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Kitchen Tour: A Neatly Organised Kitchen With Masses of Storage
This light and bright contemporary kitchen mixes pale grey units with handmade walnut details to beautiful effect
When it comes to kitchens, there’s a tendency to think period style equals cosy, while modern equals sleek and functional. However, there is a third way: this simple, handcrafted kitchen manages to pull off modern and inviting.
“A kitchen doesn’t have to be traditional for it to feel cosy and warm,” designer Jane Powell of Roundhouse says. “Hopefully, this scheme shows you can do a handleless kitchen that looks soft and family-friendly, thanks to the colour choices and wooden details.”
“A kitchen doesn’t have to be traditional for it to feel cosy and warm,” designer Jane Powell of Roundhouse says. “Hopefully, this scheme shows you can do a handleless kitchen that looks soft and family-friendly, thanks to the colour choices and wooden details.”
The key in this kitchen was keeping things simple and tranquil. “The owners very much wanted the space to feel calm and open,” Jane says. “They didn’t want a kitchen that was shouty or that jarred with the rest of the room, especially as it was going to be part of the dining area.”
The kitchen units also had to work with the beautiful oak floor. “We don’t supply floors as part of our kitchens, but we always want to know what the owners are considering, and can help them to make choices,” she says. “We feel it’s part of the whole room.”
The long, wall-mounted cabinet on the left-hand wall provides a home for “overspill pieces” from the kitchen. “Because it’s not on the floor, and it’s shallow, it doesn’t feel heavy,” Jane says.
The kitchen units also had to work with the beautiful oak floor. “We don’t supply floors as part of our kitchens, but we always want to know what the owners are considering, and can help them to make choices,” she says. “We feel it’s part of the whole room.”
The long, wall-mounted cabinet on the left-hand wall provides a home for “overspill pieces” from the kitchen. “Because it’s not on the floor, and it’s shallow, it doesn’t feel heavy,” Jane says.
The cabinets are from Roundhouse’s Urbo range, painted in a grey matt lacquer, with American walnut interiors and matching recessed handrails.
“We chose this cabinet colour as it’s a gorgeous neutral,” Jane says. “The owners didn’t want white; they wanted something warm, but not heavy. And the soft grey suits the warmth of the wood – they loved the idea of bringing in the walnut details. It looks stunning with that particular grey, bringing a real handmade look to this space.”
The worktop is a white composite stone.
Urbo matt lacquer kitchen units, Roundhouse; painted in French Grey Dark, Little Greene.
“We chose this cabinet colour as it’s a gorgeous neutral,” Jane says. “The owners didn’t want white; they wanted something warm, but not heavy. And the soft grey suits the warmth of the wood – they loved the idea of bringing in the walnut details. It looks stunning with that particular grey, bringing a real handmade look to this space.”
The worktop is a white composite stone.
Urbo matt lacquer kitchen units, Roundhouse; painted in French Grey Dark, Little Greene.
The long cabinet above the sink and cooker conceals an extractor fan as well as a cupboard for mugs and glassware. “Open shelving above the sink means you can add some personality with beautiful pottery pieces, which keeps the look light,” Jane says.
The splashback is in the same composite stone as the worktop. “We only did a small upstand of 300mm in order to keep the look soft,” Jane says. “If it had gone right up to the cabinet, it would have looked a bit strange and we would have lost the floating aspect, so we kept it simple.”
The owners also liked the idea of sticking to just two or three materials – “a mix of stone, wood and the matt grey lacquer. To bring in another for a splashback would have changed that. Using the same materials keeps it unfussy, and pulls everything together.”
BL/517 247 ZEROX 550-U S/ST sink, Blanco. 20573149 Oxygen with pull-out B/Nickel tap, Gessi. 3DRVS PRO3 boiling-water tap in stainless-steel, Quooker.
The splashback is in the same composite stone as the worktop. “We only did a small upstand of 300mm in order to keep the look soft,” Jane says. “If it had gone right up to the cabinet, it would have looked a bit strange and we would have lost the floating aspect, so we kept it simple.”
The owners also liked the idea of sticking to just two or three materials – “a mix of stone, wood and the matt grey lacquer. To bring in another for a splashback would have changed that. Using the same materials keeps it unfussy, and pulls everything together.”
BL/517 247 ZEROX 550-U S/ST sink, Blanco. 20573149 Oxygen with pull-out B/Nickel tap, Gessi. 3DRVS PRO3 boiling-water tap in stainless-steel, Quooker.
One of the key things in the brief was that the owners didn’t want anything on the island, Jane says. “No sink, no hob… They wanted the island clear and free for all kinds of uses – food prep, the kids doing homework, working on the laptop.
“It means your eye isn’t disrupted when you walk into the room. It keeps that sense of openness. You just see a beautiful clear surface, and can put a vase of flowers or bowl of fruit on there. As soon as you incorporate a hob, it becomes more of a kitchen.”
“It means your eye isn’t disrupted when you walk into the room. It keeps that sense of openness. You just see a beautiful clear surface, and can put a vase of flowers or bowl of fruit on there. As soon as you incorporate a hob, it becomes more of a kitchen.”
