Kitchen Confidential | Gerrards Cross Project

The Gerrards Cross project comprises a main kitchen, prep kitchen and a dining area in one large light and airy open plan space. The homeowners have two young children so ensuring the space was family friendly and had a relaxed, welcoming feel was a central theme of the original brief.

The false chimney creates a definite focal point and houses the 4 oven night storage electric AGA with a roasting, simmering, baking and warming oven; this behemoth of a range cooker offers maximum versatility in the kitchen. The bespoke antique effect mirror splashback behind the AGA is great for bouncing light back across the room and is easy to clean making it low maintenance.

The island acts as the main prep area and has a Kohler under-mounted sink positioned conveniently opposite the AGA which makes draining pans really easy. The Quooker hot water tap is also useful for food prep as it can easily fill a large pan for an ultra quick pasta meal. An under-counter integrated Miele refrigerator is also located on the island closest to the dining area so that things like milk are nearby for the drinks pantry and other regularly used foods are quickly accessible during food preparation.

Either side of the false chimney are recessed bookshelves providing invaluable space for cookery books and ensuring that the main kitchen has visual clutter kept to an absolute minimum. Integrated trays at each end of the cooking run are perfectly positioned so one is always to hand when you need them.

The island in the main kitchen has 3 drawer chests positioned either side of the seating area which provides additional storage for cookware, tableware and servingware. This Nickleby cabinetry has been finished in HM’s bespoke colour Twill and has polished nickel Quilp knobs.

Hand Painted in HM Trim and situated between the main kitchen and prep kitchen is the large Cook’s pantry flanked on either side by the column refrigerator and freezer. Having the cook’s pantry here enables the majority of dry goods and chilled goods to be zoned together making those super quick mid-week meals even easier to prepare.

The pantry interiors are finished in natural oak including the classic HM spice and condiment racks on the back of the doors.  There is masses of storage within these spice and condiment racks, deep shelves and 5 drawers below which offers a solution for hiding away those open packs of rice, pasta and treats that you don’t necessarily want on view. The cold shelf finished in the same quartz worktops as the rest of the kitchen provides a handy spot for preparing snacks.

To the left of the Cook’s pantry and opposite the main kitchen is the prep kitchen which features a Nickleby prep table finished in HM Twill with a Natural oak worktop and beautiful handmade Nickleby cabinetry throughout.

This kitchen is mostly used for baking and has a large 90cm Miele precision oven with a gas hob, which is the perfect tool for making impressive dishes when entertaining. The false chimney hides the bespoke Westin extraction above and the prep table provides plenty of prep space whilst the cupboards give extra storage for baking trays and equipment. The full height countertop cupboards either side of the chimney also provide masses of space for heavy duty appliances like the kitchen aid mixer, food processor, blender and baking equipment.

The large breakfast/ drinks pantry is situated to the right of the main kitchen. The dining area of the kitchen is close enough to the main kitchen area to make casual entertaining or family meals and is easily accessible. This makes it the perfect place for making hot drinks, storing cups, saucers and glassware. There is another riding room in the home however being a part of the kitchen this dining area is used most of the time and certainly on a daily basis.

This breakfast / drinks cabinet was designed to the client’s specification with bottle storage at the top, racks for hanging glasses, storage for coffee and tea cups as well as plenty of space for the coffee machine on the countertop. The doors open on a bi-fold so they can be easily left open and then closed away when not in use.

The overall feeling when you walk into this kitchen is very calming, everything has a place and there’s a true sensibility to the flow and functionality of the different zones within the kitchen.  To see the full portfolio of images of this kitchen please click here.