Kitchen of the Week: Colourful Curving Cabinetry in a Sussex Kitchen
Knocking four rooms together opened up the living space and made way for this inviting handmade kitchen in rich blue and soft grey
Jo Simmons
20 January 2016
Houzz UK Contributor. I have been an interiors journalist since 1995, writing several books on design and numerous features for glossy homes mags over the years. For Houzz, I cover decorating ideas and trends and interview designers and professionals for their insights. My favourite pieces to write, though, are Houzz Tours, as I love exploring and learning about real homes. Call me curious — or nosy!
Houzz UK Contributor. I have been an interiors journalist since 1995, writing several... More
‘Kitchen design isn’t just about cupboards and cooking,’ says John Kirby of Dovetail Workers in Wood, who designed this room, ‘it’s about creating a living space.’ This belief is the reason Kirby was delighted the owners of this West Sussex farmhouse involved him and his team from the very beginning. ‘Often, we have to work with rooms that are a fait accompli and you know that if you could have moved the door six inches to the right, it would have worked better,’ he says, ‘but not here.’
Kitchen at a Glance
Who lives here A husband and wife, plus their two daughters when home from university
Location Near Chichester, West Sussex
Property A detached farmhouse with 5 bedrooms built in the 1930s
Size The kitchen, dining and living space is 11.2m x 5.8m; the working end of the kitchen is 5.8m x 3.4m
Designer John Kirby of Dovetail Workers in Wood
The owners invited John Kirby to work out how to create a single living, dining and kitchen space out of the four rooms that existed here originally. ‘We sat down with them to brainstorm what they wanted, submitted the planning and employed the builders, too,’ he says.
Now this room is the heart of the home. ‘The owners recognised that they were going to live mainly in this area and it was designed with that in mind,’ says Kirby. ‘The room is flooded with light and has views over the South Downs. It’s a lovely place to relax.’
Who lives here A husband and wife, plus their two daughters when home from university
Location Near Chichester, West Sussex
Property A detached farmhouse with 5 bedrooms built in the 1930s
Size The kitchen, dining and living space is 11.2m x 5.8m; the working end of the kitchen is 5.8m x 3.4m
Designer John Kirby of Dovetail Workers in Wood
The owners invited John Kirby to work out how to create a single living, dining and kitchen space out of the four rooms that existed here originally. ‘We sat down with them to brainstorm what they wanted, submitted the planning and employed the builders, too,’ he says.
Now this room is the heart of the home. ‘The owners recognised that they were going to live mainly in this area and it was designed with that in mind,’ says Kirby. ‘The room is flooded with light and has views over the South Downs. It’s a lovely place to relax.’
Originally four different rooms, the kitchen-diner and living room is now one big space. ‘An enormous number of steels went in to support it,’ says Kirby, who relished the opportunity to create such a generous kitchen. ‘As much work goes into designing a tiny kitchen as a big one,’ he says. ‘With a large space, though, you have the chance to incorporate everything you want. Here, the idea is that everything is one step away: the larder is a step from the island and the ovens are just behind. It’s all close by, so you’re not running around the space.’
Kirby and his team completed work on this space in June 2015, but they had worked with the owners before. ‘We designed the circular dining table for them about eight years ago,’ he says. It’s made from European oak, bur oak, bur walnut and ebony veneer. ‘It was inspired by the Wishbone chairs by Hans Wegner positioned around it,’ the designer adds.
CH24 Wishbone chairs by Hans J Wegner for Carl Hansen, Ferrious.
Kirby and his team completed work on this space in June 2015, but they had worked with the owners before. ‘We designed the circular dining table for them about eight years ago,’ he says. It’s made from European oak, bur oak, bur walnut and ebony veneer. ‘It was inspired by the Wishbone chairs by Hans Wegner positioned around it,’ the designer adds.
CH24 Wishbone chairs by Hans J Wegner for Carl Hansen, Ferrious.
The rich woods used to make the table are complemented by the rich blue cabinets behind. These are fitted right up to the ceiling to make maximum use of space and designed with elegant curved corner posts, with the cornices flowing around them.
‘The curves create a fluidity, so the cabinets don’t feel clunky,’ says Kirby. ‘The curves are all made as part of the cabinet; they’re not a panel slapped on the end. It’s technically difficult and time-consuming to do this, but it’s worth it.’
Cabinets painted in Tempest, Fired Earth.
‘The curves create a fluidity, so the cabinets don’t feel clunky,’ says Kirby. ‘The curves are all made as part of the cabinet; they’re not a panel slapped on the end. It’s technically difficult and time-consuming to do this, but it’s worth it.’
Cabinets painted in Tempest, Fired Earth.
