Kitchen of the Week: A Sunny Space with Clean Lines and Warm Wood
Abundant natural light and glossy surfaces teamed with tactile timber give this kitchen an airy, welcoming mood
At its best, a kitchen is an open, clean, light-filled space that can simultaneously work as a calm refuge in the mornings before a packed day and as a convivial place to gather with friends and family. Designer John McNeil kept these ideals in mind when he created this brand-new kitchen for a professional couple with young children. ‘We like to work really closely with our clients, and with this project they put in a lot of effort, too,’ he says. The end result is a lively, spacious kitchen with plenty of warmth and natural light.
The German high-gloss handleless cabinetry, available through in-toto, reflects the light coming in from the skylights to further boost the brightness. The beige-grey high-gloss unit houses the fridge, a larder and plenty of storage.
Learn how to add personality to your kitchen with these design tips
Learn how to add personality to your kitchen with these design tips
However, in order to avoid turning the kitchen into too glossy an affair, John applied a matt varnish to the oak floorboards, and also chose matt paint for the walls and a matt solid-wood table. ‘It would have been too much gloss otherwise, and the matt gives the room its warmth,’ John explains. The clients picked out the soft grey colour for the elegant Belgian quartz worktops.
John wanted to add an element of tradition to the minimalist space, hence the range cooker. He sourced a matching extraction hood, but then had to work out a way to fit it. The hood needed to be ducted out, but the current layout made that impossible. ‘Because of its position, we couldn’t duct it through the roof,’ John explains, since the pitched roof would have obstructed the duct. ‘Instead, we dropped the ceiling so the ducting could come out on the gable end.’
Premium Mistral Grey worktops, Diresco. Range cooker and extractor hood, Britannia.
John wanted to add an element of tradition to the minimalist space, hence the range cooker. He sourced a matching extraction hood, but then had to work out a way to fit it. The hood needed to be ducted out, but the current layout made that impossible. ‘Because of its position, we couldn’t duct it through the roof,’ John explains, since the pitched roof would have obstructed the duct. ‘Instead, we dropped the ceiling so the ducting could come out on the gable end.’
Premium Mistral Grey worktops, Diresco. Range cooker and extractor hood, Britannia.
Sink and tap, Blanco.
Another main feature of the kitchen is its large, handsome wooden table. ‘It’s from Danish timber company Spekva,’ John explains. ‘It’s custom-made and the timber has such a nice finish. It works really well with the handleless kitchen because of its hidden joints, and it’s a natural product you automatically want to touch.’
Wooden table, Spekva.
Wooden table, Spekva.
John says he can’t take credit for the grey pendant light and comfy cushioned bar stools, which were all sourced by the client. ‘We talked about the colour and decided on an earthy brown tone,’ he says.
The children use the table as a breakfast bar, but it also functions as a workstation where the owners can plan their day and catch up on assignments.
Browse a selection of bar stool styles
The children use the table as a breakfast bar, but it also functions as a workstation where the owners can plan their day and catch up on assignments.
Browse a selection of bar stool styles
Next to the dining table, a big set of folding doors leads out to a small courtyard.
‘Prior to the extension, the outside space was much bigger,’ John says. But his clients decided to forgo some of the garden space in favour of an integrated dining and kitchen area. ‘They wanted this to be a family space that could be adapted as the children grow,’ he adds.
Now this multi-functional space, with its large fridge, big cupboards and plenty of work space, incorporates all of the family’s needs and interests, and truly functions as a communal and interactive room.
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What do you think of this kitchen? Share your thoughts in the Comments below.
TELL US…
What do you think of this kitchen? Share your thoughts in the Comments below.
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Who lives here A creative professional couple with two young children
Location Tynemouth, Tyne & Wear
Designer John McNeil from in-toto Kitchens Newcastle
Size 65 sq m
When John’s clients bought this 1930s property in 2013, they realised the home was too small for their needs, and decided to create a modern kitchen in a bright new extension. However, the extension’s pitched roof, which was an elemental part of the extension to conserve the building’s aesthetic, created a bit of a challenge. ‘To get lighting into that space was actually quite difficult,’ John says.
He chose to add two skylights instead of a lantern, and teamed them with ceiling lights installed on a swivel so they can be directed to highlight the worktops. ‘Choosing skylights gave us the option of having the spotlights, too, which we couldn’t have included if we’d installed a big lantern,’ he explains.
The two long windows at the far end were another addition that didn’t originally feature in the architect’s plans, but were included by John in order to increase the natural light. ‘If the whole gable end was just brick, that area of the kitchen would have been really dark,’ he says. ‘Instead, this invites you to look out into the garden.’