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Kitchen Tour: A Colourful Space That’s Made for Entertaining
A built-in bar was a vital ingredient in a kitchen design that’s bright, practical and welcoming for guests
If you like the idea of serving friends drinks across your very own bar, then take inspiration from this kitchen. The sociable design is at the heart of this open-plan room that’s perfect for sharing with friends and family.
Project manager Eamonn Agha of Hunstmore helped his client combine old and new, with a modern colour scheme that works with the original features of this Victorian property.
Project manager Eamonn Agha of Hunstmore helped his client combine old and new, with a modern colour scheme that works with the original features of this Victorian property.
The original kitchen was closed off and cramped, and had a mezzanine for storage above it. “Both areas were quite shallow and dark, so we removed the mezzanine,” Eamonn says.
The kitchen is now open to the rest of the room, which makes it feel brighter and more spacious. A hatch-style arrangement between one side of the U-shaped kitchen and the rest of the room creates the bar the homeowner wanted.
The hatch was formed by positioning an industrial-look, powder-coated steel frame, from which glasses can be suspended, above the work surface.
Need some professional help with your space? Find interior designers in your area
The hatch was formed by positioning an industrial-look, powder-coated steel frame, from which glasses can be suspended, above the work surface.
Need some professional help with your space? Find interior designers in your area
“The glasses are out of the way, but you can reach them very easily,” Eamonn says.
Find top picks for wine connoisseurs in the Houzz Shop
Find top picks for wine connoisseurs in the Houzz Shop
A tower unit was constructed for the end of the bar. It encloses it and aids in zoning the open-plan room. At the base is a wine cooler, while above there’s room for cookbooks and more glassware.
The team edged the tall unit with encaustic tiles, which creates a contrast with the remaining work surfaces and helps to show it off as a separate feature.
Encaustic tiles, Terrazzo Tiles.
Encaustic tiles, Terrazzo Tiles.
The tiles have a 3D appearance that looks striking, but the neutral colours don’t overpower the bold scheme.
The kitchen worktop is quartz. “It has a marble effect, but – with the possibility of drinks being spilled – it’s easily maintained,” Eamonn says.
He chose a light colour as a contrast to the rich blue units and walls. “A dark quartz would have pulled the room in,” he says.
He chose a light colour as a contrast to the rich blue units and walls. “A dark quartz would have pulled the room in,” he says.
Simple metro tiles form the room’s splashback and complement the industrial good looks of the glass storage unit.
The kitchen cabinetry, like the remaining walls of the kitchen-dining-living space, is painted in the blue shade the homeowner fell for. “He wanted a modern bar area with deep colour,” Eamonn explains.
The room’s high ceiling made it feasible to fit in two rows of wall cabinets. “It’s a smallish flat, so it needs as much storage as possible,” Eamonn says. “The cabinets at eye level are for essentials, with longer-term storage above.”
Kitchen cabinetry and walls painted in Blue Pearl, Paint & Paper Library.
The room’s high ceiling made it feasible to fit in two rows of wall cabinets. “It’s a smallish flat, so it needs as much storage as possible,” Eamonn says. “The cabinets at eye level are for essentials, with longer-term storage above.”
Kitchen cabinetry and walls painted in Blue Pearl, Paint & Paper Library.
A space-saving upholstered bench forms part of the seating. The cabinetry to the left was designed to be an exact fit in the corner of the room.
Eamonn had a new column radiator with a gun-metal finish fitted. “It’s part of the industrial but traditional style of the room,” he says.
Dining chairs; upholstered bench, all Brissi. Radiator, Column Rads.
11 ways to define your open-plan dining space
Eamonn had a new column radiator with a gun-metal finish fitted. “It’s part of the industrial but traditional style of the room,” he says.
Dining chairs; upholstered bench, all Brissi. Radiator, Column Rads.
11 ways to define your open-plan dining space
Visitors can sit on the sofas or at the dining table while someone is cooking in the kitchen. “It was important the areas were zoned,” Eamonn says. “That’s why there’s the bar area for entertaining, space for light dining and, for relaxing, a TV above the mantel.”
The room’s original timber floor was retained, but it was sanded down and given a sophisticated dark finish with paint.
Floorboards painted in Chimney Brick, Little Greene.
The room’s original timber floor was retained, but it was sanded down and given a sophisticated dark finish with paint.
Floorboards painted in Chimney Brick, Little Greene.
The original features of the apartment had been lost, but the homeowner was keen to reinstate the Victorian character.
It was important to maximise storage and maintain the room’s clutter-free lines, so cupboards and shelves were designed and built to fit into the alcoves. “On the left is the internet and TV cabling,” says Eamonn. “The wires feed through the chimney breast.”
Tell us…
What do you like about this made-for-entertaining kitchen? Share your thoughts in the Comments section.
Tell us…
What do you like about this made-for-entertaining kitchen? Share your thoughts in the Comments section.
Who lives here? A single professional man
Location Notting Hill, London
Property A flat in a converted Victorian terraced house
Dimensions The kitchen is around 2.2 x 3.6m; the whole room is 5.1 x 5.5m
Project manager Eamonn Agha of Huntsmore
Interior architect Bernard Zammit of XAMI
Photos by Chris Snook
Eamonn Agha’s sociable client was keen to include a home bar area in his kitchen, so this was an intrinsic part of the overall design. The kitchen area is part of a zoned, open-plan space that’s ideally laid out for welcoming guests.
Chandelier, John Bly Antiques.