Image caption:
Modern Bespoke Shaker Kitchen by Higham Furniture painted in Lamp Black by Little Greene with a European Oak Island. Kitchens by Higham Furniture start from £35,000. www.higham.co.uk

Please credit photographer: Paul Craig

About this kitchen:
Higham Furniture was commissioned by a professional couple with two children to design, make and install a modern bespoke Shaker kitchen in part of a new rear extension to a six-bedroom early 20th Century property that had undergone extensive renovations.

The clients’ brief was for a modern Shaker cabinetry using influences inspired by Canadian interior design studio, Leclair Decor. They were seeking a clean symmetrical look to the kitchen that would house contemporary built-in appliances, with an island that would be used for food preparation and have seating for informal dining. They needed plenty of storage to keep the kitchen clutter-free, which would include furniture facing the dining area. The clients wanted to combine natural timber finishes using European Oak to add warmth to a black and white colour palette and to complement their new Engineered Oak flooring. The paint colour is Lamp Black by Little Greene.

The challenge was to design the cabinetry to fit within the architectural layout of the extension, which includes a corridor leading to a utility room, tall windows, two large ceiling lanterns and floor-to-ceiling panel doors to the garden. During the design stage, the clients requested that the French door fridge freezer be located away from the main entertaining space, yet still be accessible, and this was factored into the plan.

For the 30m² kitchen and dining space, Tim Higham, founder of Higham Furniture suggested tall and undercounter in frame cabinetry with thin borders on the door and drawer fronts to provide a more contemporary pared back style. The longest run along the side elevation features open shelving with a European Oak internal carcase above the wet area as a complementary accent to the European Oak island. Beneath the Franke undermount sink and Quooker Flex Boiling Water Tap is a double door utility cupboard flanked by two Miele 60cm integrated dishwashers. At the far end of this run is the corridor where the Fisher & Paykel French door fridge freezer is situated within tall cabinetry.

To the left of the sink run facing the island is a tall breakfast-cum-larder cabinet and appliance garage with European Oak internal shelving and bi-fold doors. These tall doors feature long straight bar handles in burnished brass, with the same finish used for the butt hinges and ball knob handles, all by Armac Martin. This cabinet is bi-sected by a 30mm thick Horizon Carrara Quartz worktop, which is featured throughout the kitchen, and is also used for the splashbacks behind the

sink and cooking runs. Beneath the cabinet are two deep pan drawers on soft-close runners with dovetailed drawer boxes. All cabinetry is made at Higham Furniture’s wholly-owned cabinet workshop in Denmead, Hampshire.

The long cabinetry run continues into the dining area, which features a large double door frosted glass window facing the dining area and adjacent to the glass panel doors to the garden. To create a point of difference, Tim Higham designed the undercounter cabinetry with glazed fronts to showcase the clients’ white plates and crockery. This also includes European Oak internal shelving.

The European Oak island features tongue and grooved end panels with a recess on the facing side to allow for counter stool seating beneath the worktop. It also includes further open shelving for books and decorative items. The task side of the island facing the cooking zone includes two deep drawers, a storage cupboard and housing for a 45cm combination microwave by Miele.

The cabinetry for the cooking zone extends beyond the wall behind it by 60cm in depth. This allows for a drinks preparation area in the nook behind it with a Caple wine fridge installed beneath a worktop, with a coffee machine and open shelving for cups and saucers above it.
The cooking run includes tall cabinetry and overhead cabinetry that incorporates a concealed extractor by Westin. Base cabinetry features storage cupboards and cutlery drawers beneath a flush mounted 80cm induction hob by Miele. To the left is a tall comestibles cupboard and to the right the cabinetry houses a bank of ovens by Miele with a warming drawer installed beneath. LED lighting at the base of the overhead cabinetry makes a feature of the space at night.

Larger image files are available from Tara Silvester at Left Right & Centre PR: tara@leftrightandcentre.com