Scroll Top

Living in Harmony

20 Oct 20

The owners of this kitchen have lived for many years in their picture-perfect old Rectory in the Cotswolds.  

Over the years, they formulated a long-term plan to extend out at the back and create an equally perfect living space, with a large new kitchen at its heart.  The plan gathered momentum and came to include a completely re-landscaped garden surrounding a new building with a soaring apex, echoing the gables on the original house. 

Involved from early on in the project, Martin Moore designer Alex Hughes worked closely with the clients, architects and builders to seamlessly integrate the kitchen within the new space. As a designer, his sequence of priorities puts ergonomics first, followed by the visual balance and proportion of the furniture, the colours and the lighting. With all of these factors in harmony, the kitchen becomes as practical as it is beautiful. 

Technically, the new kitchen is still in the old house, partly occupying the footprint of the original kitchen. 

Tucking the new kitchen into a space framed by walls and a lower ceiling gives it a distinct identity as a warm and friendly area within the much larger open plan room. 

Reflecting their love of cooking and party-giving on a grand scale, the family’s ‘must-have’ list included the Aga, a big fridge/freezer, two full-size dishwashers and a walk-in larder.  

Light is a prevailing theme throughout the extension. Doors and windows on three sides give views over the landscaped garden, which is illuminated by night.

Light washes through from overhead too, with a rooflight in the apex and a large lantern-light in the roof above the kitchen zone. Within the kitchen, decorative pendants are combined with task lighting, all independently controllable to achieve exactly the right mood.  The antiqued mirror glass splashback behind the cooking zone adds yet another dimension to the interplay of light. 

Colours were chosen in response to the light which floods this room. Soft greys and a strong blue connect to views of the sky above and the veined white Quartzite tops pick up and enhance ambient light. 

Highly polished Nero Assoluto granite tops introduce a contrasting note, used to frame the Aga and on a cupboard beneath the dedicated glasses cupboard, creating an informal bar area.

The walk-in pantry was fitted out in close consultation with the clients, based on their shopping habits, the ingredients they like to keep handy and their preferred way of storing everything from bread to vegetables.

Equally close attention has been paid to every zone throughout the kitchen. The Aga is flanked by drawers that are purpose-fitted to hold spices, pans, oven dishes and other cooking essentials and it is just a few steps from there to the large fridge. 

The wet zone, sited on the large multi-purpose island, combines a large double French sink with the two ‘must have’ dishwashers. 

Connecting the kitchen direct to the back door, the boot room features both tall purpose-fitted cupboards and pigeonhole shelving to keep essentials on view. 

Hand built in their Yorkshire workshops, all Martin Moore furniture is custom designed as a bespoke response to the customer’s brief and the architecture of the room.  
Back to news