Jenny & Tim’s period kitchen featured in the April 2006 issue of Period House magazine, highlighted their handmade painted cabinets and oak dresser, all crafted by D.G. Clifton & Son:
“When Jenny decided to move back to the Surrey village she was brought up in, it was her mother who came up with the notion that she and her family should consider buying Jenny’s childhood home. “My mother suggested this house after my father had passed away as it was far bigger than our property in London,” Jenny explains. She admits that her mother had originally installed the kitchen in the 60s, so it was desperately in need of some TLC. “When Mum designed her kitchen it was state of the art but, with four children, we needed plenty of space and were looking for something more up-to-date.”
Although the family initially moved in 13 years ago, most of the work has been done more recently, as Jenny points out, it is quite hard to be very ruthless about changes when Mum is still living in the village. First, a coal bunker and an internal air-raid shelter were removed to free up more space to fit in a large utility area which the family used as a temporary kitchen whilst the next phase of work went ahead with the help of Jenny’s trusted architect, Martin Johnson. She explains: “Out main aim was to have a family kitchen area which could be used for a variety of activities.”
When it came to style, the couple chose classic wood cupboards, with beautiful antique bronze knobs and cub handles, hand-painted in cream to match the walls using Farrow & Ball’s New White. Jenny opted for black granite-topped worksurfaces in Angola Gold for the ‘homely but smart’ look she was after, while the sturdy European oak floor was delivered from a saw mill in Kent and laid by the builder’s joiner.
D.G. Clifton & Son made the painted cupboards and a built-in oak dresser which separated the living space from the working area of the kitchen. And, with a family of six, cooking is a priority so Jenny chose an elegant Falcon range to give her the capacity and versatility needed to cook for everyone. They also extended the area by two metres to create a large airy bay which helps make the kitchen light as well as spacious. Roman blinds, rather than curtains, in complementary colours called Lily Terracotta by F.R. Street, trimmed with red, help keep the clean simple lines.
Jenny also snapped up a beautiful modern french oak table with a set of eight chairs for family meals and homework, as well as dinner with friends. “The whole area adds up to an extremely attractive and welcoming yet functional space, which works for the whole family,” says Jenny. “We all love spending time in here.”
To download a PDF of the article, please click here.
To visit the website of Period House magazine, please click here.
Supplier List
- Cabinetry – D.G. Clifton & Son
- Appliances – Falcon
- Paint – Farrow & Ball
- Curtains – Jacquie Spall Fine Furnishings
- Builders – John Campbell
- Architect – Martin Johnson
- Flooring – Orlestone Oak
Tags: Bronze, Cream, Dresser, Granite, Kitchen, Oak, Painted, Period, Period House
