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Kitchen Tour: A Beautifully Crafted Space Connected to the Garden
Oak, birch ply and cork cabinetry link with the outdoors in this simple but warm, sociable kitchen
“The couple are party people,” designer Alan Drumm of Uncommon Projects says of the owners of this Victorian home. As such, he was tasked with creating a well-functioning kitchen where people could gather and spill out into the garden.
With its gloriously large rooflight and glazed sliding doors, the new extension was already light and airy when Alan was brought on board. Now, subtle design details – from cork panels to an inside-outside bench – further tie it to the pretty courtyard garden, creating a space that’s perfect for socialising in.
With its gloriously large rooflight and glazed sliding doors, the new extension was already light and airy when Alan was brought on board. Now, subtle design details – from cork panels to an inside-outside bench – further tie it to the pretty courtyard garden, creating a space that’s perfect for socialising in.
The challenge in this kitchen was how to fit storage under the large rooflight, as there isn’t enough room for standard cupboards without them butting up awkwardly against the glass and blocking light.
“A lot of homeowners might assume you couldn’t really put wall units there,” he says, “but when we looked at it in more detail, we decided having shelves [like these] provided somewhere to put the extractor fan and proper lighting for the worktop [there are downlighters in the base of the unit].”
The oak-veneered ply shelves also allow the couple to display lots of plants, which they intend to increase over time. “The plants really link the inside to the garden,” Alan says.
The shelves are a mix of open sections and closed cupboards. The doors, which have push-to-open catches, are covered with cork veneer. “We use a lot of cork, because it brings a really interesting texture and warmth to projects,” Alan says. “I also think it looks really good with plants.”
“A lot of homeowners might assume you couldn’t really put wall units there,” he says, “but when we looked at it in more detail, we decided having shelves [like these] provided somewhere to put the extractor fan and proper lighting for the worktop [there are downlighters in the base of the unit].”
The oak-veneered ply shelves also allow the couple to display lots of plants, which they intend to increase over time. “The plants really link the inside to the garden,” Alan says.
The shelves are a mix of open sections and closed cupboards. The doors, which have push-to-open catches, are covered with cork veneer. “We use a lot of cork, because it brings a really interesting texture and warmth to projects,” Alan says. “I also think it looks really good with plants.”
The units are made of birch ply. The doors along this run are spray lacquered in a grey finish, with the birch ply edges defining each section.
“Plywood has its own beauty, because when you cut it, you see the layers,” Alan says, “but it’s also a strong material, which allows you to make bigger pieces. Most kitchens are made from chipboard or MDF, and plywood’s just a superior material in terms of strength and longevity.”
“Plywood has its own beauty, because when you cut it, you see the layers,” Alan says, “but it’s also a strong material, which allows you to make bigger pieces. Most kitchens are made from chipboard or MDF, and plywood’s just a superior material in terms of strength and longevity.”
The worktop is Carrara marble with an upstand in the same material. “The reason we didn’t go for a full marble splashback is it’s a bit of a traditional look, and this kitchen is trying to be a little bit more contemporary than that,” Alan says. “It’s about keeping it as simple as possible visually.”
It also helped to keep costs under control. “When you do a full splashback in the worktop material, it really increases the cost quite dramatically, so it’s a balance between using a nice material and making it affordable,” he explains.
From the garden doors, the units consist of a cupboard with shelves; a cupboard with larder drawers; three drawers for cutlery, utensils and pans; a bin drawer; a dishwasher; an undersink cupboard, and another set of three drawers.
Marble worktop, Roma Marble.
It also helped to keep costs under control. “When you do a full splashback in the worktop material, it really increases the cost quite dramatically, so it’s a balance between using a nice material and making it affordable,” he explains.
From the garden doors, the units consist of a cupboard with shelves; a cupboard with larder drawers; three drawers for cutlery, utensils and pans; a bin drawer; a dishwasher; an undersink cupboard, and another set of three drawers.