The kitchen features lots of drawers. ‘More and more people are requesting drawers for their kitchens,’ says Kirby. ‘They make accessing everything so easy. The runner technology is so good now and they are really strong. You could store 200kg of crockery in a drawer with no problems.’
The flooring is ceramic tiling that looks like oak boards. ‘Using this was the owner’s idea, and we were unsure about it at first,’ says Kirby, ‘but it’s brilliant!’
Rye Harbour flooring in Old Oak, Fired Earth.
The flooring is ceramic tiling that looks like oak boards. ‘Using this was the owner’s idea, and we were unsure about it at first,’ says Kirby, ‘but it’s brilliant!’
Rye Harbour flooring in Old Oak, Fired Earth.
The kitchen cabinet doors are painted MDF, which is moisture-resistant and very stable. ‘Some people have seen MDF used badly and are allergic to the idea of it,’ says Kirby, ‘but if Chippendale were alive today, I think he’d use MDF. It’s an excellent material.’
The end wall of cabinets is painted a soft grey, while the island and remaining cabinetry is a warm blue. ‘All one colour on the units would have been too much,’ says Kirby. Two different granites have been used for the worktops. ‘The perimeter units are pale with a dark granite worktop, while the island units are dark with a pale granite worktop,’ he says.
The induction hob was fitted into the island so that anyone cooking can still face the room.
Cabinets painted in Tempest (dark blue) and Skylon Grey, both Fired Earth. Island worktop in Duke White Satinato granite, sourced in Switzerland by Gerald Culliford Ltd and cut to size by Granitewoods.
The induction hob was fitted into the island so that anyone cooking can still face the room.
Cabinets painted in Tempest (dark blue) and Skylon Grey, both Fired Earth. Island worktop in Duke White Satinato granite, sourced in Switzerland by Gerald Culliford Ltd and cut to size by Granitewoods.
The height of the windows was adjusted so the worktops could run smoothly all the way around the bay. ‘There was quite a lot of work involved in getting that right,’ says Kirby. ‘If we’d run the worktop straight across, that would have looked a bit boring. Instead, it steps in, creating a smooth flow.’
The symmetrical design of this area makes it look particularly appealing and balanced. ‘It all looks great, but the reason it does is that we made a tremendous effort to get the symmetry right,’ the designer adds.
The symmetrical design of this area makes it look particularly appealing and balanced. ‘It all looks great, but the reason it does is that we made a tremendous effort to get the symmetry right,’ the designer adds.
A generous larder cupboard stands conveniently close to the island food prep area. It has LED lighting fitted inside, with proximity sensors so the lights come on when the doors are opened. The insides of all the cupboards are made from oak veneer with a durable lacquered finish.
The drawers are all made from solid ash with traditional dovetail joints.
Discover 15 ingenious ways to stash your herbs and spices
Discover 15 ingenious ways to stash your herbs and spices
On the food prep side of the island, drawers contain cooking ingredients, so they are always conveniently to hand. These drawers have been designed to perfectly fit bottles of vinegar, oil and sauces.
‘We designed and made the handles in wenge wood,’ says Kirby. ‘They’re unique and very individual.’
Browse clever style steals to add personality to your kitchen
Browse clever style steals to add personality to your kitchen
The food prep end of the island features a curved chopping block formed from bamboo that’s been sliced and jointed together, so the end grain points upwards. ‘It grips the edge of the knife as you cut, which is useful,’ says Kirby. Its dark finish tones in beautifully with the wenge knobs.
The cast iron sink has a white enamel finish and sits below the granite work surface. ‘We chose a slightly textured granite, which has a sensual feel,’ says Kirby. ‘It’s just more interesting than normal shiny black granite.’
Steel Grey Politanato granite, sourced in India by Gerald Culliford Ltd and cut to size by Granitewoods.
Steel Grey Politanato granite, sourced in India by Gerald Culliford Ltd and cut to size by Granitewoods.
A plug socket below the worktop overhang on the island provides space for charging phones or laptops. Bright red Tolix stools add some contrasting colour and provide seating at the island.
Tolix stool, available from John Lewis.
See more breakfast bars with coffee shop appeal
Tolix stool, available from John Lewis.
See more breakfast bars with coffee shop appeal
Clever pull-out shelving that folds back into the deepest recesses of this corner helps to make use of every scrap of space.
TELL US…
What do you think of this kitchen? Share your thoughts in the Comments below.
TELL US…
What do you think of this kitchen? Share your thoughts in the Comments below.
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Great design, but MDF is big turnoff for me.
Lovely kitchen like the coloUr and really like the island also really handy storage. Great selection of Siemens appliances we have them on display in our showroom they are great appliances http://goo.gl/IoCTyv
Nice Kabinet..