Kitchen With Clever Storage in a 16th-Century Space
A designer gets creative to keep this low-ceilinged English kitchen feeling light and open
The low, beamed ceiling in this room in a centuries-old English house presented a challenge for kitchen specialist Chisholm Design. The firm had been tasked with creating a kitchen here where there once was none. In doing so, they needed to incorporate plentiful storage without the space feeling cramped. This was especially important because the front of the home dates from the 18th or early 19th century, with high ceilings and big windows, and the back of the house, where the kitchen is located, is 16th century, with low ceilings.
“There’s quite a mismatch in the feel of the house as you go through it, so it was important the spaces flowed together,” designer Joanna Chisholm says. She did this by keeping the kitchen light and open, so the low ceiling and reduced light is less apparent, and by building storage neatly into all the available space, including under the stairs and within the fireplace.
“There’s quite a mismatch in the feel of the house as you go through it, so it was important the spaces flowed together,” designer Joanna Chisholm says. She did this by keeping the kitchen light and open, so the low ceiling and reduced light is less apparent, and by building storage neatly into all the available space, including under the stairs and within the fireplace.
After: The designers made sure they kept some of the original “wonkiness” of the room. “The clients were really keen that we retain as much of that as possible because they wanted it to feel like an old house,” Chisholm says.
The team fitted a sturdy new oak pillar to replace the weak post and incorporated it into the end of the island to ensure they could still give the couple a good-sized breakfast bar.
The team fitted a sturdy new oak pillar to replace the weak post and incorporated it into the end of the island to ensure they could still give the couple a good-sized breakfast bar.
In addition to wanting to make the most of every inch in the kitchen, the homeowners requested a large island. “They do a lot of socializing so they wanted to be able to gather around the island and, because the dining table isn’t in the kitchen, they also needed to be able to sit there comfortably for meals,” Chisholm says.
They also asked for a big sink so they could easily soak baking sheets and large pans, and plenty of food and dish storage as they were aware there wasn’t much room for wall cabinets.
Keeping the space as light as possible was important. “It’s south-facing, but on a dull day there isn’t a huge amount of light coming in,” she says. Along with painting the walls and ceiling white, she’s chosen pale limestone for the flooring and a pale but — crucially — warm neutral for the perimeter cabinets.
The island has been given definition with a gray-green paint. “The clients wanted the kitchen to feel calm and connected to the garden, which is why they opted for the green,” Chisholm says.
Island paint: Pompeian Grey, Little Greene; perimeter cabinetry paint: Rolling Fog, Little Greene
They also asked for a big sink so they could easily soak baking sheets and large pans, and plenty of food and dish storage as they were aware there wasn’t much room for wall cabinets.
Keeping the space as light as possible was important. “It’s south-facing, but on a dull day there isn’t a huge amount of light coming in,” she says. Along with painting the walls and ceiling white, she’s chosen pale limestone for the flooring and a pale but — crucially — warm neutral for the perimeter cabinets.
The island has been given definition with a gray-green paint. “The clients wanted the kitchen to feel calm and connected to the garden, which is why they opted for the green,” Chisholm says.
Island paint: Pompeian Grey, Little Greene; perimeter cabinetry paint: Rolling Fog, Little Greene
Chisholm has left gaps between the new oak pillar and the quartz upstand that wraps around it because of the nature of the wood. “The oak is going to move over time, so we couldn’t put a bead of silicone around it as we usually would,” she says.
The countertops throughout are durable quartz.
The countertops throughout are durable quartz.
To help compensate for the lack of wall units in the rest of the kitchen, Chisholm designed this bank of tall cabinets containing masses of storage.
In the middle is a breakfast bar with drawers below. The bifold doors can be left open without getting in the way so the room can benefit from the interior lights.
The tall cabinet on the left contains shelving for additional items such as serving dishes, while the cabinet on the right is a pantry with spice racks on the doors, roomy shelves and open drawers at the bottom.
The tall cabinet on the left contains shelving for additional items such as serving dishes, while the cabinet on the right is a pantry with spice racks on the doors, roomy shelves and open drawers at the bottom.
Before: The old staircase, to the right of where the tall cabinets are now, wasn’t functional. The floor needed to be lowered and the ceiling beams replaced on this side of the room.
