Kitchen Tour: A Country Kitchen With a Very Modern Twist
State-of-the-art appliances were made to look perfectly at home in this period farmhouse
Sarah Warwick
3 November 2018
Houzz Contributor. I'm a freelance journalist and editor writing for nationals, magazines and websites. A serial house revamper, I love great design, beautiful interiors and practical solutions.
Houzz Contributor. I'm a freelance journalist and editor writing for nationals, magazines... More
The challenge posed by the owner of this house to designers Sarah Eynon and Alistair Fleming of Alistair Fleming Design was to incorporate contemporary appliances into a traditional country kitchen. Stainless-steel finishes and generous dimensions made it a tricky task. “We spent a lot of time playing with proportions to accommodate them,” Sarah says.
Kitchen at a Glance
Who lives here? A family
Location Surrey
Property A Grade II listed farmhouse
Dimensions 6 x 3.8m
Designers Sarah Eynon and Alistair Fleming of Alistair Fleming Design
Photos by Leigh Simpson
Cooking in this kitchen had been a more traditional affair before the revamp, as an Aga was positioned on a wall in front of the island. Now the wall has been taken down, making the whole area a lot lighter, and opening up the cooking section to a dining room.
The old cabinetry was tired and the homeowner was looking for a better-quality design, as well as a more up-to-date and sophisticated cooking set-up.
Who lives here? A family
Location Surrey
Property A Grade II listed farmhouse
Dimensions 6 x 3.8m
Designers Sarah Eynon and Alistair Fleming of Alistair Fleming Design
Photos by Leigh Simpson
Cooking in this kitchen had been a more traditional affair before the revamp, as an Aga was positioned on a wall in front of the island. Now the wall has been taken down, making the whole area a lot lighter, and opening up the cooking section to a dining room.
The old cabinetry was tired and the homeowner was looking for a better-quality design, as well as a more up-to-date and sophisticated cooking set-up.
The owner had done extensive research and chosen some large, state-of-the-art appliances. So the challenge was to make the sizeable pieces work in the design.
“The oven plays with your mind in terms of proportion,” Sarah says of the 759mm appliance. We needed to fit the oven and warming drawer below into the cabinetry without creating an arrangement that looked too bulky, or that blocked light to the seating area on the left.
The designers came up with a solution of siting the appliances in a three-quarter-height cabinet. There’s handy space on top for dishes that have come out of the oven.
“It’s a good area to have for food ready to go to the table, and it keeps it off the island, which is more of a preparation space,” Sarah says.
Cabinetry, made by Jack Pritty and Mark Pilfold of Alistair Fleming Design. ICBSO30PE/S/PH E oven; ICBWWD30 warming drawer, both Wolf.
“The oven plays with your mind in terms of proportion,” Sarah says of the 759mm appliance. We needed to fit the oven and warming drawer below into the cabinetry without creating an arrangement that looked too bulky, or that blocked light to the seating area on the left.
The designers came up with a solution of siting the appliances in a three-quarter-height cabinet. There’s handy space on top for dishes that have come out of the oven.
“It’s a good area to have for food ready to go to the table, and it keeps it off the island, which is more of a preparation space,” Sarah says.
Cabinetry, made by Jack Pritty and Mark Pilfold of Alistair Fleming Design. ICBSO30PE/S/PH E oven; ICBWWD30 warming drawer, both Wolf.
A rich, honey-coloured oak floor was a must-have for the owner, and stainless-steel had to be a major element of the palette, because of the appliances. So a neutral grey finish for the bespoke cabinetry was a happy complement, with a darker tone for the island and a paler shade for the cupboards that line the walls.
Cabinets painted in Fescue; island painted in Grey Moss, both Little Greene.
Find bar stools in the Houzz Shop.
Cabinets painted in Fescue; island painted in Grey Moss, both Little Greene.
Find bar stools in the Houzz Shop.
The side-by-side fridge-freezer the owner had fallen for comes in different widths, so the designers weighed up the options in order to create a neat arrangement on the far wall of the kitchen.
ICBBI-48S/S/TH fridge-freezer, Sub-Zero.
