Kitchen Essential

It was important though not to lose sight of the kitchen’s primary purpose. I have long disliked the placing of a hob or stove in a row of base units because it detracts from the symbolic significance and historical roots of the hearth. This partly explains the popularity of an Aga or giant solid- fuel stove comfortably placed inside a chimney breast. The stove is the focal point of any kitchen and wherever possible this should continue. Many families want to use a variety of built-in appliances, a composite stove was designed for the collection. This enabled the cooking appliances including an overhead canopy (containing an extractor) to be houses independently in one substantial piece of furniture, a little akin to the old ranges in Victorian kitchens. The stove could have its dignity back. Continue Reading »

I suggested to Smallbone of Devizes that they let me develop for them the concept I had been working on over the previous ten years — the unfitted kitchen; a kitchen made with furniture. The essence of the idea was to design an individual piece of furniture to suit each function. In order to help Smallbone retail the collection, I prepared a set of guidelines for their sales staff to use. Continue Reading »

The central counter is without doubt the recent biggest improvement in kitchen design that has come into its own! Its recent ancestors are those centrally placed ‘working’ tables found in most large kitchens in England from the eighteenth century until the 1930s. Their scrubbed sycamore surfaces coped well with all types of food preparation, and in the smaller farmhouse kitchens the tables were used to eat at as well. By the 1950s with the development of factory-made built-in units we were all put to work on laminated plastic surfaces facing walls, which was anti-social and in planning terms dispersive. By placing a piece of furniture in the middle of a room, activity is drawn towards the centre. Continue Reading »

Small is beautiful, but not too small. You cannot make a good kitchen out of a box room, but neither do you need an indoor tennis court. Over a certain size the kitchen functions become too dissipated to make use of a large space. A while ago I developed ‘the arm-stretch’ theory, expressed in this kitchen as a continuous circular counter where the maximum number of activities could be accommodated within the shortest walking distance. Worktop activity is defined by how far the arms stretch. Beyond that, assuming you do not wish to walk, it is appropriate to plan for another activity. Continue Reading »

Kitchen design starts with a good plan, the essence of which is for it to be as simple as possible with the minimum of furniture, leaving as much space as possible for circulation. Once the room has been drawn up to a scaled plan, the eye can see it in microcosm and in a detached way (by not being in the space), making clearer the do’s and don’ts and the areas suitable for creative input. The natural routes between the doorways and the main kitchen activities need to be established. The furniture should try and work in sympathy with these designated pathways. People move around a kitchen a bit like water flows over a rocky river bed; they divert themselves around obstacles, make use of and fill up all available space. Human beings do not walk around corners by following a precise right angle — they take the shortest distance between two points and not necessarily in a straight line. The concept of soft geometry recognizes the principle that of the hundreds of mini-journeys that are made in the kitchen everyday, many would benefit from furniture designed using curved or soft shapes which enhance the ease of movement in the room. Continue Reading »

How can one find a balance between innovation and continuity?. The danger of concentrating too much on innovation is choosing new elements that don’t go beyond the fashionable. Fashion in clothes is a useful source of self-renewal and since clothes may only have a relatively short life, it is not an absolute disaster if you become tired of them or they quickly appear dated. Furniture operates on a different timescale, and is connected with a sense of permanence. Both its physical nature and its price call for longevity. You are going to have to co-habit with it for a good many years. Your ideas, lifestyle and the demands may alter, but your furniture will not. So designing and choosing it requires careful thought and needs to take its long life into account. Continue Reading »

Traditional or modern, useful labels or cliches. Most kitchens are marketed under one of these descriptions, and the results are predictable. A ‘traditional’ kitchen is made of aged or stained wood with raised panels, doors, a scattering of suitable mouldings, a bit of fretwork, china knobs throughout and brass-trimmed appliances. If it is expensive or up-market, a few extra luxuries may be thrown in. Its ‘modern’ counterpart will have a consistent melamine finish, probably white, chrome handles, stainless steel appliances, plus various special features related to whichever company’s products are on offer. The differences are only just perceptible. Continue Reading »

The English have a long tradition of follies. Perhaps our love of eccentricity is partly responsible. The Gothic style is at its heart. It has had as many revivals as centuries and many disguises too, secular and ecclesiastical. In the nineteenth century there was a strong connection between privacy and Gothic. The newly rich industrialists built themselves mansions or pseudo castles fortified in the Gothic style. The phrase the Englishman’s house is his castle suggests the strong sense of security derived from Gothic, since that is how castles are perceived in our imagination. Continue Reading »

9 Cut the second shelf smaller, 980 mm wide by 250 mm deep, with a return coming out the left-hand side, 780 mm x 250 mm. Fix the shelf at 1810 mm from the floor on 150 mmx 125 mm brackets fixed to the wall by screwing as before. Once again, the shelf should then be primed. The third shelf is the smallest at 980 mm wide and 150 mm deep, with a return of 780 mm out of the left wall. Fix the shelf 1510 mm from the floor on 100 mm x 125 mm brackets. Continue Reading »

Not for nothing is the kitchen called the heart of the home.

The family tends to gravitate towards the kitchen at all times of the day and, while it must serve primarily as a food preparation area, it’s good if it also has a comfortable, companionable and welcoming atmosphere.

