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Kitchen Tour: A Contemporary Kitchen for a Georgian Home
Low-slung cabinets echo the simple lines of freestanding furniture in this unique space
Creating a space that didn’t look like a conventional ‘fitted kitchen’ was top of the wish list for the owners of this Georgian town house. They wanted the room to look like it was made up from freestanding furniture instead, and so turned to bespoke kitchen company Jack Trench after viewing its standout projects online. “They were keen not to have the aesthetic or look of a typical fitted kitchen,” says Jack Trench, who designed the space along with co-company director Edd Thurston. “Rather, they wanted the cabinetry to have the feel of furniture in the room.”
To achieve the uncluttered look the clients were after, the starting point for the design was the company’s JT Shell in Corian bespoke kitchen. The design combines the characteristic warmth of oak with the clean lines of Corian – an aesthetic that suits both modern and period settings.
To ensure the kitchen feels like it’s made up from freestanding pieces of furniture, the hob and oven cabinetry is designed as a full-length, cantilevered elevation that appears to float gracefully off the floor.
“It’s all the more impressive given that it is 800mm deep,” adds Trench. “Our clients were keen to maximise their worktop space, and, from a layout point of view, the extra depth closes in the galley space between the two elevations. It also has the added advantage of creating lots of extra storage space due to the exceptional depth of the drawers.”
Induction hob, single oven and combination microwave oven, all Siemens.
To ensure the kitchen feels like it’s made up from freestanding pieces of furniture, the hob and oven cabinetry is designed as a full-length, cantilevered elevation that appears to float gracefully off the floor.
“It’s all the more impressive given that it is 800mm deep,” adds Trench. “Our clients were keen to maximise their worktop space, and, from a layout point of view, the extra depth closes in the galley space between the two elevations. It also has the added advantage of creating lots of extra storage space due to the exceptional depth of the drawers.”
Induction hob, single oven and combination microwave oven, all Siemens.
The thoughtful use of wood plays a key role in the success of the kitchen design. Striking in its simplicity and beautiful craftsmanship, the veneered vertical-grain door and drawer fronts are encased in seamless lengths of Glacier White Corian, with matching splashbacks.
“One of the key challenges was combining the natural wood floor with oak-timber-veneer cabinetry,” explains Trench. “We resolved this by opting for our kitchen design with a Corian shell. The oak fronts are framed by an outer shell of white Corian that visually separates the kitchen cabinets from the wooden floor, so that the two timbers do not clash.”
Walls painted in Cornforth White, Farrow & Ball. Worktop, Glacier White Corian.
“One of the key challenges was combining the natural wood floor with oak-timber-veneer cabinetry,” explains Trench. “We resolved this by opting for our kitchen design with a Corian shell. The oak fronts are framed by an outer shell of white Corian that visually separates the kitchen cabinets from the wooden floor, so that the two timbers do not clash.”
Walls painted in Cornforth White, Farrow & Ball. Worktop, Glacier White Corian.
Flush handles on the drawer and door fronts enhance the understated silhouette.
“Visually, the cantilevered elevation is encased in Corian including the underside,” says Trench. “However, for structural reasons, there is a plinth set back towards the wall which isn’t clad in the material. The splashback thickness is 12mm – we like to keep things delicate as opposed to chunky!”
Solid oak shelves sit on top of the splashback and are one of Trench’s favourite elements. “We really love the relationship of junctions between the Corian splashback and the upper solid-oak shelves,” he adds. “The Corian loop that frames the cantilevered elevation is also one of our favourite parts.”
See more slimline worktops here
“Visually, the cantilevered elevation is encased in Corian including the underside,” says Trench. “However, for structural reasons, there is a plinth set back towards the wall which isn’t clad in the material. The splashback thickness is 12mm – we like to keep things delicate as opposed to chunky!”
Solid oak shelves sit on top of the splashback and are one of Trench’s favourite elements. “We really love the relationship of junctions between the Corian splashback and the upper solid-oak shelves,” he adds. “The Corian loop that frames the cantilevered elevation is also one of our favourite parts.”
See more slimline worktops here
The galley kitchen leads to the back of the house, where double doors open onto a small balcony overlooking the garden.
“We were very mindful of sightlines when designing the layout,” says Trench. “The full-height fridge-freezer and larder cupboard is not on immediate view when entering the room so that the high-ceilinged space retains its open and airy feel.”
“We were very mindful of sightlines when designing the layout,” says Trench. “The full-height fridge-freezer and larder cupboard is not on immediate view when entering the room so that the high-ceilinged space retains its open and airy feel.”
Decorated in soft, muted shades, the kitchen seamlessly connects to the dining area at the front of the house.
“We deliberately avoided upper cabinetry to keep the sightlines clear and not to close in the room,” says Trench.
The original wooden floor was refinished with a subtle whitewash.
Discover more inspiration for a galley kitchen
“We deliberately avoided upper cabinetry to keep the sightlines clear and not to close in the room,” says Trench.
The original wooden floor was refinished with a subtle whitewash.
Discover more inspiration for a galley kitchen
Modern, low-hanging pendants with opal-white glass shades and brass fittings add an understated charm that’s also in keeping with the sleek, pared-back scheme.
Vox ceiling pendants by Niclas Hoflin, Rubn
Vox ceiling pendants by Niclas Hoflin, Rubn
Original doors can be pulled across to partition off the kitchen from the dining area if necessary.
Trench designed and made the oak and Corian cantilevered sideboard in the dining area to enhance the feeling of unity between this space and the kitchen.
“It looks like a piece of mounted furniture and is used by the family as an extension of the kitchen cabinetry, storing breakfast items and their best serveware and glasses,” says Trench.
What do you think of this sleek, un-kitcheny kitchen? Share your thoughts in the Comments section.
“It looks like a piece of mounted furniture and is used by the family as an extension of the kitchen cabinetry, storing breakfast items and their best serveware and glasses,” says Trench.
What do you think of this sleek, un-kitcheny kitchen? Share your thoughts in the Comments section.
Who lives here A family of four
Location North London
Property A four-storey Georgian town house
Size 4 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms
Kitchen/diner dimensions 30 sq m
Designers Jack Trench and Edd Thurston of Jack Trench
This galley kitchen may look simple, but it’s anything but. The considered mix of materials and low-slung units combine to make the airy, stylish space feel deliberately un-kitchen like.
“To respect the original architectural detailing, including cornicing, skirting and architraves, the owners were keen to design the kitchen to feel like furniture in the room,” says Trench, who designed the kitchen as part of this Georgian town house’s ground-floor transformation. “Our clients’ aesthetic is very contemporary, but we were designing for a period architectural space rich with original details, so the modern kitchen had to allow these elements to breathe.”