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Kitchen of the Week: A Fresh Take on Classic Shaker Style
Quality craftsmanship and contemporary touches bring the trad Shaker look into the 21st century in this London kitchen
Having extended and completely renovated their semidetached Victorian house in London, Johnny and Gillian Martin teamed up with Jamie Blake of Blakes London and set about designing their kitchen. The couple had two key considerations. One, they wanted a range cooker β a big, freestanding piece that would help them cater for sociable evenings with friends. The second driver was the sofa. The couple already owned β and loved β their handsome blue sofa. And it was big. Really big. βIt dictated which way round we designed the kitchen,β says Jamie. βOnce we knew where the sofa would fit in, the rest followed!β
Johnny and Gillian were interested in Shaker style, but Jamie developed that classic look, steering it towards something more contemporary. βThere is more detail in here than in a standard Shaker kitchen,β says Jamie. βWe have designed curved edges to the cabinets and added end panels that look similar to those youβd find on a door, rather than the typical tongue and groove.β The quality craftsmanship is obvious, but in addition, Jamie has added clever touches and one-off designs, including the bespoke dining table, for a space that is warm, sociable and unique.
Kitchen at a Glance
Who lives here Johnny Martin, who runs a bespoke building business, and his wife, Gillian, a lawyer
Location Southwest London
Designer Jamie Blake of Blakes London
Johnny and Gillian were interested in Shaker style, but Jamie developed that classic look, steering it towards something more contemporary. βThere is more detail in here than in a standard Shaker kitchen,β says Jamie. βWe have designed curved edges to the cabinets and added end panels that look similar to those youβd find on a door, rather than the typical tongue and groove.β The quality craftsmanship is obvious, but in addition, Jamie has added clever touches and one-off designs, including the bespoke dining table, for a space that is warm, sociable and unique.
Kitchen at a Glance
Who lives here Johnny Martin, who runs a bespoke building business, and his wife, Gillian, a lawyer
Location Southwest London
Designer Jamie Blake of Blakes London
Jamie built the table on site for Johnny and Gillian, who love to entertain. βItβs made from a piece of zinc-wrapped MDF,β he explains. βThe raw zinc ages nicely and itβs already full of stains and tiny dents.β Jamie then bought four turned legs and built the stretchers on site, before putting the table together. The legs are painted in Hague Blue by Farrow & Ball, a colour that features throughout the house. The pendant lights are from Wayfair.
Discover ways to tuck a dining area into a small space
Discover ways to tuck a dining area into a small space
Jamie designed the units and had them made in poplar. βIf you want to see grain, oak and ash are good choices,β Jamie says, βbut we wanted a very flat finish, and poplar is ideal for this.β The cabinets are all painted in Pavilion Gray by Farrow & Ball. Jamie has fitted mirrors at the back of the glass-fronted wall units, too. βItβs a little trick to create depth,β he says. βIt makes it look as though you have loads of glasses when you only have six!β
Over in the living space, Jamie created a bespoke unit along one wall containing log storage for the wood burner. βThe oak has been finished with a dark stain,β says Jamie. βIt looks a bit like shoe polish! When you wipe it off, the stain remains in the grain and really picks it out.β The cupboard is painted in Farrow & Ballβs Hague Blue.
Door-like end panels, rather than the typical Shaker tongue and groove, help this kitchen feel unique. Jamie fitted a white quartz worktop called Cimstone. βIt stains less than Corian and scratches less than marble,β he says. βPale worktops are very on trend and this is a reasonably cost effective way to install one.β
Quality materials have been used throughout this kitchen, even inside the cabinets. βWe used walnut inside the cupboards,β says Jamie. βA true Shaker kitchen might use oak, but we loved the dark, elegant look of walnut.β
See ways to get the most from your kitchen storage
See ways to get the most from your kitchen storage
Large porcelain tiles are warmed by the underfloor heating that runs throughout the ground floor. βThe tiles have a rustic, hewn finish, which adds detail at floor level,β says Jamie. The all-important range is from Britannia, with an extractor above and microwave oven, both from Siemens.
Jamie designed coving by the window to conceal the curtain rail and now lush grey curtains hang here. βIt means you can block out the sun if you want to watch TV,β says Jamie, βbut the curtains also add some softness to the space, which is mainly full of hard, practical surfaces.β
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βThe back wall was the natural home for the fridge,β says Jamie. βPositioning it here means we could have the oven and a long run of units along the left-hand wall and extending right behind the sofa.β There is a full larder built around the ActiveSmart fridge, which is from Fisher & Paykel.