If there are children in the house, try to incorporate a space in the kitchen where they can play, paint and draw and, when they’re older, do their homework. It will allow you to keep an eye on them while you get on with your own tasks and, at the same time, provide them with occupation, education and company. Continue Reading »

Dishwashers are no longer considered luxury appliances. They are near-necessities in the modern kitchen.

If you still feel traces of guilt about using a dishwasher, take heart: it is a much more hygienic method of washing up - tea towels and dish cloths are perfect breeding grounds for germs - and, if you choose the model with care, it uses no more power and water than washing up by hand.

A few checks will make sure you are happy with the model you buy. First, find out the length of the shortest and the longest cycles, and the amount of water used - the lower the numbers, the kinder it is to your pocket and the environment. Continue Reading »

The perfect kitchen is toasty and warm in winter, cool and airy in summer but, alas, the situation is often reversed.

The Kitchen Floor

However magnificent they may look in an old farmhouse, cold, grey flagstone floors don’t conjure up a sense of winter comfort. The fact is, if your feet are cold, so is the rest of you. Ironically, in the right location, solid floors are an important factor in maintaining a good ambient temperature. Continue Reading »

Standing at the sink, up to the elbows in dirty dishes, is a lot less painful if you are gazing at a landscaped garden or beautiful view.

No one would pretend that washing up is fun, but, if you really do have to stand up to the elbows in dirty dishes, the whole exercise would be a lot less painful if you were gazing at a beautiful view or landscaped garden. Unfortunately though, while planning can take care of making the interior of your kitchen as attractive and functional as possible, it’s impossible to conjure up a fabulous panorama if you don’t happen to have one at your back door. Continue Reading »

Not long ago, sinks and taps were the most boring things in the kitchen. Now they are among the most colourful.

Sinks and taps can add a touch of glamour and good looks to every kitchen. Indeed, the variety of styles and finishes now available calls for careful selection.

Sinks

Finance and space, for most people, are unalterable influences on the choice but, working within those parameters, you should also consider how you will use the sink.

Probably the most important factor is whether or not you have a dishwasher. If you do not, the prime purpose of the sink should be to make the task of washing up as easy as possible. Ideally, you should have twin bowls and double draining boards: Continue Reading »

TOPS

The requirements of a worktop are that it should be tough enough to cope with all sorts of attack, yet sufficiently good-looking to be a design element in the kitchen.

The worktop is probably the most hardworking part of the whole kitchen; over the years it has to stand up to all sorts of abuse from knives, hot saucepans, water, kitchen chemicals and certain foods.

Some materials wear better than others or are relatively easy to repair; think about these things when you’re deciding what to use for your worktop. You should also consider what maintenance will be required, and how often; whether splashback edges and corners can be well sealed; if you have a long worktop, how many joints there will be; and then, look at the relative prices of the different materials. These are the practical considerations — after that it’s a matter of making your decision purely on aesthetic grounds. Continue Reading »

Start with a well-designed kitchen; mix that with a carefully thought-out colour scheme and personal decorating touches, and the result will be an individual and interesting room that will be in keeping with the rest of the house.

While the working parts of the kitchen are vitally important, so too are the decorative aspects — you want to create a room that you feel happy working in. There’s no point in having all the latest appliances and high technology if you’re miserable every time you set foot in the kitchen. Think just as carefully about colour and the decorating of the room as you do about every other aspect. Continue Reading »

Good light in a kitchen is essential from both a safety and a practical point of view. During the day, try to gain maximum benefit from natural light because it is easiest on the eyes.

While it’s not always feasible to enlarge a window to make a dark kitchen brighter, there are other possibilities to consider; in a bungalow a skylight will greatly increase the general light level. One that opens or incorporates a vent is sensible for kitchen use. Other options include clear or opaque glass and blinds — the choice will depend on factors such as whether or not the skylight is in full sun or semi-shade. If you can’t shed new light kitchen from above, look to the walls. Perhaps you can replace some of the masonry with glass bricks; they let light through without exposing you to public scrutiny. Continue Reading »

Is it a space station, is it a laboratory — no, it’s a kitchen, an ultra-modern one. Here you’ll find the best of everything, the very latest technology. No room here for comfortable clutter — everything’s hidden from view, or displayed purely for its functional qualities. Small appliances sit in purpose- built cabinets, always close at hand — the message here is efficiency, speed and streamlining. Continue Reading »

Kitchen Storage Behind Closed Doors

Cupboard storage ideas are only as limited as your imagination.

• Glass doors can often be incorporated into cupboard design — these are generally at eye level to show off colour-coordinated china and glassware.
• Plastic-coated wire baskets are popular for storing numerous items from pots to vegetables.
• A tea-towel rack may be useful in a small narrow space.

Continue Reading »

With all of its pots, pans, bags of groceries and delicious comforting aromas, the kitchen is the heart of the home. But it does have a dual role to play: it has to be efficient yet comfortable and inviting.

Planning a kitchen may seem daunting at first, but most of the important decisions will be common-sense ones. Then you can spend time on the fun things like colour schemes and the overall ‘look’. Continue Reading »