Expansive contemporary u-shaped kitchen/diner in London with flat-panel cabinets, medium wood cabinets, composite countertops, metallic splashback, glass sheet splashback, stainless steel appliances, porcelain flooring and an island.

Nestled in the picturesque suburban area of Nazeing, Essex this stunning grand country house underwent an extensive renovation to become their forever home. Relocating to a grand country property like this offers huge potential to make it your dream home, and the goal was to blend timeless country charm with modern luxury, resulting in a kitchen at the centre that is as functional as it is breathtaking. Revitalising their living space, the area opened up to a kitchen, informal dining and living area, where the layout was carefully planned to enhance the flow of the zones, making it a hub for cooking, socialising and living. The whole space is not only beautiful inside but also maximises its connection to the outdoors. Large glass doors connect the open-plan space with the grounds bringing in a great deal of natural light and scenic views. Every corner is bright and airy, creating a relaxed and welcoming atmosphere. The location of this Nazeing home, surrounded by lush greenery and rolling hills, adds to the charm of this traditional yet modern kitchen design. Key design elements focus on natural oak, exposed wooden beams, and two spacious kitchen islands for maximum practicality and a touch of grandeur. In true Shaker style, the kitchen is both beautiful and usable, and we also designed handmade cabinetry for additional rooms such as a walk-in pantry, a utility and a media wall unit. Our client fell in love with the Classic In-Frame Shaker design, and this is the style that was chosen. The client also loved the look of natural oak to bring warmth to the room, tying in with the beams and country setting, so decided to have the whole middle section designed in nautral oak (2 islands and a dresser). What makes this hub of the home spectacular is the dual kitchen islands. Both built and designed in our beautiful natural oak, these two stunning islands serve multiple purposes for the space and our client. Working Island – Let’s start with the smaller one of the two. Square in shape, this is dedicated to food preparation and comes equipped with a Franke built-in sink and Quooker Classic Fusion Square in Patinated Brass. Ample counter space and storage solutions, including an integrated recycling bin, can be seen. Socialising Island – This is larger, more of a rectangle, and has a beautiful curved end acting as an additional informal dining area to the straight line. The space for six bar seats encourages family and guests to gather and socialise. It also features an S-Box (pop-up socket), bespoke cutlery & utensil drawers, deep pan drawers and curved end cabinetry. Further elevating the stunning design is the choice of range cooker and the exposed brick wall surrounding that sits at the centre. A cream classic AGA offers both traditional aesthetics and modern functionality that becomes the kitchen’s workhorse and the perfect choice for our client’s busy life. A little fun fact – this AGA is 30 years old! It has been repurposed from all gas to all-electric! It still looks brand new, keeping up with the modern family life! A quintessential country feature that is framed with bespoke cabinetry and an exposed brick wall, making it the focal point of the cooking area. Not only an appliance for cooking large family meals but a range cooker that heats the space during the colder winter months and adds to the homely, inviting feel of the space. Close, and just on the other side of the prep island and in direct view of the AGA, is a freestanding cabinetry unit that houses integrated cold storage appliances (fridge and freezer) from Samsung and a built-in Liebherr Wine Storage Cabinet. The breathtaking scenery is a natural backdrop, blending the indoors with the outdoors. Positioned in front of large windows and framed by exposed wooden beams, the sink area offers panoramic views of the surrounding countryside. The many windows flood the kitchen with natural light, making everyday tasks like washing up a pleasure. How this sink area was created: The Shaws Double Bowl sink brings the kitchen a classic yet timeless charm. A spacious, deep basin that’s practical for daily tasks and perfect for a family kitchen. The Perrin & Rowe Ionian Mixer Tap with Rinse in Aged Brass combines traditional craftsmanship with modern convenience. Choosing aged brass not only adds a luxurious vintage touch but also complements the natural tones of a country kitchen. A Perrin & Rowe Freestanding Soap Dispenser in Aged Brass Traditional completes the look. A small yet impactful accessory that blends seamlessly with the mixer tap. Its freestanding design allows for flexibility in placement – the sink area is kept neat and uncluttered, maintaining the clean lines of the design. This sink run includes two Miele fully integrated dishwashers and plenty of other storage solutions to keep the kitchen organised. The handmade cabinets are hand-painted in Rolling Fog by Little Greene. Further elevating the design with alternative storage and tying in with the country setting is the natural oak dresser. It’s the epitome of refined craftsmanship and classic style, that’s designed to elevate the aesthetics of the home and our client’s style. The dresser combines warm tones with the light, airy feel provided by the glazed doors and the Carrara Misterio worktop. With a bold structure, the upper section features glass-fronted cabinets, allowing our client to display their most treasured items while keeping them protected. It further enhances an open, airy look. Below, the dresser provides concealed storage with a sturdy oak door and drawers. The closed storage solution is perfect for keeping less decorative items, such as linens or tableware, neatly out of sight but easily accessible. In the middle is open-shelving. Something else that captures the eye and adds to the style and functionality of the kitchen is the beautifully crafted breakfast pantry, hand-painted in Rolling Fog by Little Greene. The pantry sits at one end of the kitchen providing a dedicated space for all your morning essentials, streamlining the daily routine all while adding a touch of refined elegance. It’s neatly organised, within reach, and designed beautifully behind bi-fold doors. The soft, muted tones of Rolling Fog, pair beautifully with the natural beauty of the woodwork. A Samsung Built-In Grill Microwave is housed in the middle and a quartz cold shelf is the ideal place for small kitchen appliances and keeping breakfast items such as butter, cheese, or fresh pastries cool during preparation. Other features of the kitchen include the handles – Perrin & Rowe Shell in Aged Brass, Perrin & Rowe Large Contoured Knobs in Aged Brass, and Armac Martin Bar Handles for fridge, freezer and wine cabinet. And the Carrara Misterio quartz worktops. Prime location, a light and airy walk-in pantry situated adjacent to the kitchen, enhancing the flow of the cooking and dining routines, is what we have created here. A thoughtful L-shaped layout brings a space that helps our clients quickly select ingredients, appliances, and other essentials and the spectacular views make it a space that feels both luxurious and serene. Our client opted for stylish storage jars to keep ingredients fresh and organised and wicker baskets to add to the rustic charm. These natural materials contrast beautifully with the sleek Carrara Misterio quartz worktops and open shelving, adding depth and character to the pantry design. A perfect blend of entertainment and cooking is just another key element of this space – a modern touch to the otherwise classic kitchen. In the living part of the open-plan space, we designed and built a media wall unit beneath those solid and beautiful wooden beams. Positioned in a way where you can see from the entertaining island, this beautiful feature still allows for all the family to enjoy TV shows altogether, whether cooking, eating or socialising. The media wall is framed with custom cabinetry that blends seamlessly with the rest of the space, keeping it stylish and attractive. The open shelving allows our client to display decorative items that fit in with the overall decor and below cabinetry to conceal other items you may not want to be displayed. We hand-painted the unit in Rolling Fog by Little Greene, a neutral hue that is warm and grounding.

