne house to its former glory, and they wanted a kitchen that was elegant and timeless, and sympathetic to the style and age of the property. It also needed to have a strong sense of calm, and to be geared towards plenty of cooking and socialising.

Q: How did you set about answering that brief?

We chose cabinetry from our New Classic collection, which offers a contemporary take on our classic furniture, and hand painted it in Palladian White. We kept the colour scheme deliberately neutral to achieve the calm and restful feel the owners wanted.

Q: What were the reasons behind the choices of cabinetry and work surfaces …

The cabinetry style met the classic, timeless aesthetic that the owners were looking for. Although the overall colour scheme is neutral, brass handles bring warmth to the space whilst dramatically veined Arabescato Corchia marble, used on the worktops and splashback, brings a dramatic ‘wow factor’ whilst not overpowering the aesthetic. To continue the look, we used Aged Ashmore limestone tiles for the flooring, from Martin Moore Stone

Q: Was there any building or renovation work involved? Did you have any restrictions or limitations that you had to work around?

The old kitchen was much narrower, felt cluttered and featured awkward architectural detailing. We knew that the new layout and design had to address these issues and make these details look natural and suited to the overall style of the house. To make better use of the space, we made several quite considerable changes. We reconfigured the layout and increased the height of the cupboards to improve the visual proportions. We also created a vertical pantry next to the Aga for maximum ease of use and practical storage. Any tricky nooks and crannies were all converted into useful storage.

Q: What design elements do you think make the scheme so successful?

I think the beauty of this kitchen ultimately lies in its simplicity – it isn’t overly fussy; however, the soft furnishings and the amazing Italian marble add just the right amount of interest and decorative flair. Soft furnishings are important, they add texture and softness to a scheme, and are useful acoustically, too.

Q: Now the project is finished, what aspects are you and your clients most pleased with?

The bespoke breakfast cupboard is a total win according to the family! It’s positioned next to the island and designed to keep breakfast making facilities close at hand, so all that early morning activity is confined to just one area. It houses an integrated microwave, coffee machine and toaster. It also provides an informal area for the children to sit and eat, making the kitchen a family-friendly space. Breakfast cupboards are popular with a lot of clients, as everything is concealed by the bi-fold doors after all the bits and pieces are put away.

Q: What is your best advice for someone who is planning a new kitchen … what should they look for and ask for?

We advise that if you have the space, a bespoke larder cupboard or even a walk-in pantry is a great investment that won’t be regretted! Kitchens really are multi-purpose spaces nowadays, with several members of the family using the space for different purposes at different times. It’s not just about the cooking, it’s about providing a spot for a bit of homework or just for charging gadgets and looking up recipes. A pantry/larder is an excellent design solution that can keep dry ingredients, appliances etc in a separate, organised space, thereby helping with the flow of traffic within the kitchen.

Q: Do you have a secret ‘style signature’ or feature that you find you use in most of your kitchen projects?

Every kitchen we design at Martin Moore is entirely bespoke – led by the style and architecture of the property, as well as the lifestyle and needs of the people that live there. As each project varies so much, I don’t have a signature style. However, if I can, I will always try and incorporate a spacious larder cupboard within the design, which will always be appreciated.

Q: Are you seeing more large-scale projects such as this, where extra rooms or spaces are added to the kitchen area?

Yes, many of the projects we work on now include ancillary rooms – we often design walk-in pantries, utility rooms and boot rooms, alongside the main kitchen.

Q: Do you have any trend predictions for 2023? What colours, finishes and styles we will be seeing more of in the future?

Statement materials are a big trend for 2023; think highly dramatic granite, quartz and tiles for worktops, splashbacks and cupboard interiors. People are layering bold colours and patterns to great effect, and as a designer I look forward to creating more schemes that include these features!

We Love: The Cornflower Blue painted interior of the cupboards, emphasising the beautiful blue-grey veining of the Arabescato Corchia marble. All the soft furnishings are delightful as well, sourced by interior design team Eadie & Crole

Bespoke kitchen by Martin Moore. Tel 0845 180 0015, @martinmooredesign. The cabinetry is from the New Classiccollection.

Integrated dishwashers, stainless steel oven, and microwave, all Miele

Double white Shaker sink, Shaws of Darwen

Ionian taps, Perrin & Rowe

PRO3 Classic Nordic Round in Chrome tap, Quooker

Over-and-Under refrigerator-freezer, Sub-Zero Wolf

Interior design, Eadie & Crole