Taste of Old England

When it comes to kitchens, it seems that everything and nothing has changed over the past century. Kitchens are still at the heart of family living and many of the materials are exactly the same. It is just the increased functionality and technology that sets modern-day kitchens apart.

Much like kitchens of yesteryear, this kitchen is positioned in the center of a new English cottage-style house designed by architect Keith Summerour of Summerour & Associates.

"All the circulation routes in the house lead through the kitchen," he says. "The entry from the garage and the stairs to the upper level are just off the kitchen, so the family moves through the room to get to the family living areas."

For this reason, the space was designed to minimize a functional appearance.

"The owners are avid chefs and love to entertain," says Summerour. "But while the design needed to accommodate a lot of appliances, it was important to conceal these as much as possible. The central focus had to be on the furniture-style island, which was made from reclaimed oak logs and is reminiscent of an old kitchen table."

The furniture look is reinforced by the dovetailed construction, turned legs and French-polished finish.

"When people walk into the kitchen, they see a beautiful piece of furniture the perimeter cabinets accommodating the main appliances are like wallpaper they tend to blend into the background," says the architect.

Despite the desire to minimize the appearance of these cabinets, their design reflects a close attention to detail. The door style is similar to cabinets in the kitchen of historic Glen Ridge Hall an English manor-style residence built in 1929.

"The cabinets extend the full height of the room, so the kitchen doesn't have a cut-off look. A ladder that can be hooked into the upper cabinets also enhances the verticality of the room," says the architect.

Countertops and backsplashes in black soapstone add further visual drama. To make a feature of the cooking center, the backsplash has a decorative curved edge.

"It's a little flourish that helps relieve the eye, so the kitchen doesn't appear too straight edged," says Summerour.

Other features include a separate pantry and an additional butler's pantry next to the formal dining room.

To provide further functionality, there are two sinks in the main part of the kitchen, both in front of windows.

"One of these windows looks into the terraced front courtyard, which is like an outdoor room," says Summerour. "This can be opened up so the owners can serve drinks outdoors. At Halloween, for example, the entire neighborhood ends up on the terrace and while the children play trick or treat, the adults enjoy drinks and even soup. And it all happens from the kitchen, just like old times."

Story by: Trendsideas