There are two sets of drawers in the kitchen. “The island ones hold cutlery, mixing bowls and crockery. The set between the sink and oven are for utensils, pots and pans – everything you want to grab quickly when you’re at the hob,” Jane says.
Find kitchen designers and fitters in your area in the Houzz Professionals Directory.
Find kitchen designers and fitters in your area in the Houzz Professionals Directory.
The kitchen features a standard oven, plus a smaller microwave combination oven with a warming drawer underneath.
The hob was chosen as, unlike many gas models, it sits flush with the worktop. “It’s more practical, as when you have pots and pans on a normal gas hob, things can tip up. And because it’s flat, it looks beautiful.”
Hob, Barazza. Series 3 B45E74N3GB CircoTherm Oven; Series 3 C57M70N3GB microwave combination oven; N21H40N3GB warming drawer, all Neff.
The hob was chosen as, unlike many gas models, it sits flush with the worktop. “It’s more practical, as when you have pots and pans on a normal gas hob, things can tip up. And because it’s flat, it looks beautiful.”
Hob, Barazza. Series 3 B45E74N3GB CircoTherm Oven; Series 3 C57M70N3GB microwave combination oven; N21H40N3GB warming drawer, all Neff.
The Fulham pantry has spice racks on each door, and it contains an extra worktop. It’s a great way to conceal clutter. “You can put your coffee machine or any other gadget in there,” Jane says. “Some people use it for a mixer or juicer, so they can open up the doors and use it, then shut it away when it’s not in use.”
The food storage is deliberately all in one area. “The larder is next to the fridge, so it’s easy when putting shopping away,” Jane says.
“I always think of the journey when you come into a kitchen – a busy family morning or evening preparing food. When the pantry and fridge are together, it’s easier. If someone wants to make a sandwich and someone else is at the other end cooking, you’re not in each other’s way,” she says.
“You can have this beautiful big kitchen, but if it’s not designed right, you can all end up in one little corner trying to get to the same drawer,” she adds.
Fridge-freezer, Fisher & Paykel.
The food storage is deliberately all in one area. “The larder is next to the fridge, so it’s easy when putting shopping away,” Jane says.
“I always think of the journey when you come into a kitchen – a busy family morning or evening preparing food. When the pantry and fridge are together, it’s easier. If someone wants to make a sandwich and someone else is at the other end cooking, you’re not in each other’s way,” she says.
“You can have this beautiful big kitchen, but if it’s not designed right, you can all end up in one little corner trying to get to the same drawer,” she adds.
Fridge-freezer, Fisher & Paykel.
The stools combine walnut and oak, mirroring the other wooden elements in the kitchen. “Oak and walnut are two great friends,” Jane says. “They are so different in tone, they don’t risk a clash. They also have a similar grain.”
Stools, Pinch.
Stools, Pinch.
A short shelf provides a home for recipe books. “The owner loved that this allowed her to keep out cookbooks, or things she wants to use all the time,” Jane says. “The recess also provides a home for the toaster and blender, so they don’t have to sit out in the main body of the kitchen.”
The sideboard at the far end was built bespoke to match the kitchen units, but with a walnut top instead of the white composite. The unit incorporates a wine fridge, making for a great little bar area.
“The owners loved the idea of the cabinetry all having a similar look, but we changed this unit slightly with a solid walnut top for a softer look,” Jane says.
“We also deliberately kept it physically separate from the main run of kitchen cabinets with a gap,” she adds. “Sometimes, the temptation is to cover every wall, but actually, if you have the luxury of space, as here, you don’t need to do that. Otherwise, it crowds everything and the room starts to feel small.”
“The owners loved the idea of the cabinetry all having a similar look, but we changed this unit slightly with a solid walnut top for a softer look,” Jane says.
“We also deliberately kept it physically separate from the main run of kitchen cabinets with a gap,” she adds. “Sometimes, the temptation is to cover every wall, but actually, if you have the luxury of space, as here, you don’t need to do that. Otherwise, it crowds everything and the room starts to feel small.”
This kitchen is all about great craftsmanship – it’s all in the details. “I think part of the enjoyment of a kitchen like this one is the handmade aspect,” Jane says. “People appreciate the craftsmanship of a lot of things now and want to make an investment in pieces that look good and also function well.”
The floorplans for the new kitchen-diner.
Tell us…
What do you like about this calm kitchen? Share your thoughts in the Comments section.
Tell us…
What do you like about this calm kitchen? Share your thoughts in the Comments section.
Who lives here? A professional family with two children
Location Twickenham, southwest London
Property A detached Arts and Crafts house with six bedrooms
Kitchen-diner dimensions Around 30 sq m
Designer Jane Powell at Roundhouse
Photos by Darren Chung
The kitchen had recently been extended, with large, full-height windows to bring in plenty of light. Roundhouse worked with the owners from the early days of the project.
“With bespoke kitchens, there’s usually a longer lead time,” Jane says. “We need to swap drawings with builders and services.”