The designers: Gavin Alexander and Darren Taylor at Searle & Taylor

The photographer: Paul Craig

The story: The longest-established premium independent kitchen studio in Winchester, Searle & Taylor has been designing traditional bespoke and contemporary kitchens for clients in Hampshire and beyond since 1991.

The company, owned by Darren Taylor, has a long-held reputation for thoughtful and intelligent design, meticulous planning and precision installation together with award-winning customer service.

Designer Q&A:

Q) What was your brief from the client?

Our clients had recently added a new extension to their 1930s property in Winchester. They approached us to design a new contemporary kitchen in an on-trend Scandi style for the open plan space. For practical purposes, they wanted easy-clean surfaces and lots of storage while also wanting to achieve a homely Hygge atmosphere. They opted to keep some appliances from their previous kitchen but were open to new ideas and innovations, so we presented several appliances, worktop samples and finishes to them at our Winchester showroom.

Q) How did you answer that brief?

Searle & Taylor partners with EWE, a premium contemporary furniture brand from Austria that specialises in handleless cabinetry with excellent internal storage solutions and fittings by Blum. We also design bespoke furniture, which is crafted locally, so we suggested a combination of the two to achieve the Scandi look the clients were seeking. This enabled us to create a linear kitchen with lacquered laminated handleless slab door and drawer fronts, encompassing a biophilic design element using natural blonde oak to soften the look.

Q) Tell us about the appliances

Creating practical zoned areas, the cooking and cooling run is set against a recessed side wall and includes storage cabinets bisected by two side-by-side Miele single ovens at eye level. To the left is a tall integrated freezer by Liebherr and to the right is an integrated larder fridge by Siemens.

Along the back wall is the sink run, which features undercounter cabinetry that incorporates two integrated dishwashers by Siemens and Miele, with a Caple wine cooler and storage for utility items and pull-out bins.

At the centre of the 20mm -hick Calacatta Gold Suede worktop by Silestone is a Franke undermount sink and a Quooker boiling water tap in a patinated brass finish. On either side are two bespoke blonde oak dresser cabinets designed by Darren that feature on-trend fluted glass panels and patinated brass handles.

Q) And the island?

The three-metre kitchen island combines form with function, featuring clean lines throughout. It features the same Calacatta Gold worksurface, which has been built up to a 60mm thickness with waterfall end panels on either side, presenting a flowing effect.

Mounted within the surface is a Novy Easy 80cm recirculation vented induction hob and with no requirement for overhead extraction, there are three natural oak pendant lights by Tom Raffield

The task side features pull-out drawers with a built-in Siemens warming drawer. The facing side features blonde oak designed in a typical Scandi vertical slatted aesthetic with a quirky bespoke twist. It comprises three side-by-side concealed deep cabinets with push-to-open doors.

Q) Which products did you use and why?

We partner exclusively with EWE as our contemporary furniture option because the kitchens are very well-made and cabinetry can be colour-matched to any RAL or NCS shade.

We used blonde oak because it works so well for this type of kitchen with its pale patina and we complemented the glazed cabinets with brass handles by Turnstyle Designs. The ridges in the fluted glass reflect the ridged door fronts on the island, providing the Scandi look.

While several appliances were pre-owned, we recommended the Liebherr integrated freezer because the brand specialises in premium cooling and the Novy vented hob because the brand specialises in ultra-quiet yet efficient extraction.

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

The waterfall island works so well as the centrepiece, as it provides a timeless Scandi look.

The relationship between the solid oak vertical slats on the rear of the island and the clean white matt fronts of the working side of the kitchen works effortlessly and provides the unique Scandinavian look that has become a popular design for contemporary kitchens.

Behind the oak slats of the facing side of the island is additional storage for less-used items, ensuring the kitchen surfaces are clutter-free. The doors are accessed by special ‘push to open’ pistons that open the doors when pressed.

Q) Any advice for someone who may be planning a new kitchen?

It is useful to have an idea of your budget and take time to visit kitchen showrooms and meet the people who may be designing your kitchen in the future. This is also an opportunity to look at kitchen displays and to open cupboards and drawers and view the quality of the internal cabinetry.

Q) Any trend predictions for 2025?

A mix of painted cabinetry with an island in a natural timber stain will be strong for kitchen looks in 2025, and we are also seeing a trend for the mix of handled and handleless kitchens.

Strong colours are also going to be key for 2025, and while we already know the Dulux Colour of the Year is True Joy, a sunny yellow, there are two palettes that will also be very popular. One is the burgundy red palette and we have just re-painted the display at the entrance to our showroom in Cordoba 277 by Little Greene, which is a majestic purple-red described by the manufacturer as having a ‘distinctive aubergine tone.’

The other is Teal, a stunning blue-green hue, which looks so impressive in either contemporary or traditional kitchens, and is being showcased in interiors magazines. The new Garden Room in our showroom features stunning teal-coloured glass handleless cabinetry and this is complemented by banquette seating with patterned upholstery with teal as the accent shade.

The details:

Signature Bespoke kitchen by Searle & Taylor with handleless cabinetry by EWE

Interior fittings by Blum

Worksurfaces by Silestone at Cosentino

Appliances by Novy, Siemens, Liebherr, Miele and Caple

Sink and tap by Franke and Quooker

Bins by Wesco

Handles by Turnstyle Designs

Flooring by Karndean

Pendant lights by Tom Raffield

Bar stools by Where Saints Go

Hayley loves: how the combination of the slatted wood and matt-finish handleless cabinetry works so effortlessly together to create a cosy and cocooning kitchen.