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An Orderly Life ...

20 Jan 20

Following a big move from London to a country village, there is a ‘dream kitchen’ feel about both the scale and the aesthetics of this project. At its heart is also a desire for perfect order.  The owners and their young family lead a super busy life, so their time at home together revolves around this multi-tasking kitchen, with plenty of space for family and friends of all ages. 

Clever zoning and a place for everything is the secret behind making large kitchens efficient. Martin Moore Senior Designer Andrew Wartnaby was involved from the beginning of the project to ensure that no compromises need be made in creating a kitchen which is as purposeful as it is beautiful. 

Achieving this space was part of the total renovation of a period house left untouched for decades. Opened out at the rear, a new extension was built across the back of the house, with sliding glass doors leading from the kitchen onto the garden.  The adjacent boot room provides a second route in from the garden, stopping children running through with muddy boots. 

A warm and practical limestone floor from Martin Moore runs throughout both rooms, forming part of a palette of natural colours, at the heart of which is the rich blue of the large working island. Topped with a magnificent slab of granite, it gives the kitchen both a central design feature and the “wow factor” which formed part of the clients’ must-have list.  

Overall, the look is simple, uncluttered and has a sense of being unfitted, composed of real pieces of furniture… which is exactly what it is. Every Martin Moore kitchen is entirely designed to order and hand built in their Yorkshire workshops. This also allows clients to specify everything right down to the custom-fitted drawer and cupboard interiors built around their lifestyle and possessions. 

The large Breakfast Cupboard holds not only electrical appliances including a coffee machine and toaster, but also the kitchen china, glassware and cutlery. On the other side of the island (which contains the sink and dishwasher) is the beautifully organised cooking zone. The large range cooker is flanked by dedicated storage for pots and pans, with the fridge, freezer and tall pantry cupboard perfectly to hand.

The boot room was also designed very specifically around its purpose.  Not only is it a barrier between house and garden, where boots and coats can be left, but it’s also both the utility and laundry room and houses another large fridge. The cupboards, shelves and pigeon-holes were designed as a space-efficient storage system that packs a great deal of purpose into a relatively compact space. Here too, everything has its place and order can be kept, or restored, with minimal effort. 

A profound sense of calm runs throughout this whole project, the perfect antidote to the hustle and bustle of family life. 

Kitchen Details: 

Bespoke cabinetry from Martin Moore’s New Classic range

Paint colours: 
Hand painted in Martin Moore’s ‘Steel Grey’ and ‘Cobalt’ (island)
Worktops: 
Polished quartzite Misty Carrara
Polished Piracema Granite (island)

Flooring:
Aged Steinach Limestone from Martin Moore Stone
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