Any chef’s home kitchen is fundamentally different to that seen in a typical family home. Mimicking the efficient designs of the professional kitchen, everything should be on hand and easy to access – something that goes against the current trend for invisible kitchen designs – and cooking should be a streamlined process.
At the same time, the kitchen still needs to feel warm and welcoming, and sit harmoniously within the rest of the house and landscape beyond. Balancing all these elements was the challenge facing kitchen designer Nicholas Sykes, founder of Irving Sykes, while renovating chef Crispin Chetwynd’s kitchen.
Taking inspiration from nature
It was the rolling Welsh landscape that proved to be the starting point for this farmhouse kitchen design. ‘Crispin wanted the kitchen to pay homage to the house’s beautiful surroundings, especially since the back door opens out onto the garden and hills beyond.’
The first step in achieving this sense of harmony was incorporating locally sourced ash wherever possible. ‘There are ash trees in the garden that can be seen from the window and open door, so it was a natural fit.’ Elements of ash are incorporated throughout the space – from the worktops and open shelving to the plate racks and fitted unit that houses the fridge – and work to tie the scheme together.
You can incorporate elements of ash into your own kitchen with smaller elements such as this chopping board from John Lewis or Etsy has a wide range of handmade ash plate racks like this from Harbour Woodwork.
‘With the run of wood worktops, we wanted it to seem like it was constructed from a single piece of ash,’ says Nicholas. ‘So we had to match graining and knots to create a sense of visual continuation – especially around the oven.’
While this was expertly executed, it was a challenge to install. ‘The pieces of wood were 50mm thick and very long, so navigating them through the doorway and getting them in situ was a logistical challenge,’ admits Nicholas.
Adding character
With no original features in the room save for the silhouette of the old fireplace, Nicholas sought to incorporate elements of the house’s heritage through the kitchen layout and decorative details.
‘There were copper water pipes running up the wall, so instead of boxing them in, we decided to leave them exposed and made them a feature by creating copper pipe shelving and taps,’ he explains. ‘Exposing these elements helped create an industrial kitchen that honours the property’s history.’
Prioritising practicality
The industrial look also fed into the practical side of the kitchen layout. ‘Crispin is used to working in a professional chef’s kitchen, and he wanted to bring the same practicality into his own home,’ explains Nicholas.
Displaying frequently used items on open shelves and incorporating copper hanging rails – this from Etsy has a similar look – was vital in achieving this aim. Ash crates, built for storing vegetables, provide a decorative alternative to the trays and boxes used for storing vegetables in professional spaces. Ash plate racks also offer kitchen wall decor, kitchen storage and a convenient way to dry plates, too.
Finalising the colour scheme
With the practical elements in place, Nicholas turned his eye to decor and painting. ‘The plaster pink kitchen walls, chosen by Crispin, perfectly harmonise with the pinky tones in the copper pipes and pair beautifully with the warmth and grain of the natural ash elements,’ says Nicholas. T
This was balanced with the Squid Ink colour of the cabinetry, which grounds the room. ‘It’s a unique colour that changes in response to the light throughout the day – ranging from dark green to a light blue – and brings a rich depth to the room.’
For a similar kitchen colour scheme, try Paint & Paper Library’s Squid Ink paint for kitchen cabinets and Farrow & Ball’s Setting Plaster available at B&Q across the walls.
The finished kitchen is beautiful to look at and to cook in. ‘It really represents Crispin’s personality, both as a chef and an artist,’ adds Nicholas.
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