The designer:

Pam Baker, kitchen designer at Martin Moore, 0845 180 0015. Martin Moore is known for classic English furniture designs, and produces bespoke kitchens, as well as furniture for other rooms in the home, including bedrooms and bathrooms. Showrooms in Surrey, Yorkshire, Buckinghamshire, Cheshire, Kent and London (Fulham, SW6 020 7385 9666 and Notting Hill, W11, 020 7221 2727)

The Photographer:

Nicholas Yarsley Photography www.nicholasyarsley.co.uk

The Story:

The room in which the new kitchen was to be installed was originally the drawing room. Our clients were certain this was the right position… the previous owners had squirreled the kitchen away at the back of the house in a pokey, low-ceilinged room, and it all dated back to the 1980s. They were eager to retain as many of the original features as possible for this listed building, including the fireplace, the rear doorway and window.

Q: What was your brief from the client?

They wanted ‘a huge family space big enough to eat and cook in, to share important news and even race around on a scooter!’ They had fallen in love with our English kitchen and tasked me with translating the showroom display into a personalised design for their home.

Q: How did you set about answering that brief?

I wanted to create a focal point for the room, almost a vista. On entering the space you are greeted with the clients’ sizeable dining table with the striking contemporary chandelier overhead. Your eye is then drawn through to the chimney surround beyond. The symmetry of the wall cabinets either side balance this view. The double height design gives a further sense of grandeur and takes advantage of the generous 3.5m ceiling height.

Q: Which products did you use and why?

The intention was to create a practical yet tranquil space. The use of colour and tone was critical in achieving this. The quartz worktops in a combination of Caesarstone ‘Ginger’ and Compac ‘Botticino’ offer a hard-wearing work surface, whilst the combination of soft colours add a subtle contrast to the cabinetry. The addition of a contemporary stainless steel splash back sits effortlessly alongside a traditional enamelled Lacanche range cooker, bringing a sense of the commercial to the domestic environment.

Q: Was any building/renovation work involved?

As the property was listed, building works were deliberately kept to a minimum in order that any necessary consents need not be required. For this reason the client was keen not to interfere with the external elevation in any way. What work remained was largely cosmetic.

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

Proportion and symmetry highlighted by the soft colour palette of Paint & Paper Library Stone II with Tarlatan on the island, framed by Farrow & Ball Shaded White on the walls. The differentiation in shades is subtle, but contributes greatly to the overall look, which is defined yet discreet.

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

We all subscribe to the idea that space and light is paramount. However, it’s important to consider how the addition of glazing affects the room. Large roof lights for example, become ‘black holes’ after dark and limit the position of lighting and ventilation, particularly over an island. An abundance of windows can also limit the wall space required to achieve an effective working kitchen.

Details:

English bespoke cabinetry by Martin Moore, www.martinmoore.com From £35,000 for a kitchen.

Work surfaces in Caesarstone engineered quartz, www.caesarstone.co.uk

Range cooker by Lacanche, www.lacanche.co.uk

Fridge-freezer by Liebherr, www.liebherr.co.uk

Sink from Brass & Traditional Sinks, www.sinks.co.uk

Taps by Perrin & Rowe, www.perrinandrowe.co.uk

Bar stools from Lloyd Loom of Spalding, www.lloyd-loom.co.uk

Pendant lights above dining table, Original BTC, www.originalbtc.com

Pendant lights above island, John Lewis, www.johnlewis.com

Paint by Farrow & Ball, www.farrow-ball.com and The Paint and Paper Library. www.paint-library.co.uk

Engineered wood flooring by Kahrs, www.kahrs.com

Rug, by City Cows, www.citycows.co.uk