Urban Blue

28 Mar 18

The extension has a stark ‘Huf House’ style and the original kitchen had a similarly clinical feel.  As soon as they bought the house, the clients were clear that they wanted a new, cosier kitchen for their young family.  Although they had briefly considered another hyper-modern kitchen, they were quickly converted to the contemporary classic look of Martin Moore’s handmade furniture. This was the perfect way to reconnect the space to the Victorian origins of the house.

This was never going to be a straightforward project. The height and scale of the furniture and appliances had to be carefully considered as there were several different ceiling heights. The design also had to work around an imposing structural steel column.

Because Martin Moore kitchens are entirely designed and made to order, there are no standard components. Toni Silver, a Senior Designer at Martin Moore, had free rein to create the clients’ perfect family kitchen within this challenging space. 

The cabinetry, from Martin Moore’s English collection, was deliberately kept quiet and restrained, echoing the period origins of the house and leaving room for vibrant, contemporary colours and patterns to take centre stage. The height and scale of the individually designed wall cabinets, mantel and larder units help redress the variation in ceiling heights. At the heart of the kitchen, the island is raised on legs to give a traditional, freestanding look.

Another of Toni Silver’s clever design solutions was to absorb the problematic structural steel column into a neat desk area. This gives it real purpose, and allows the rest of the kitchen to flow naturally around the window, island and cooking zone.

This is a very urban kitchen; clean-cut, highly functional but warm and bright with colour and rich in pattern and texture. The inky indigo paint chosen for the central island led to the clients choosing a palette of decorative blues, including the iridescent splashback tiles and on-trend geometric floor.