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 »

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 »

Without doubt the farmhouse kitchen is the strongest and best loved image of a kitchen. A possible description goes like this: ‘with views of rolling countryside through latticed windows, one appreciates a large inglenook fireplace, a plethora of blackened oak beams, a large open- racked dresser stuffed with china and homely ephemera, a well-worn flagstone floor, a comfortable armchair or two, a generous-sized food cupboard, a scrub-topped refectory table, and fragrant smells issuing from an Aga which announce that something wonderful is about to be served.’ Continue Reading »

The kitchen also unintentionally shares some other similarities of attitude with Biedermeier — emphasis on veneered surfaces, use of simple lines, distinct metal handles, use of inlay and no nonsense detailing. It also has, I hope, in common with Biedermeier, a sense of quiet fun, including unexpected elements such as cupboards linked into a series of intriguing repetitive small lockers, funny hats on storage pillars, doors with miniature glass windows, Continue Reading »

Inlay provides an ideal source of decoration in a kitchen. It helps to focus the eye, emphasize lines either horizontal or vertical and enhance the randomness of wood by contrast to its crisp geometry; it is relatively inexpensive to make and easy to clean. Inlay creates structural order in the absence of traditional panel-frame construction. What could be more ideal. Every kitchen could use some. Continue Reading »

Plate racks are great inventions. Mistakenly many people think of them purely for draining plates and so on, when their function is as much to do with easy access and storage. Having designed around ten different versions, I am beginning to get to grips with their problems as well as advantages.

Initially I started off by holding the plates in position with dowels at the back and location slots at the front. This allows the rack to be used for thick pottery plates and soup plates. A little more care is required when storing the plates because you have to fit the plate into the front slot. 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 »

Although this project was built in a specific location, it incorporates many options and can easily be modified to suit individual needs and available space.

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 »

Tiles still make the best wall surface between kitchen worktops and overhead cupboards.

They are easy to clean and make a watertight seal between walls and worktops as well as providing an opportunity for colour and decoration.

The most important thing to remember when tiling is to think it all out carefully before beginning. A careful sketch based on laying the tiles out on the worktop is worth the time it takes and will almost certainly reduce the likelihood of mistakes that might not become obvious until towards the end of the job. 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 »

A stencilled frieze on your kitchen wall is a lovely and very individual decorative touch.

You can also stencil a border or motif on your kitchen cupboards, the backs of wooden chairs or on a painted table.

Step by step

1 Draw your design onto a sheet of acrylic film or a piece of manila cardboard using a felt-tipped pen. If using cardboard first strengthen it by liberally applying a mixture of 50 per cent linseed oil and 50 per cent turpentine (white spirit) to both sides of the board. Allow it to soak in and then rub off excess moisture with a soft cloth. Continue Reading »

• Acrylic paint: You use water to wash your brushes with this type of paint. It’s longer lasting than oil- based gloss paint, as it’s not as brittle and therefore less likely to flake or peel. Water resistant and tough, it’s easy to use and suitable for wall and ceiling areas. Flat finishes are not recommended for hard-working areas in the kitchen; the glossier finishes are a lot more dirt-resistant and easier to clean. 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 »

As soon as you walk into the country kitchen, it’s as if there’s a huge welcome mat at the door. You see it in the lovely comfortable clutter, the warm timber, the informality and the deliberately mismatched old tiles in the splashback. Bowls of fruit and vegetables on display — perhaps just one type, such as lemons or pears — indicate a love of nature. Herbs and spices are decanted into pretty jars; farmhouse loaves sit on the breadboard; wire baskets full of eggs add to the mood. Continue Reading »