Kitchen of the Week: Clever Storage in a 16th Century Space
A designer tucks storage into nooks and crannies to keep this low-ceilinged room feeling light and open
The low, beamed ceiling in this room presented a challenge for kitchen specialist Chisholm Design: how to incorporate plentiful storage without the space feeling cramped. This was especially important because the front of the house is Georgian, with high ceilings and big windows, whereas the back of the house is 16th century, with low ceilings, as seen here.
“There’s quite a mismatch in the feel of the house as you go through it, so it was important the spaces flowed together,” designer Joanna Chisholm says. She did this by keeping the kitchen light and open, so the low ceiling and reduced light is less apparent, and slotting storage neatly into all the available space, including under the stairs and within the fireplace.
“There’s quite a mismatch in the feel of the house as you go through it, so it was important the spaces flowed together,” designer Joanna Chisholm says. She did this by keeping the kitchen light and open, so the low ceiling and reduced light is less apparent, and slotting storage neatly into all the available space, including under the stairs and within the fireplace.
Before: “The clients had recently bought the house and it was a complete mess — it didn’t have a kitchen in it when we first got there,” Chisholm says. “They had quite a lot of work to do to the building — part of the outside wall was collapsing.”
They needed to level the floor, replace the windows, repoint some of the internal brickwork and replace the post in the middle of the room. “It wasn’t fit to hold up the house,” she says.
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They needed to level the floor, replace the windows, repoint some of the internal brickwork and replace the post in the middle of the room. “It wasn’t fit to hold up the house,” she says.
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After: The designers made sure they kept some of the original “wonkiness” of the room. “The clients were really keen that we retain as much of that as possible, because they wanted it to feel like an old house,” Chisholm says.
Keeping the space as light as possible was important. “It’s south-facing, but on a dull day there isn’t a huge amount of light coming in,” she says. As well as painting the walls and ceiling white, she’s chosen pale limestone for the flooring and a pale but, crucially, warm neutral for the perimeter cabinets.
The island has been given definition with a gray-green paint. “The clients wanted the kitchen to feel calm and connected to the garden, which is why they opted for the green,” Chisholm says.
The team fitted a sturdy new oak pillar to replace the weak post and incorporated it into the end of the island to ensure they could still give the couple a good-sized breakfast bar.
Island paint: Pompeian Grey, Little Greene; perimeter cabinetry paint: Rolling Fog, Little Greene
Keeping the space as light as possible was important. “It’s south-facing, but on a dull day there isn’t a huge amount of light coming in,” she says. As well as painting the walls and ceiling white, she’s chosen pale limestone for the flooring and a pale but, crucially, warm neutral for the perimeter cabinets.
The island has been given definition with a gray-green paint. “The clients wanted the kitchen to feel calm and connected to the garden, which is why they opted for the green,” Chisholm says.
The team fitted a sturdy new oak pillar to replace the weak post and incorporated it into the end of the island to ensure they could still give the couple a good-sized breakfast bar.
Island paint: Pompeian Grey, Little Greene; perimeter cabinetry paint: Rolling Fog, Little Greene
Chisholm has left gaps between the new oak pillar and the quartz upstand that wraps around it because of the nature of the wood. “The oak is going to move over time, so we couldn’t put a bead of silicone around it as we usually would,” she explains.
The countertops throughout are durable quartz.
The countertops throughout are durable quartz.
To help compensate for the lack of wall units in the rest of the kitchen, Chisholm designed this bank of tall cupboards containing masses of storage.
In the middle is a breakfast cupboard (or butler’s pantry) with drawers below. The bifold doors can be left open without getting in the way, so the room can benefit from the internal lights.
The tall cabinet on the left contains shelving for additional crockery, such as serving dishes, while the cabinet on the right is a larder, with spice racks on the doors, roomy shelves, and open drawers at the bottom.
The tall cabinet on the left contains shelving for additional crockery, such as serving dishes, while the cabinet on the right is a larder, with spice racks on the doors, roomy shelves, and open drawers at the bottom.
Before: The old staircase, to the right of where the tall cabinets are now, wasn’t fit for purpose. In addition, the floor needed to be lowered and the ceiling beams replaced on this side of the room.
After: The whole staircase has now been replaced. The cupboard at the back of the stairs is a larder refrigerator (which doesn’t contain an ice box; the freezer is in the laundry room, just seen inside the open door).
