Situated in the heart of Knutsford, we were tasked with designing a new modern kitchen and living space for this Grade II listed, late 18th-century manor. The clients’ requirements were mainly led by form and material quality needed to be centre stage.

The room in which the kitchen was to be place, was a new extension which used the same Red Flemish brick that can be seen on all the buildings within the courtyard. The addition of this very forgiving structure not only introduced huge amounts of natural light to the space, it also acted as a metaphorical bridge, connecting the original architecture and interior to the simpler, more modern kitchen.

With this quite wide and open brief, we started the design as we do with every kitchen… the method of cooking. With so many different cooktops, ranges and ovens to choose from nowadays, it can be difficult to navigate through the quagmire of options. Luckily, when the clients saw our Lacanche Range Cooker in our showroom, they fell in love and a decision was made.

Swamped by the quantity of ‘traditional’ style mantles on show in every other kitchen, we wanted to break from the mould by making use of a floating style shelf instead. This served as a display case for the clients expertly chosen trinkets and curios.

The materials used in the kitchen consisted of walnut finished internals and fronts for the island. The cooker run comprising of spray painted, poplar framed cabinets, with an amazing stainless steel and brass range cooker in the centre. All the cabinets were crowned with a Calacatta style porcelain which had been designed and manufactured to a thickness of 50mm thick. The knee hole was also fully clad with the same porcelain which gives the impression that the island had been hewn out of an Italian mountain. The porcelain worktops offered all the beauty of a natural material with all the practical benefits of a manufactured stone.

In summary, we met the client’s brief by creating a modern kitchen, with well thought out space and a focus on showcasing the quality and textures of all materials involved.