The designer: Tony Lister at Simon Taylor Furniture

The photographer: Darren Chung

The story: Working alongside the client’s building contractors, Simon Taylor Furniture was commissioned to design and make a bespoke in-frame hand-painted kitchen with a stunning island as the central focus.

Situated in a 40 square metre open-plan space, the 16 square metre kitchen has a door that leads to a utility room, also designed by Simon Taylor Furniture.

Designer Q&A:

Q) What was your brief from the client?

The clients wanted a traditional in-frame hand-painted kitchen with raised and fielded panel doors and end panels with symmetrical framed pilasters on each corner of the island. They required plenty of storage and because of the island’s generous 3m x 1.3m dimensions, we were able to incorporate cupboards on both sides with a recessed area facing the kitchen for two bar stools.

Q) How did you answer the brief?

For the task side, we made 45cm oak dovetail drawers on either side of 90cm versions at the centre, with a cupboard at one end and a pull-out bin at the other. The drawers at the centre have a 40cm depth in order to sit in front of the concealed ventilation tower of the Novy Panorama 90cm vented downdraft induction hob that is situated flush within the worktop. When in use, the tower rises by up to 30cm to withdraw cooking odours directly next to the pans, therefore no overhead extraction is required. The island is painted in Hague Blue by Farrow & Ball while the white 20mm worksurfaces are Misty Carrera quartz by Caesarstone.

Q) Which products did you use and why?

The run of cabinetry facing the island is painted in Dimpse by Farrow & Ball and includes a wet area with a 60cm Siemens integrated dishwasher within and a white undermount sink by Shaws of Darwen that includes an InSinkErator food waste disposer.

A Hestia U-spout tap by Franke sits alongside a Quooker PRO3 Nordic Square boiling water tap. Overhead cupboards are in two sizes and base cabinetry features a two-door utility cupboard.

Q) Which appliances did you use in the oven housing?

To the left is a tall floor-to-ceiling housing featuring a bank of cooking appliances from the PureLine collection by Miele – a 45cm combination microwave above a 60cm pyrolytic single oven with a 29cm warming drawer. A storage cupboard sits above the appliance bank with drawer beneath. At the other end of this run is a further floor-to-ceiling door front for a tall integrated larder fridge by Siemens.

Q) And the pantry?

To the left of the double doors leading to the family room is a further run of floor-to-ceiling cabinetry, which incorporates a breakfast cabinet with bi-fold doors, a drawer for napkins and cutlery and a two-door cupboard beneath.

This is next to a full-size pantry larder with oak internals and spice racks built into the doors. All chrome knobs and hinges are by Crofts & Assinder and the pendant lights are by John Lewis. In order to maintain the symmetry of the open-plan room, the ceiling cornicing runs throughout the kitchen above all tall furniture.

The details:

Bespoke furniture by Simon Taylor Furniture

Worksurfaces by Caesarstone

Sink by Shaws of Darwen

Taps by Franke and Quooker

Food waste disposal by InSinkErator

Appliances by Novy, Miele and Siemens

Handles by Crofts & Assinder

Pendant lights by John Lewis

Bar stools by Cooke & Lewis at B&Q

Hayley loves: the personality and character this kitchen brings to the vast open-plan space