It was a tight fit to get the tall appliance into the sloping space. “The builders often don’t put stairs in until quite late, so we had to wait until they were properly in, then measure the angle and depth [of the space] to make sure we could physically get the [refrigerator] in before ordering it,” Chisholm says.
The thickness of the floor tiles had to be taken into account, too. “We’re mindful of build-up,” Chisholm says. “If a builder puts [and inch] on the wall or floor, for example, it can make a massive difference.”
The brass ventilation grille above the door is a smart detail that works nicely with the beams.
Classic brass vent cover: DeVOL
It was a tight fit to get the tall appliance into the sloping space. “The builders often don’t put stairs in until quite late, so we had to wait until they were properly in, then measure the angle and depth [of the space] to make sure we could physically get the [refrigerator] in before ordering it,” Chisholm says.
The thickness of the floor tiles had to be taken into account, too. “We’re mindful of build-up,” Chisholm says. “If a builder puts [and inch] on the wall or floor, for example, it can make a massive difference.”
The brass ventilation grille above the door is a smart detail that works nicely with the beams.
Classic brass vent cover: DeVOL
The oak wine rack was also a challenge. “We had to make sure the fridge didn’t heat up the bottles, so there’s some extra insulation in there,” Chisholm says.
There are no radiators in here, so the team laid underfloor heating beneath the limestone tile.
Floor tiles: Dijon tumbled limestone, Quorn Stone
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There are no radiators in here, so the team laid underfloor heating beneath the limestone tile.
Floor tiles: Dijon tumbled limestone, Quorn Stone
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Three black and brass pendant lights hang over the island. The electrical conduit running along the beam is actually white plastic, which was massively cheaper than a brass version. “The homeowner did a very clever job of getting it to look brass by spray-painting it,” Chisholm says.
As well as the island pendants, there are discreet white, flush-fitting spotlights dotted between some of the beams, as well as lighting within and below the glazed wall unit (more of which below), above the range, and in all the tall cabinets.
The double doors seen here lead into the dining room, which is more of a formal dining space.
Pendant lights: Chelsea Dome in Pewter & Brass, Industville
As well as the island pendants, there are discreet white, flush-fitting spotlights dotted between some of the beams, as well as lighting within and below the glazed wall unit (more of which below), above the range, and in all the tall cabinets.
The double doors seen here lead into the dining room, which is more of a formal dining space.
Pendant lights: Chelsea Dome in Pewter & Brass, Industville
The island is large — 8 feet by 3.3 feet — but Chisholm has softened it with curves. “I do think they make a difference,” she says. “[The clients] didn’t want lots of curves, but the one on the end of the sink run, for instance, is nice, because that’s a walkway into a study, so it softens it. I think if it had been square, it might have been a bit harsh.”
The open end of the tall unit is also curved, but Chisholm hasn’t gone overboard. “We don’t have them on the sides of the wall cupboard, for example, as you can over-curve things if you’re not careful,” she says.
“The cabinets are our country Shaker design,” she adds. “There’s a little bit of beading inside the frames, just to give that more traditional look, which goes with the house.”
Most of the day-to-day crockery, pans and flatware live in the island, while a wooden tray and two cutting boards have their own slots in the side. “They add a bit of warmth and tie in with beams,” Chisholm says.
The open end of the tall unit is also curved, but Chisholm hasn’t gone overboard. “We don’t have them on the sides of the wall cupboard, for example, as you can over-curve things if you’re not careful,” she says.
“The cabinets are our country Shaker design,” she adds. “There’s a little bit of beading inside the frames, just to give that more traditional look, which goes with the house.”
Most of the day-to-day crockery, pans and flatware live in the island, while a wooden tray and two cutting boards have their own slots in the side. “They add a bit of warmth and tie in with beams,” Chisholm says.
Chisholm has fitted in one wall cabinet, making the most of this little space. The unit is tucked right up against the beam, with the trim cut to fit.
The cupboard doors are glazed, so the room can benefit from the internal lighting “and it doesn’t feel as heavy as a solid door. The glass is fluted, so you can hide things a little that aren’t necessarily beautiful, but still get the light,” Chisholm says.
The part-glazed back door brings in extra light. The barn-door style means the owners can open just the top half to prevent the dog escaping.
The cupboard doors are glazed, so the room can benefit from the internal lighting “and it doesn’t feel as heavy as a solid door. The glass is fluted, so you can hide things a little that aren’t necessarily beautiful, but still get the light,” Chisholm says.