Marble worktop, Roma Marble.
Alan added a wine rack at the end of the wall unit.
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Make the challenge of finding the right people for your project easier by searching the Houzz Professionals Directory.
The handles on the doors are simple cutouts to keep the units flush. “Because you’re expressing the plywood edges, there’s quite a lot going on visually, and if you were to have handles as well, it might all get a bit much,” Alan says. “Having recessed handles is a minimal, clean way of doing it.”
The floor-to-ceiling end unit contains a fridge-freezer on the left and two ovens on the right, as well as general cupboards. The washing machine is upstairs in the bathroom.
The floor-to-ceiling end unit contains a fridge-freezer on the left and two ovens on the right, as well as general cupboards. The washing machine is upstairs in the bathroom.
The floor is polished concrete, warmed by underfloor heating, and it runs outside into the courtyard, too, for a seamless indoor-outdoor feel.
To help reinforce this connection, an upholstered bench that runs along the right of the room continues into the garden in the form of a simple bench, meaning gatherings can easily spill outdoors, or the couple can sit outside for a coffee.
Discover expert tips on how to create a garden that’s good for your wellbeing.
To help reinforce this connection, an upholstered bench that runs along the right of the room continues into the garden in the form of a simple bench, meaning gatherings can easily spill outdoors, or the couple can sit outside for a coffee.
Discover expert tips on how to create a garden that’s good for your wellbeing.
The two openings into the kitchen are fitted with neat pocket doors, so they can remain open most of the time. The room in the middle of the house [to the right in this shot], which is now a home office, has no windows, so the open door means it’s flooded with light from the kitchen. The other doorway into the hall allows a view of the garden right from the front door.
On the left in this shot you can also see the upholstered bench that runs to the back doors and connects visually with the garden bench. Oak shelves on the side of the unit mean books are to hand.
On the left in this shot you can also see the upholstered bench that runs to the back doors and connects visually with the garden bench. Oak shelves on the side of the unit mean books are to hand.
The units on the hallway side of the kitchen are spray lacquered in white. “We felt that if everything was grey, the tall units might be a bit overbearing,” Alan says. “Also, they’re flush with the hall wall leading into the rest of the house, so by keeping them white, it creates a continuation of the wall.”
There’s plenty of storage in here, including, on the right-hand side, a utility cupboard, which contains the vacuum cleaner plus hooks for coats, and a space at the top that houses the router. The left-hand cupboard, though, contains a surprise, as pocket doors tuck back neatly to reveal a bar.
There’s plenty of storage in here, including, on the right-hand side, a utility cupboard, which contains the vacuum cleaner plus hooks for coats, and a space at the top that houses the router. The left-hand cupboard, though, contains a surprise, as pocket doors tuck back neatly to reveal a bar.
“The idea of the bar is that it’s a little bit more glamorous,” Alan says, “with aged mirror glass at the back, a marble base and lighting. In the evening, the owners can switch off all the other lights and just have these and the undercabinet spots on for a nice atmosphere.”
Tell us…
What do you like best about this kitchen design? Share your thoughts in the Comments.
Tell us…
What do you like best about this kitchen design? Share your thoughts in the Comments.
Who lives here? A couple
Location London Fields, east London
Property A Victorian terraced house
Kitchen dimensions 5.4m x 4.45m
Designer Alan Drumm of Uncommon Projects
Uncommon Projects is known for its beautifully made plywood cabinetry, and Alan brought that expertise to this kitchen, which packs in plenty of functionality in a stylishly minimal way. “The owners like to cook, so it needed to be a practical kitchen with good storage,” he says.
As they also like to entertain, Alan created a space that could accommodate a number of people without it feeling cramped. That meant a good-sized dining table in the centre of the room instead of an island.
“The house is probably not quite wide enough for an island,” he says. “In a lot of Victorian houses, it can be quite a squeeze to get in an island and a dining table. So for the owners, the best solution was to have the table in the centre.”