A Bespoke Family Kitchen

Reading, Caversham

Creating a kitchen that felt connected and in tune with the outside space, along with ample room for entertaining, was the challenge when designing this kitchen.

The existing kitchen was very traditional in style, with lots of busy detail in the wall and floor tiles with ornate detailing to the furniture and mantle. The client wanted to simplify both the space and the overall styling of the kitchen itself.

As a keen gardener and a big fan of entertaining, the client wanted the space to be functional and practical as well as sympathetic to its surroundings, with good access to the outside area and lots of natural light. The client was keen to soften the space with more decorative areas and was eager to create a welcoming and inviting environment.

It was clear when discussing the project with the client that she was passionate about including the outside area when designing the internal space. The decision was made to remove the majority of the back wall to the kitchen to showcase their fabulous garden and increase the natural light.

The space needed to be versatile with a TV zone, drinks area, practical utility space and a social and comfortable island all on the clients wish list. Clever solutions such as a tandem larder unit, le-mans corner mechanism and sliding pocket door to the utility helped to optimise storage without compromised accessibility.

The walkway through to the adjacent snug was widened to create an attractive drinks area with glass fronted wall units and antique mirror splashback to brightened up the space and create a more decorative zone, ideal for entertaining, so that guest help themselves without entering the working area of the kitchen.

We used our elements bespoke hand-made in-frame shaker furniture with a smooth painted finish to give a contemporary twist to a traditional style of cabinetry making. We included oak dovetail drawer boxes and wood effect cabinet interiors for an added feel of luxury. The bespoke furniture paired with a marble effect quartz worktop gives a tailored and practical finish.

The client wanted to be comfortable accommodating family and friends at the island, we used a curved breakfast bar to create more sociable seating with a solid oak wood finish to add texture and colour. The use of the venting hob removed the need for any overhead extractor, giving us the opportunity to soften the overall look with some feature pendant lighting.