The part-glazed back door brings in extra light. The barn-door style means the owners can open just the top half to prevent the dog escaping.
The 1.5 bowl farmhouse sink by Thomas Denby is an unusual configuration, having a big, 20-inch-wide bowl on one side, and a little, 8-inch bowl on the other. “It’s the best of both worlds,” Chisholm says. “A double [farmhouse] sink tends to have two smallish bowls; the client was keen to have one where she could properly soak things.”
The sink is flanked by a dishwasher and a bins cabinet.
Boiling-water faucet in Patinated Brass: Quooker; hardware: Crofts & Assinder
The sink is flanked by a dishwasher and a bins cabinet.
Boiling-water faucet in Patinated Brass: Quooker; hardware: Crofts & Assinder
The clients really wanted a range cooker. “It fits with the house and also there wasn’t a lot of room to have ovens in a tall tower,” Chisholm says.
She managed to make use of the original fireplace, but “it was very wonky. It was tricky to get an extractor in without a lot of digging around in the ceiling, but the builder did a brilliant job of getting the ducting up, across the ceiling, and out,” she says.
The wood lintel and brickwork are original. “The clients were really keen on it not all being made straight and keeping its character,” Chisholm says. The antique mirror backsplash reflects the light and goes with the feel of the room.
The cupboards either side of the range are quite shallow, as it’s such a deep fireplace, but they’re perfect for oils, herbs and spices. “They work really well there, otherwise the larder is quite far away at the other side of the kitchen,” Chisholm says.
Range cooker: Classic Deluxe: Rangemaster
She managed to make use of the original fireplace, but “it was very wonky. It was tricky to get an extractor in without a lot of digging around in the ceiling, but the builder did a brilliant job of getting the ducting up, across the ceiling, and out,” she says.
The wood lintel and brickwork are original. “The clients were really keen on it not all being made straight and keeping its character,” Chisholm says. The antique mirror backsplash reflects the light and goes with the feel of the room.
The cupboards either side of the range are quite shallow, as it’s such a deep fireplace, but they’re perfect for oils, herbs and spices. “They work really well there, otherwise the larder is quite far away at the other side of the kitchen,” Chisholm says.
Range cooker: Classic Deluxe: Rangemaster
Chisholm has also made brilliant use of the space in the adjacent laundry/mudroom.
On the mudroom side, ceiling-high cabinets, painted in the same color as the kitchen units, hide a large Megaflo (hot water) cylinder, the boiler, and a water softener. “There was a lot of plumbing to be thought about,” Chisholm says. “[Laundry rooms] can be tricky because of all the plumbing and you can’t really measure until all that plumbing is in.”
To the left there are coat hooks and a bench with a drawer underneath for hats and gloves, then a cupboard for rain boots with baskets above.
On the mudroom side, ceiling-high cabinets, painted in the same color as the kitchen units, hide a large Megaflo (hot water) cylinder, the boiler, and a water softener. “There was a lot of plumbing to be thought about,” Chisholm says. “[Laundry rooms] can be tricky because of all the plumbing and you can’t really measure until all that plumbing is in.”
To the left there are coat hooks and a bench with a drawer underneath for hats and gloves, then a cupboard for rain boots with baskets above.
On the laundry side, there’s a tall freezer within easy reach of the kitchen, then a stacked washing machine and dryer and storage for cleaning and laundry essentials. Chisholm also fitted a dog shower for after muddy walks.
So what do the clients think of the remodel? “They love it,” Chisholm says “It was a labour of love, that house, but it’s stunning and they’re really happy with the kitchen.”
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So what do the clients think of the remodel? “They love it,” Chisholm says “It was a labour of love, that house, but it’s stunning and they’re really happy with the kitchen.”
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Kitchen at a Glance
Who lives here: A couple with older children who have left home and a cockapoo dog
Location: Church Crookham, Hampshire, UK
Size: Kitchen: around 391 square feet (36.4 square meters); laundry room: around 132 square feet (12.2 square meters)
Designer: Joanna Chisholm of Chisholm Design
Contractor: Paul Butcher of JRB Building
As well as wanting to make the most of every inch in the kitchen, the homeowners requested a large island. “They do a lot of socialising, so they wanted to be able to gather around the island and, because the dining table isn’t in the kitchen, they also needed to be able to sit there comfortably for meals,” Chisholm says.
In addition, they asked for a big sink, so they could easily soak baking sheets and large pans, and plenty of food and crockery storage, as they were aware there wasn’t much room for wall units.