The story behind the design…
Before - In desperate need of an update!
“When I arrived to survey this kitchen it was in desperate need of an update. We had been given pretty much a blank canvas by the clients who’s main requirements were to create a comfortable space to spend time with family, a slick and contemporary room to entertain guests - as well as a highly specified cook’s kitchen.
The room was already a large space but a sizeable area was being taken up by the utility room, we agreed that a practical utility area could be moved into the adjacent garage leaving the kitchen to become all about cooking and relaxing.
Starting with the architectural configuration, we knew very early on that the window should be converted to bi-folding doors, in order to create a panoramic view of the garden. With more internal space available and plenty more natural light flooding in I could afford to use dark and dramatic materials for the kitchen furniture, without making the room feel too claustrophobic.
The layout of the room is completely centred around the island. I really wanted a completely unique feature which would be immediately obvious as soon as you entered the room. I came up with the concept of suspending furniture on the island and then set about inventing a way to achieve this. That was when the idea of the central console was born. The benefits of this concept seemed to tick every box. First of all it created the structural support for the suspended units, secondly it provided a splashback behind the hob - something it is not usually easy to do on an island. Thirdly - and perhaps most importantly - it created a physical divide between the working and relaxing sides of the kitchen by literally drawing a line down the centre of the room.
Island - The Central Console
All of the worksurfaces in the room are sintered stone or ceramic, meaning they have the highest scratch, impact and heat resistance currently available on the market. The L-shaped seating area folds around the island accentuating the geometric lines of the whole room. It allows four people to sit comfortably, facing inwards to invite conversation. Two stools face the garden while two face the television meaning when relaxing alone as a couple there is a choice of view.
The German furniture in this design is simply stunning. The majority of the cabinets are made from hand-finished concrete in Anthracite. There are accents of Platinum Grey in a matt painted finish, as well as a small selection of satin glass cabinets in Carbon Grey. The handleless style makes it simple to hide away a multitude of different pull-outs and mechanisms designed to maximise every inch of storage. The lift up wall cabinets work on an electric mechanism meaning a small touch propels them open, this protects the longevity of the surfaces and avoids the need to wipe away a build up of hand prints. Everything is tailored to fit the proportions of the room and bespoke touches like the integrated LED lighting really elevate the quality.
Also hidden away behind the furniture are the gigantic fridge and freezer. They are both 75cm wide, and have enormous capacity. The interiors are fully stainless steel and every shelf position is lit up, they are perfectly detailed appliances. For cooking - we chose a set up of two combination ovens, one with built in microwave function which is built for speed, the other with steam function for maximum flavour and bags of health benefits. Two main ovens were specified as well, with one being reserved solely for vegetarian cooking. The extraction is a flush ceiling model which is almost unnoticeable, but provides additional lighting to the prep areas. The hob is a free induction model - meaning the hob reads the size of the pan in use and adapts its power level to suit - it was positioned perfectly opposite the TV so that the cook could follow YouTube tutorials, honing skills and perfecting recipes in the process!
designed to be social - lots of features for entertaining guests