Large Contemporary Open Plan Kitchen Ideas and Designs

This 30 sq. metre open plan kitchen is part of a modern brick extension added on to a Victorian cottage near Thame, Oxfordshire. It was designed and made at the Simon Taylor Furniture cabinet workshop in Buckinghamshire. With a nod to Mid-century Modern styling, this contemporary bespoke handleless kitchen features on-trend open shelving and a statement waterfall island as the hub of the open plan space. The task side of the island includes deep pan drawers facing an AGA with a single cupboard to one side and pull-out bins to the other. The facing side includes a recess for three counter stools in between a 30cm walnut wine rack and a 30cm wine chiller. To complement their black AGA, the clients chose dark worktops in Eternal Noir by Silestone with a double pencil edge. This is a black stone with a strong off-white vein running through it. The 20mm thick splashback behind the AGA is made from the same Silestone quartz material which is also used for the sills, the upstands and the waterfall edges of the island. On either side of the range cooker are soft-close deep pan drawers, all with walnut dovetail drawer boxes, and corner base cabinets with walnut internal carcases and shelving. The three runs of handleless lacquered cabinetry are in a u-shape and door and drawer fronts are painted in Peignoir by Farrow & Ball, a neutral colour with a pink hue that complements the floor tiles. The AGA sits between two feature windows facing out the garden and directly above it is a concealed recirculation canopy hood by Siemens. On either side are two small overhead cabinets to house jugs and cafetieres, all with the same slab fronts. The left-hand cabinetry run features further deep pan drawers with wall-mounted open walnut shelving above that have inset LED lights at the base of each shelf to make a feature of the room at night. Tall cabinetry to the side of this includes a housing for an integrated fridge freezer by Siemens, next to a double door pantry larder with a walnut carcase, shelving and spice racks affixed to both doors. A large LED spotlight is inset to the roof of the carcase to illuminate the internal cabinetry making it easier to access jars and tins. As opposed to having a narrow cabinet with an end panel, floor-to-ceiling walnut open shelving at the end of this run that faces into the dining area and links the kitchen with the rest of the space. The shelves accommodate the client’s collection of cookery books, Le Creuset pans and crockery. The right-hand area is the sink run featuring drainer grooves in the worktop next to two undermount sinks in gun metal by 1810 Company and a twin tap, also in gun metal by Caple. Overhead are two lift-up glass cabinets on either side of a shallow lift-up cabinet with an under cloak running above the sink, all with LED lighting at the base. Above the upstand is another splashback in matt glass, which is colour-matched with the lacquered furniture. Within the base cabinetry is a 60cm integrated dishwasher, also by Siemens. Natural timber accents soften the look of the overall space, which include the 130mm plinth and cornices. Ceiling spotlights are carefully located to wash over the cabinetry and worktops, and the statement pendant light is the client’s own.