Photography: Gibson Blanc
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Hand painted kitchen, fabricated by Harrison Collier. Craig Magee Photography
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This home was built and designed to serve both the current and future generations of the family by being flexible to meet their ever changing needs. The home also needed to stand the test of time in terms of functionality and timelessness of style, be environmentally responsible, and conform and enhance the current streetscape and the suburb. The home includes several sustainable features including an integrated control system to open and shut windows and monitor power resources. Because of these integrated technology features, this house won the CEDIA Best Integrated Home Worldwide 2016 Award.

Photography: Simone Morciano ©
Expansive contemporary single-wall kitchen/diner in London with flat-panel cabinets, white cabinets, stainless steel appliances, light hardwood flooring, an island, grey floors and white worktops.

As part of an extension to a 1930’s family house in North-West London, Vogue Kitchens was briefed to create a stylish understated handleless contemporary kitchen, yet with a plethora of clever internal storage options to keep it completely clutter-free. The extended area to the back of the property has an internal semi-partition wall part separates the kitchen and living space, while there is an open walk-through to either room. An entire wall of panel doors lead to the garden from both rooms and can be opened fully on either side to bring the outdoors in. The kitchen also features subtle adjustable LED spotlights in the ceiling to provide bright light, while further LED strip lighting was installed above the cabinetry to be a feature at night, and when entertaining. For colour, the clients were keen for the kitchen to have a monochrome effect for the kitchen, to complement the grey tones used for their living and dining space. They wanted the cabinetry and the worktops to be in a very flat matt finish, and a special matt lacquer from Leicht was used to create this effect. Leicht Carbon Grey was used for the tall cabinetry, while a much paler Merino colourway was used for contrast on the long kitchen island. For all surfaces, a quartz composite Unistone worktop was featured in Bianco colourway, which was also used for the end panels. Specially designed to the clients’ requirements, one end of the kitchen island features a cut out recess to accommodate a Leicht bespoke small square freestanding table with a top in Oak Smoke Silver laminate together with clients’own seating for informal dining. Directly above is pendant lighting by Tom Dixon, which features three non-uniform pendants to break up the linear conformity of the room. Installed within the facing side of the island is a Caple two-zone undercounter wine cabinet and centrally situated within the worksurface is a Siemens 60cm induction hob alongside a 30cm domino gas wok to accommodate all surface cooking requirements. Directly above is a 90cm fully integrated ceiling extractor by Falmec. Housed within the tall cabinetry are two 60cm Siemens multifunction ovens which are installed one above the other and also enclosed behind cabinetry doors are a Liebherr larder fridge and tall freezer. To contrast with all the matt cabinetry in the room, and to draw the eye, a granite splashback in Cosmic Black Leather was installed behind the wet area, which faces the internal aspect of the kitchen island. The wet area also comprises cabinetry for utilities and a Siemens 60cm integrated dishwasher, while within the the worksurface is a Blanco undermount sink and Quooker Flex 3-in-1 Boiling Water Tap.

Anita Fraser
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A New England inspired kitchen/dining/living space with rolling library ladder feature. Beautifully set in a barn conversion within the grounds of a 15th Century farmhouse. All furniture meticulously handcrafted by our exceptional team. Another successful collaboration with Fleur Interiors, our interior design partner in creating this stunning New England inspired country home.

© Paul Leach / Paul Leach Photography 2013
Expansive contemporary kitchen/diner in Other with flat-panel cabinets, dark wood cabinets, stainless steel appliances, a submerged sink, composite countertops, porcelain flooring and an island.