Curves, creativity, and characterful creatures

The couple were already working with sustainability specialists Andy Patterson Architects on a major build project which would convert their small 19th-century farmhouse into a substantial modern family home. Plans for the low-carbon extension and renovation beautifully combined the old with the new, and the kitchen design was to follow a similar ethos.

Inspiration came from the couple’s favourite retreat Heckfield Place, as well as their interiors guru Amber Lewis of Californian design house Amber Interiors. The result was traditional cabinetry, created from a combination of tactile finishes and a series of modern curves… all set against delightfully huge Crittall-style apertures offering endless views across the farmland.

Working without an interior designer, Pippa relied on the Barr Kitchens studio team to provide a collaborative approach and in-house design expertise, working the couple’s aesthetic and functional vision into drawings, renders and reality. Design meetings were fun and full of energy, with the team and client sharing ideas and materials samples to tease out the essence of the aesthetic and functional vision.

“Often a Barr Kitchens commission is manufactured to the exacting drawings of our valued design collaborators – but in this case, we worked with our clients directly, an exercise in collective from scratch creativity,” says Lucy White, Barr Kitchens General Manager.

The kitchen cabinetry and shelves are manufactured from solid oak and treated with natural oil. End panels, doors and drawer fronts are designed to the Barr Kitchens distinctive slimline Shaker style. Beneath the sink sit inset bespoke oak trays with finger pull cut-outs, mirrored further around the kitchen by inset chopping boards.

Reeded solid oak from The Surface Studio creates a fluted solid wood finish. The Barr Joinery workshop team made former to act as a skeleton around which the curved island corner would be built. From there multiple fine layers could be moulded and added, with the final layer of fluted oak as a sublime modern finish. Armac Martin ‘Bakes’ handles and knobs and Armstrong tap sets from Perrin & Rowe are in untreated brass for a living finish which will develop its own aged patina over time.

A walk-in larder with a curved entrance arch is lined with open shelving and incorporates an integrated wine rack. To the living room side, next to one of the many huge Crittall-style windows, a bespoke bar cabinet houses a beer fridge, drinks storage and shelving for glasses. “It is the individual details which make a kitchen special and, in this case, exactly what our clients wanted it to be,” says Lucy.

A classic Lacanche Cluny range cooker and hob in stainless steel with brass trims was not to be compromised on; having looked at lots of alternatives, none of them matched up to the real thing. Similarly, the stunning natural stone worktops could not be matched by the equivalent composite options.

“We were designing our long-term family home… we wanted to use design classics and natural materials, everything needed to have longevity and authenticity,” says Pippa. “The project was all about bringing the outside in. We love the light and the landscape – so it was important to work with that, using colours which are neutral and earthy.

The Barr Kitchens team are proud of this wonderful space, and looking forward to revisiting when landscaping is complete and summer grasses are dancing. We thank our clients for making this project such a joy and letting us share their story.