ICBBI-48S/S/TH fridge-freezer, Sub-Zero.
The fridge-freezer is flanked on either side by larder cupboards. The left-hand one is equipped with essentials for baking, while on the right is a breakfast cupboard with space for items including a coffee machine and toaster.
“The idea is that people can prepare and have breakfast at the island, then close the cupboard and, regardless of what mess is behind the doors, the kitchen looks beautiful again,” Sarah explains.
“The idea is that people can prepare and have breakfast at the island, then close the cupboard and, regardless of what mess is behind the doors, the kitchen looks beautiful again,” Sarah explains.
Carrara marble was chosen for the worksurface, creating a light-reflective finish. The sink features a sliding chopping board that adds extra work space.
To fit the pre-drilled holes in the sink, and for an aesthetically pleasing finish, the tap had to be carefully selected. “It’s one of the few that doesn’t have a little screw in the back, so we could turn it round and have the single lever on the left and the spray rinse on the right,” says Sarah.
Sink, Kohler. Tap, Watermark.
To fit the pre-drilled holes in the sink, and for an aesthetically pleasing finish, the tap had to be carefully selected. “It’s one of the few that doesn’t have a little screw in the back, so we could turn it round and have the single lever on the left and the spray rinse on the right,” says Sarah.
Sink, Kohler. Tap, Watermark.
The same marble was used inside the baking larder as on the rest of the worktops, which allows the cupboard to function as a preparation space as well as storage.
Shallow, u-shaped shelving and spice racks positioned on the doors ensure there’s easy access to everything.
To the left of the baking larder is a door to a pantry that’s original to the house.
How to Organise the Perfect Kitchen Pantry.
Shallow, u-shaped shelving and spice racks positioned on the doors ensure there’s easy access to everything.
To the left of the baking larder is a door to a pantry that’s original to the house.
How to Organise the Perfect Kitchen Pantry.
The pantry was fitted out with a wine rack, space for storage crates and wall shelving. The units are painted in the same shade as the kitchen island for a pulled-together look, and the worktops are in the same Carrara marble as the kitchen surfaces.
Pantry units painted in Grey Moss, Little Greene.
Need help redesigning your kitchen? Read reviews of kitchen designers and fitters in your area.
Pantry units painted in Grey Moss, Little Greene.
Need help redesigning your kitchen? Read reviews of kitchen designers and fitters in your area.
An island ensures the owner isn’t cut off from family and friends while cooking. It’s home to an induction hob and a downdraft extractor.
“It was important to have an extractor that worked really well,” Sarah says. “The owner does a lot of adventurous cooking, and didn’t want odours to permeate the rooms off the kitchen.”
The cooking area faces the dining space, and the owner can lower the extractor to maximise sightlines when she’s not using the hob.
ICBCI36T/S induction cooktop; ICBDD36 downdraft system, both Wolf.
“It was important to have an extractor that worked really well,” Sarah says. “The owner does a lot of adventurous cooking, and didn’t want odours to permeate the rooms off the kitchen.”
The cooking area faces the dining space, and the owner can lower the extractor to maximise sightlines when she’s not using the hob.
ICBCI36T/S induction cooktop; ICBDD36 downdraft system, both Wolf.
Glass-fronted cabinets were chosen for the section of the island that faces the dining room. “It’s nice to have something a bit twinkly,” Sarah says, “so if you’re sitting at the table, you’re not looking at a blank cupboard door.”
Tell us…
What do you like about this contemporary meets classic kitchen? Share your thoughts in the Comments section.
Tell us…
What do you like about this contemporary meets classic kitchen? Share your thoughts in the Comments section.
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I confess I, like kew134, am not keen on the island. And for me - while the workmanship is clearly excellent - the effect of the whole is rather soulless. But it's not my kitchen and I'm sure the owners love it!
The use of modern colours on traditional cabinetry also helps give this country kitchen a modern twist. Greys always help bring a modern feel to a space, I think grey will be staying around for a while, but whether it'll stay the main feature in kitchens I'm not sure, I think different grey textures are coming in and people seem to want more warmth in their homes.
But saying all that, greys are still one of our popular finishes.