American Diners Inspire a British Kitchen

A fresh palette pairs with industrial touches in this lively family kitchen

Jo Simmons March 21, 2016

Houzz UK Contributor. I have been an interiors journalist since 1995, writing several books on design and numerous features for glossy homes mags over the years. For Houzz, I cover decorating ideas and trends and interview designers and professionals for their insights. My favourite pieces to write, though, are Houzz Tours, as I love exploring and learning about real homes. Call me curious — or nosy!

Houzz UK Contributor. I have been an interiors journalist since 1995, writing several... More

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When the owners set about renovating their home in Bristol, England, they were eager to introduce some American diner style into their kitchen. “That’s why we chose a bold blue on the cabinets and black-and-white checkerboard flooring,” says designer Sam Shaw.

Plenty of fresh white lends a bright, clean feel too. The design is anchored by honest industrial touches, such as the cast-metal shelf brackets and the soaring wall of subway tiles. The exciting mix works hard, and has the kind of color and energy that perfectly suits a busy family home.

Sustainable Kitchens

Kitchen at a Glance
Who lives here: A professional couple and their two boys
Location: Bishopston, Bristol, England
Size: 137 square feet (12.7 square meters), 12¾ by 10¾ feet
Designer: Sam Shaw of Sustainable Kitchens

“The whole house was very run-down and was being completely renovated when we came on board in the summer of 2015,” Shaw says. “The original kitchen was in this space, but it was totally gutted.”

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The kitchen is at the back of the house and flows off the dining area. During extensive renovation work on the whole property, two old windows were removed on this wall and the space opened up to create room for one large window.

Refrigerator with freezer compartment: FAB28QB1, Smeg

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The ceiling was knocked out to expose the kitchen’s pitched roof.

Shaw suggested the wall of striking subway tiles on the side of the kitchen that abuts the neighbor’s house. “There had been some exposed brickwork in the kitchen before, and the owners liked that,” he says. “But when the ceiling was removed, the bricks above weren’t as good a quality, so it was easier to just tile over the whole wall.”

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The kitchen cabinets are made with oak frames, and flat birch plywood doors and drawers. “We looked at Shaker styles at first,” Shaw says, “and then decided a flat-panel design was right, as it created a cleaner look with more of a diner feel. We then cut finger pulls into the doors, which look cleaner than handles or knobs.”

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The cabinets were given a coat of primer, one of undercoat and one of paint in the workshop, and then were hand-painted once installed. The range is one of several black accents that dot the room. The shelf brackets, flooring and window frame are others.

Roma twin range: Ilve; cabinet paint: St Giles Blue, Farrow & Ball

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Handsome cast-metal brackets bring an industrial feel to the space. “They are all handmade, and each one is slightly different,” Shaw says.

Vintage-style Duckett design wall shelf brackets: Bowley & Jackson

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“The installation of this kitchen was incredibly straightforward,” Shaw says. “We usually allow a week, but this took a couple of days.” The most challenging part was fitting the shelving. “It was difficult to fit slightly wonky, handmade brackets onto metro tiles and get it all level,” he says.

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Installing the extractor fan proved awkward because of the steeply pitched roof. “We had to cut a hole in the wall and run the pipework out through the adjoining cloakroom,” Shaw says. “We got steel baffles made bespoke to line the hole and create a really neat finish.”

Shaw jokes that he grew up in a farmhouse, and if you needed to get rid of cooking fumes, you simply opened a window! “Now, though, Building Control states you have to have some form of extractor that’s equal to or better than what was installed before,” he says. “So we had to put something in, and the owners liked the industrial style of the exposed pipework.”

Arioso flat stainless steel range hood: Britannia

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The owners’ collection of enamelware and vintage pieces now takes pride of place on the open shelving.

Metropolitan clock: Newgate

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A white quartz counter runs throughout the kitchen and here, by the sink, has drainer grooves cut into it. On this sink run, the same quartz has been used to form the upstand and windowsill.

Stereo double sink: Clearwater; Bianco Venato quartz counter and upstand: Bristol Marble & Granite

Renovating your kitchen? Read expert advice on choosing the perfect worktop

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Checkerboard vinyl flooring ups the American diner atmosphere. The door at the rear leads to a cloakroom in what would originally have been the scullery.

Sustainable Kitchens

Vintage-style metal pendant lights with an industrial feel hang in front of the shelves and along the sink run on the opposite side of the room.

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