After: The staircase has been replaced. The cupboard at the back of the stairs is a larder refrigerator, which doesn’t contain an ice box. The freezer is in the laundry room, just seen inside the open door.
It was a tight fit to get the tall appliance into the sloping space. “The builders often don’t put stairs in until quite late so we had to wait until they were properly in, then measure the angle and depth [of the space] to make sure we could physically get the [refrigerator] in before ordering it,” Chisholm says.
The thickness of the floor tiles had to be taken into account too. “We’re mindful of buildup,” Chisholm says. “If a builder puts [an inch] on the wall or floor, for example, it can make a massive difference.”
The brass ventilation grille above the door is a smart detail that works nicely with the beams.
Classic brass vent cover: DeVOL
It was a tight fit to get the tall appliance into the sloping space. “The builders often don’t put stairs in until quite late so we had to wait until they were properly in, then measure the angle and depth [of the space] to make sure we could physically get the [refrigerator] in before ordering it,” Chisholm says.
The thickness of the floor tiles had to be taken into account too. “We’re mindful of buildup,” Chisholm says. “If a builder puts [an inch] on the wall or floor, for example, it can make a massive difference.”
The brass ventilation grille above the door is a smart detail that works nicely with the beams.
Classic brass vent cover: DeVOL
The oak wine rack was also a challenge. “We had to make sure the fridge didn’t heat up the bottles, so there’s some extra insulation in there,” Chisholm says.
There are no radiators in here so the team laid underfloor heating beneath the limestone tile.
Floor tiles: Dijon tumbled limestone, Quorn Stone
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There are no radiators in here so the team laid underfloor heating beneath the limestone tile.
Floor tiles: Dijon tumbled limestone, Quorn Stone
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Three black-and-brass pendant lights hang over the island. The electrical conduit running along the beam is actually white plastic, which was massively cheaper than a brass version. “The homeowner did a very clever job of getting it to look like brass by spray-painting it,” Chisholm says.
In addition to the island pendants, there are discreet white flush spotlights dotted between some of the beams, as well as lighting within and below the glass wall cabinet, above the range and in all the tall cabinets.
The double doors seen here lead into the dining room, which is more of a formal dining space.
Pendant lights: Chelsea Dome in Pewter & Brass, Industville
In addition to the island pendants, there are discreet white flush spotlights dotted between some of the beams, as well as lighting within and below the glass wall cabinet, above the range and in all the tall cabinets.
The double doors seen here lead into the dining room, which is more of a formal dining space.
Pendant lights: Chelsea Dome in Pewter & Brass, Industville
The island is large — 8 feet by 3⅓ feet — but Chisholm has softened it with curves. “I do think they make a difference,” she says. “[The clients] didn’t want lots of curves, but the one on the end of the sink run, for instance, is nice, because that’s a walkway into a study so it softens it. I think if it had been square, it might have been a bit harsh.”
The open end of the tall unit is also curved, but Chisholm hasn’t gone overboard. “We don’t have them on the sides of the wall cupboard, for example, as you can over-curve things if you’re not careful,” she says.
“The cabinets are our country Shaker design,” she says. “There’s a little bit of beading inside the frames just to give that more traditional look, which goes with the house.”
Most of the day-to-day dishware, pans and flatware live in the island, while a wooden tray and two cutting boards have their own slots in the side. “They add a bit of warmth and tie in with beams,” Chisholm says.
The open end of the tall unit is also curved, but Chisholm hasn’t gone overboard. “We don’t have them on the sides of the wall cupboard, for example, as you can over-curve things if you’re not careful,” she says.
“The cabinets are our country Shaker design,” she says. “There’s a little bit of beading inside the frames just to give that more traditional look, which goes with the house.”
Most of the day-to-day dishware, pans and flatware live in the island, while a wooden tray and two cutting boards have their own slots in the side. “They add a bit of warmth and tie in with beams,” Chisholm says.
Chisholm has built in one upper cabinet, making the most of this little space. The unit is tucked right up against the beam, with the trim cut to fit.
The cupboard doors are glass, so the room can benefit from the interior lighting “and it doesn’t feel as heavy as a solid door,” Chisholm says. “The glass is fluted so you can hide things a little that aren’t necessarily beautiful but still get the light.”
The part-glass back door brings in extra light. The barn door style means the owners can open just the top half to prevent the dog from escaping.
