Kitchen Tour: A Classic Shaker With Some Stylish Twists
Richly toned antiqued brass complements the elegant Shaker features in this contemporary kitchen
The new kitchen in this 19th-century Bristol home combines a handful of key elements. Granite and American white-oak worktops, Shaker cabinets and fresh colours blend beautifully here, but it was antiqued brass that kicked the whole scheme off. Having fallen in love with this material, the owners urged designer Sam Shaw of Sustainable Kitchens to put it at the centre of the scheme. With antiqued brass on the splashback, island worktop and handles, Shaw then designed a kitchen which is a bright, contemporary take on classic Shaker style.
Although the room was almost completely gutted, an original chimney breast remained, where the Aga is now installed, and the window was in the same place, too. “The room was a nice simple square shape,” says Shaw. “The sink naturally went in front of the window, everyone likes that, and the Aga had its given position. I designed from there.”
The owners had visited Shaw’s showroom and were inspired by an oak and brass table there. “They loved that,” he says. “Antiqued brass became the starting point. We designed it on the island worktop and splashback and then built the aesthetic around that.”
Shaw and his team treat the brass to give it an antiqued finish. “We use a chemical treatment which just speeds up the ageing process,” he explains. “We buy big sheets of new, polished brass and treat it with a product called Black for Brass Patina from Kansa Craft which turns it black, then we rub it back.” The brass surface on the island is set within an American white-oak frame, while the splashback behind the Aga is mounted on a plywood board. “The brass is fairly resistant and doesn’t need treating further,” says Shaw. “It can take spills and damage. It all adds to its patina.”
The owners knew they wanted Shaker-style cabinetry, but didn’t want anything heavy in the room. “The cabinets had to sit lightly and they didn’t want wall cupboards, only a few floating shelves,” says Shaw. To boost storage, he designed two tall tower cabinets. “The owners liked the idea of having a grand dresser in here, but wanted something light and not too imposing,” he says. “The ceilings are pretty high, about 3.9m, so we wanted cabinets to stretch up quite far, but we made them very shallow, at just 24cm deep.” They are now the perfect size for storing glassware and mugs.
Antiqued brass features on the handles and door knobs, too, but these were purchased with this aged patina already created.
Handles and knobs, all Armac Martin.
See a round-up of 10 of the best heritage style kitchens on Houzz
Handles and knobs, all Armac Martin.
See a round-up of 10 of the best heritage style kitchens on Houzz
The base units that wrap around the room and provide the main food prep areas are all topped off with a granite worktop. Its dark tones make a gritty contrast to the warm oak and antiqued brass on the island.
Sink, Villeroy & Boch.
Sink, Villeroy & Boch.
The kitchen flows onto a dining space but the owners were still keen to have an island they could sit around for casual meals. “It was quite a squeeze to fit it in,” says Shaw. “It’s much narrower than a standard island.” It measures 215cm long by 84.5cm wide.
Pendant lights hang over the island, again featuring brass. They add a hint of industrial style to this contemporary Shaker kitchen.
Pendant lights, Ebay.
What do you love about this fresh take on Shaker style? Tell us in the Comments below.
Pendant lights, Ebay.
What do you love about this fresh take on Shaker style? Tell us in the Comments below.
Who lives here A couple and their children
Location Bristol
Property A detached house built in 1832
Size Four bedrooms, three bathrooms
Kitchen dimensions 3.8m x 4.1m
Designer Sam Shaw of Sustainable Kitchens
Photos by Charlie O’Beirne
Although built in 1832 and the oldest house on its street, this Bristol home does not have listed status. This means its owners have been able to undertake a complete refurbishment and, while they did preserve original features, there were fewer constraints around what they could and couldn’t do. “The kitchen was a complete building site when I first saw it,” says designer Sam Shaw. “They had stripped the space out, there was dust everywhere and there were Acrow props in place to hold up the ceiling where they had removed a supporting wall and chimney breast.”
Find out how to survive a major building project here