When bespoke kitchen designer Tim Moss first discussed this kitchen project with his customer, he wasn’t convinced that he could make her dreams come true. But with some clever spatial evaluation and planning he was able to achieve the impossible.
This kitchen project in Holland Park was part of a much larger renovation project that encompassed the whole property. The brief was to create a unified space between the basement sitting area, the kitchen and the dining room, leading out to the garden.
‘The space was narrow and the client wished for an Island. I knew this would be difficult but after much consideration and experimenting I’m thrilled with the design I arrived at’ says Moss. Working from architect’s plans, he wrestled with various lay-outs, always conscious of the client’s requests.
Farrwow and Ball Downpipe and Strong White paint
A dark island combined with light wall cabinetry give drama and contrast
He had to work around the constraints of the certain structural elements that could not be removed, but eventually he came upon the idea of using all the available alcove and chimney breast depths to push the larger appliances far enough in to gain the extra space needed for the island. Moss adds: ‘The cupboards all vary in depth and width as they work their way around the supporting piers.’
The kitchen is located in the basement of the property which obviously throws up the additional challenge of creating a space that is sufficiently bright and airy. In order to ensure that this was the case, Moss carefully selected a colour scheme that would maximise all the available natural light.
The wall of cupboards was painted in Skimming Stone by Farrow and Ball which helped to keep the feeling of light, whilst the island was painted in Downpipe, also by Farrow and Ball, which created a feeling of solidity and added a bit of quiet drama. Moss also specified a paler fossilised limestone floor to add texture to the room and work surfaces in Caesarstone ‘Snow’ to lighten the whole area.
In-built wine cooler and elegant glazed display cupboard
When it came to choosing the appliances and kitchen brassware, Moss opted for brands that he knew well and had worked with before. ‘All appliances are Gaggenau, much loved by the client, both for style and quality. The tap is by Dornbracht, from its Elio range. Both are brands of such good quality and they are always a pleasure to fit,’ says Moss.
Both the client and Moss were extremely happy with the final result, but it did take some time to get there. ‘The schedule was quite long as the entire property was to be refurbished,’ explains Moss. ‘Once the design was finished and the drawings all ready for the builder, we had a wait of some five to six months.’ This, according to Moss, was down to the fact that the kitchen, as in any build, should go in as late as practically possible to avoid the chances of damage.
Elegant and highly functional bank of wall cupboards
However, despite this wait to get started there were no major hold-ups along the way. Moss says: ‘Having the builder on site everyday meant a tightly run job throughout, with the whole project being finished on time.’
The client was extremely happy with her new kitchen and Moss says that she has even shown some of his prospective clients around with much pleasure and very good results. Moss too was very satisfied with the way the project turned out. He says: ‘I am really pleased with the overall lay-out. Seeing the client’s face, her disbelief and joy, when I revealed we had met all her wishes was my personal highlight.’