Minimalism. Elegance. Performance

Incremental additions and extensions to this detached cottage in the County Down countryside had left the kitchen dark and dated. The restaurateur owners wanted major updating in a modern style with high quality appliances.

Our radical response was to remove the side of the building and extend outward with a glass wall creating a huge open space with ample light now coming from both sides. But how for a chef to enjoy cooking in her own home, with a view to the new terrace on one side and the Mourne Mountains on the other? With twin islands of course!

With the new kitchen dining room unified with warm travertine stone floor tiling we designed two pure white minimalist islands with true handleless hi-gloss doors and Silestone quartz worktops to create large sculptural but light pieces of furniture. “Under the bonnet” the islands have Fischer and Paykel dishwashing drawers and Hotpoint fridge drawers as well as pull-out waste sorters, deep and internal drawers, a boiling water tap and a Miele oven. The “wet” island has an LED lit Franke tap and Insikerator hot water tap, while the “cooking” island has a panorama Miele induction hob and Wolf downdraft extractor – the air ducted under the floor to the exterior rather than breaking up the space with a conventional hood.

Complimenting and grounding the sleek white islands is a row of tall cabinets, handleless, and conceived to look like plush panelling in book-matched Burr Oak veneer. Boxing around the cabinets creates the impression that the panels are decorative, when in fact they conceal a multitude of storage options including internal drawers and additional refrigeration. The oak panels are surrounded by a recess for opening the end doors and containing LED strip lighting to highlight this beautiful feature, which serves to unify the existing with the new space we created. Symmetry is enhanced by the Miele coffee maker, additional oven and warming drawers in the centre.

A smaller run of oak tall cabinets in the extension area bookends a huge Liebherr wine fridge – a must for the sommelier owner!