A Handmade Kitchen
DORSET
Set within a beautiful Jacobean farmhouse in an historic Elizabethan hamlet, this bespoke handmade kitchen in Dorset was created to honour a house which Country Life magazine once described as “one of the most charming manor houses in the West of England.”
Every element of this handmade kitchen respects the original fabric of the building; from the leaded stone mullion windows and oak panelling, to the extraordinary hand-painted ceiling above. With three windows, two doorways and a square footprint, it was a complex kitchen space to design, yet the result is a traditional Dorset kitchen that feels quietly confident, rooted in its period architecture and designed with purpose.
A Handmade Kitchen Crafted With The Period House in Mind
The soft tones of Farrow & Ball Ball Green were chosen for the cabinetry to work harmoniously with the honeyed stonework and the gentle palette of the original hand-painted ceiling.
The hand-painted kitchen island, finished in Mylands Huguenot, adds a bold warmth at the centre of the room. Its drawers provide generous practical storage beneath a honed Carrara marble worktop with a soft bullnose edge, allowing enough space for two stools at one end.
The Everhot range cooker is framed by a surround that incorporates bespoke cabinetry to balance the design, all sitting comfortably alongside the original oak panelling, preserving the heritage character of the room.
FEATURE
Handmade Kitchen Design Details
Behind discreet pocket doors, a larder cabinet conceals the breakfast essentials. We have also allowed for different storage options such as shelves, a basket and drawer for dry goods and ingredients, as well as electrical sockets for a toaster and coffee machine.
A honed Carrara marble worktop offers an optional cooler surface to rest perishable items, such a cheese.
This is a hard working cupboard that keeps the space calm and uncluttered.
We designed this kitchen to blend modern function with historic detail. It was a complex space; every detail had to be considered.
Nick Anderson
The Everhot range cooker is framed by a surround that incorporates bespoke cabinetry
Glazed wall cabinets have been softened with the addition of pretty curtaining
A Bespoke Dorset Kitchen Designed for Real Life
An oak window seat, purposefully designed to sit above a radiator, offering a peaceful perch for morning coffee and, beneath, a warm refuge for the family’s three dogs thanks to a Sofas & Stuff dog bed.
Glazed wall cabinets have been softened with the addition of pretty curtaining, hiding mugs and crockery while injecting subtle texture and pattern to compliment the painted details in the room.
Integrated appliances include a range cooker from Everhot and a Fisher & Paykel fridge-freezer.
While under the leaded mullion window sits a Villeroy & Boch Butler’s sink, Quooker combi tap with Cube, and an integrated Miele dishwasher creating the perfect dish-washing area.
It is a warm, inviting space that feels elegant, refined and comfortable, as though it has always belonged to the house.
Nick Anderson
Collaborative Design for a Handmade Kitchen
Working closely with interior designer Olivia White-Hamilton of Olpol & Co, every decision was made to preserve the home’s integrity while creating a kitchen that performs beautifully for family life today.
Subtle design details include the curve of the cabinetry, reflecting the curves found in ceiling above. The paint colours chosen to also work in harmony with the ceiling’s colours, while oak bench seating takes inspiration from the traditional wall panelling. Carefully selected wallpaper and fabrics have been used to create softness to the overall scheme.
The result is a bespoke handmade kitchen that enhances this magnificent period Dorset home.
Other handmade kitchens by Guild Anderson
