Kitchen Tour: An Open-plan Space Designed for Entertaining
Soft matt finishes and practical design were key to creating this bright, functional, open-plan space
The owners of this light and airy kitchen redesigned the room as part of a full-house renovation. “They came to us with floor plans they’d developed with their architect,” Barry Sawyer of Brayer Design says, “and we worked together to refine and balance the design.”
The owners were keen to create a big, sociable space where they could easily cook and entertain friends, so for Barry it was important to get the details right.
The owners were keen to create a big, sociable space where they could easily cook and entertain friends, so for Barry it was important to get the details right.
The island is used as both a breakfast bar and food preparation area. Barry varied the worktop materials to differentiate the two zones, using a 30mm-thick quartz surface for the cooking area and a chunky 60mm-thick, L-shaped piece of wood for the eating space.
Both materials have a matt finish, which complements the paint on the cabinetry. “Usually, furniture has around a 25 percent sheen, but this has an 8 percent sheen level,” Barry explains. “It works beautifully with the smoked oak floor.”
Plenty of storage has been incorporated into the island – there’s a shallow-depth bookshelf below the breakfast bar and pull-out drawers along each side.
A modular hob with gas and induction sections sits alongside a sink where the owners can wash fruit and vegetables. On the back wall is another sink for washing-up that also has a boiling-water tap.
Cabinets painted in Museum, Mylands. Quartz worktop, Caesarstone. Prima Heart Ash breakfast bar and shelf, Spekva. Main cast-iron sink, Kohler. Boiling-water tap, Quooker. Preparation sink, Shaws. Taps, Gessi. Cooking appliances, Gaggenau. Extractor, Falmec.
Both materials have a matt finish, which complements the paint on the cabinetry. “Usually, furniture has around a 25 percent sheen, but this has an 8 percent sheen level,” Barry explains. “It works beautifully with the smoked oak floor.”
Plenty of storage has been incorporated into the island – there’s a shallow-depth bookshelf below the breakfast bar and pull-out drawers along each side.
A modular hob with gas and induction sections sits alongside a sink where the owners can wash fruit and vegetables. On the back wall is another sink for washing-up that also has a boiling-water tap.
Cabinets painted in Museum, Mylands. Quartz worktop, Caesarstone. Prima Heart Ash breakfast bar and shelf, Spekva. Main cast-iron sink, Kohler. Boiling-water tap, Quooker. Preparation sink, Shaws. Taps, Gessi. Cooking appliances, Gaggenau. Extractor, Falmec.
Next to a bank of integrated ovens, Barry designed a breakfast cabinet with a marble surface and plug sockets for a coffee machine and juicer.
“The doors are retractable and slot into the sides,” Barry says. “The cabinet is located near to the breakfast bar for easy access, and concealed lighting comes on when you open the doors.”
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“The doors are retractable and slot into the sides,” Barry says. “The cabinet is located near to the breakfast bar for easy access, and concealed lighting comes on when you open the doors.”
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The Shaker cabinets were designed with minimal ornamentation in order to blend traditional and contemporary styles. “The units go right to the ceiling, but without any decorative mouldings at the top,” Barry says.
Distinctive brushed-stainless-steel handles are another contemporary feature, and contrast with the classical feel of the period property.
Stainless-steel handles, Joseph Giles.
Distinctive brushed-stainless-steel handles are another contemporary feature, and contrast with the classical feel of the period property.
Stainless-steel handles, Joseph Giles.
Along the back wall is a series of base cabinets, which house two dishwashers, integrated bins and under-sink storage. The two left-hand cabinets have drawers inside. “We designed the doors to give a uniform look to the whole run of cupboards,” Barry says.
To the right of the fridge-freezer is a pantry cupboard with racks and pull-out sections for dried food.
An extractor fan is located in the bulkhead above the island, and Barry fitted LED striplights within the shadow gap. Industrial-style pendants hang above the eating area, complemented by downlights that illuminate the cooking zone.
To the right of the fridge-freezer is a pantry cupboard with racks and pull-out sections for dried food.
An extractor fan is located in the bulkhead above the island, and Barry fitted LED striplights within the shadow gap. Industrial-style pendants hang above the eating area, complemented by downlights that illuminate the cooking zone.
Barry chose classic metro tiles for the splashback, but opted for a rippled finish to give a more interesting look to the space.
He used the same wood that features on the breakfast bar to construct a long shelf above the washing-up area.
Metro tiles, Vitro.
He used the same wood that features on the breakfast bar to construct a long shelf above the washing-up area.
Metro tiles, Vitro.
An LED strip was inserted into a groove along the underside of the shelf, while two globe-shaped wall lights add another layer of soft lighting.
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Browse more kitchen photos for design inspiration
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Tell us
What do you like about this soft-toned, practical kitchen? Share your thoughts in the Comments section.
More
Browse more kitchen photos for design inspiration
Find a renovation professional in Singapore
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Who lives here? A couple
Location South-west London
Property A mid-1990s detached house with six bedrooms and three bathrooms
Kitchen dimensions 7.3 x 4 metres
Designer Barry Sawyer at Brayer Design
Photos by Nick Smith
This bright, open-plan space was previously two rooms, with a small kitchen that looked out to the side of the house. By removing a couple of internal walls, the owners created a large space for a dining room and kitchen where they could easily cook for friends while enjoying a view of the garden.
“They were keen to have a big island for people to gather around,” Barry says.