The cupboard doors are glass, so the room can benefit from the interior lighting “and it doesn’t feel as heavy as a solid door,” Chisholm says. “The glass is fluted so you can hide things a little that aren’t necessarily beautiful but still get the light.”
The part-glass back door brings in extra light. The barn door style means the owners can open just the top half to prevent the dog from escaping.
The 1½ bowl farmhouse sink by Thomas Denby is an unusual configuration, having a big 20-inch-wide bowl on one side, and a little 8-inch bowl on the other. “It’s the best of both worlds,” Chisholm says. “A double [farmhouse] sink tends to have two smallish bowls. The client was keen to have one where she could properly soak things.”
The sink is flanked by a dishwasher and a cabinet for trash bins.
Boiling-water faucet in patinated brass: Quooker; hardware: Crofts & Assinder
The sink is flanked by a dishwasher and a cabinet for trash bins.
Boiling-water faucet in patinated brass: Quooker; hardware: Crofts & Assinder
The clients wanted a freestanding range cooker, which has multiple ovens, a grill and burners. “It fits with the house and also there wasn’t a lot of room to have ovens in a tall tower,” Chisholm says.
She managed to make use of the original fireplace, but “it was very wonky. It was tricky to get an extractor [range hood] in without a lot of digging around in the ceiling, but the builder did a brilliant job of getting the ducting up, across the ceiling and out,” she says.
The wood lintel and brickwork are original. “The clients were really keen on it not all being made straight and keeping its character,” Chisholm says. The antique mirror backsplash reflects the light and goes with the feel of the room.
The cupboards on either side of the range are quite shallow as it’s such a deep fireplace, but they’re perfect for oils, herbs and spices. “They work really well there, otherwise the larder is quite far away at the other side of the kitchen,” Chisholm says.
Range: Classic Deluxe, Rangemaster
She managed to make use of the original fireplace, but “it was very wonky. It was tricky to get an extractor [range hood] in without a lot of digging around in the ceiling, but the builder did a brilliant job of getting the ducting up, across the ceiling and out,” she says.
The wood lintel and brickwork are original. “The clients were really keen on it not all being made straight and keeping its character,” Chisholm says. The antique mirror backsplash reflects the light and goes with the feel of the room.
The cupboards on either side of the range are quite shallow as it’s such a deep fireplace, but they’re perfect for oils, herbs and spices. “They work really well there, otherwise the larder is quite far away at the other side of the kitchen,” Chisholm says.
Range: Classic Deluxe, Rangemaster
Chisholm has also made brilliant use of the space in the adjacent laundry-mudroom.
On the mudroom side, ceiling-high cabinets, painted in the same color as the kitchen cabinets, hide a large Megaflo hot water cylinder, the boiler and a water softener. “There was a lot of plumbing to be thought about,” Chisholm says. Laundry rooms “can be tricky because of all the plumbing, and you can’t really measure until all that plumbing is in.”
To the left are coat hooks and a bench with a drawer underneath for hats and gloves, as well as a cupboard for rain boots with baskets above.
On the mudroom side, ceiling-high cabinets, painted in the same color as the kitchen cabinets, hide a large Megaflo hot water cylinder, the boiler and a water softener. “There was a lot of plumbing to be thought about,” Chisholm says. Laundry rooms “can be tricky because of all the plumbing, and you can’t really measure until all that plumbing is in.”
To the left are coat hooks and a bench with a drawer underneath for hats and gloves, as well as a cupboard for rain boots with baskets above.
On the laundry side, there’s a tall freezer within easy reach of the kitchen, then a stacked washing machine and dryer, and storage for cleaning and laundry essentials. Chisholm also included a dog shower for after muddy walks.
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Kitchen at a Glance
Who lives here: A couple with older children who have left home, and a cockapoo dog
Location: Church Crookham, Hampshire, England
Size: Kitchen: 392 square feet (36.4 square meters); laundry room: 131 square feet (12.2 square meters)
Designer: Joanna Chisholm of Chisholm Design
Contractor: Paul Butcher of JRB Building
Before: “The clients had recently bought the house and it was a complete mess — it didn’t have a kitchen in it when we first got there,” Chisholm says. “They had quite a lot of work to do to the building — part of the outside wall was collapsing.”
They needed to level the floor, replace the windows, repoint some of the internal brickwork and replace the post in the middle of the room. “It wasn’t fit to hold up the house,” she says.
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