With a background in traditional English Joinery, timeless Kitchen Design is a style we specialise in. A kitchen extension is an exciting and costly task to take on; so you want to get it right, for it to add value to your home, for it to last, for you to love it for years, for it to make life easier. You want to be able to share it and enjoy it with friends and family too.
A bespoke and timeless kitchen design is a style that doesn’t go out of fashion, that is forever elegant. It looks effortless, but it requires experience, thought and consideration.
These are some top tips from our designers on successful timeless kitchen design:
Cabinetry, beautifully designed and made
Elegantly proportioned cupboards with Shaker-style inspired doors at the core will give you clean lines, easy on the eye, practical but also pretty. Add in Butt hinges and antique brass handles for a traditional look. Well thought through cabinetry is the key to enough storage which is critical to your design having longevity. Deep drawers are great for this. As well as planning a place for everything including, pull outs for oils, spice racks, drawers (in the right places) for pans, cutlery, table mats etc.
Full height cabinetry
Cupboards designed and made from floor to ceiling in this example hide an ‘appliance garage’ – which makes a home for the food mixer plugged in and ready to go, and a breakfast cupboard with the coffee machine, milk frother and toaster ready for busy family breakfast times. It’s a look that gives less mess and maximum storage.
Zoning
Since functionality is key to your kitchen working for you for a long time, understanding how you use your kitchen and then creating zones to make the layout work is critical. When we’re designing with our clients we put a lot of time into thinking about food storage, food prep space, cooking areas and appliances, a tidy up zone, eating, entertaining & relaxing spaces.
Integrated Appliances
The beauty of integrated appliances is illustrated wonderfully here - the fridge freezer is tucked away behind beautiful bespoke Shaker style doors, and recessed into the wall, so it fits in seamlessly. There’s also a mini fridge hidden under the counter in the Kitchen Island, a Microwave inside the breakfast cupboard; with a dishwasher and integrated bins beside the sink. With appliances being integrated behind beautiful doors, the look of the entire kitchen holds together.
Symmetry
Symmetry doesn’t have to be used everywhere for it to be effective in creating a timeless kitchen design. Here we’ve used symmetry around the range cooker with a tall cupboard, bank of drawers and slim cupboard, both sides of the cooker. [To see this in better detail, a link to more images of this kitchen is at the end of this blog post.]
A Range Cooker
A classic Lacanche Range Cooker has been used in this Kitchen. In other kitchen designs we’ve incorporated similar cookers by Aga, Rangemaster, Smeg, ILVE, Everhot, Bertazzoni and Gaggenau. For a timeless kitchen design, we recommend choosing a cooker that meets your needs on a day-to-day basis as well as for entertaining, with classic detailing and colour palette.
To add to this kitchen design, we included a quartz shelf behind the range cooker, a neat place for salt and pepper, or favourite cooking oils. Another good tip is to include an easy to clean quartz splashback with characterful light veining, and a bespoke mantle with simple mouldings.
Colour palette and Materials
Neutral colours in this kitchen include Shaded White and Treron (the muted green) on the Island, both Farrow and Ball and both soft. There are also stronger colours sprinkled into this kitchen - an earthy red used inside the two glazed cupboards (out of shot) as well as on a French Armoire by the dining table.
Natural materials are endlessly beautiful - wood cupboards and flooring, bespoke Oak Island top, ceramic lighting, brass handles; and they all add character and warmth.
Seating
In an open-plan kitchen extension that you want to feel classic, timeless and comforting, seating needs to be just right so that everyone feels at ease. This kitchen has breakfast bar seating at the Island, a dining room table and chairs as well as a comfy armchair for those rare but blissful morning coffees.
If you like our style and you'd like to talk through your ideas for your own kitchen project, call to arrange to meet with us at our showroom in Shere, Guildford, Surrey:
- 01483 202143 or
- [email protected]
To see more of this bespoke family kitchen extension, click HERE
To see more of our custom made kitchen designs, click HERE