KITCHEN PROJECT

AGAINST A BACKDROP OF BEAUTIFUL OAK BEAMS, MERRY AND BEN ALBRIGHT’S KITCHEN IS FILLED WITH CHARACTER AND CRAFTSMANSHIP

Green oak forms the backdrop for this calm, peaceful design

You could say oak-framed construction is in Merry Albright’s blood. Her father, John Greene, revived green-oak building in the 1970s, and now both Merry and her husband Ben work for Border Oak, the company her father founded. So, when seeking to build a bigger home for their growing family, oak-framed was a natural choice. ‘I love the process of designing and building houses,’ says Merry. ‘As the children grew, we began to look for a larger plot – we wanted stay in the countryside but with more outdoor space for the kids to run around.’

In fact, the family only moved to the neighbouring village, where both Merry and her father were born. ‘I love that our friends and families are nearby, and we also have some incredible craftspeople and artisans in Herefordshire, too, including blacksmiths, weavers, and cabinetmakers,’ says Merry. The new home, built in a contemporary barn style using a rustic palette of green oak, handmade bricks, oak cladding and clay roof tiles, was undoubtedly influenced by the couple’s day jobs, but the floorplan was all about family life. ‘The whole house design started from our ideas for the kitchen,’ recalls Merry. ‘I really wanted a large, bright kitchen that we’d all want to spend time in,’ she adds.

Unusually, the utility room hosts the majority of the kitchen appliances, including the fridge-freezer and dishwashers (she has two and alternates between them). This decision was mainly due to Merry’s aversion to noise – she knew she could never tolerate the whirring and low-level hum of appliances in any kitchen that was open-plan and also used for dining and relaxing. She even chose a range cooker without a fan oven.

The units were made by cabinetmaker Louis Ferneyhough, one of many local, or British, makers she has used for her kitchen – even the paint was made in the next village. ‘Local, handmade and artisan were my priority, where possible or if budget allowed,’ she says. ‘I believe a home lovingly made by craftspeople who really care will have a unique and more approachable atmosphere. We feel incredibly lucky every day.’

The L-shape kitchen has a three-metre-long island with a breakfast bar at its heart. An 11m wall of glass opens on to the central courtyard on one side, with access to the utility and pantry on the opposite side of the room.

❝THERE IS SOMETHING LOVELY ABOUT SITTING WITHIN AN OAK-FRAMED STRUCTURE, LOOKING OUT AT OLD OAK TREES❞

Merry dislikes visible sockets, so the breakfast cupboard is where she puts small appliances that need to be plugged in permanently

Limestone tiles from the same quarry ensure a uniform colour across the floor to reduce distractions

The sink has a high-level window above, which looks onto the back porch and then the garden beyond, so the family is never deprived of a view

The vintage oak science lab stools were bought on ebay. The Kyla bar stool from John Lewis is similar