Ironically,
the characterful beams that now make Julia and Nigel Robins’ kitchen sing, very nearly stopped them buying their home three years ago. Having lived nearby, Julia had always liked the exterior of the timber-framed property and when the house came on the market, and they were ready to move themselves, they went to view it. ‘The darkstained beams really put me off,’ says Julia. ‘I was so disappointed because the location is so green and peaceful; perfect for raising our children.’ Fortunately Nigel, an architect, had a plan which was enough to convince Julia. It involved sandblasting all the beams and adding a generous extension with plenty of glazing to bring in the light. ‘We ended up replacing everything except the beams, which are structural, and now they are one of the features we love the most,’ says Julia.
The only drawback of building the extension was that the main supporting beam ended up in the middle of the new kitchen. ‘The beam had to look like a purposeful feature, not an inconvenience,’ says Julia. Enter local kitchen designer Anna Gooding of Stanford Design, who Nigel works with professionally. ‘I spoke to a few kitchen companies, but when Nigel introduced me to Anna, I was immediately impressed,’ says Julia. ‘She knows her stuff and the showroom was so inspiring.’ With Anna’s help, a simple U-shape layout was agreed. And, in a moment of sheer genius, the island unit was built around the beam, bringing it into the design story, while not letting it get in the way.
Fortunately, planning the overall design style and colour scheme proved far easier. Based on one of the displays Julia had fallen for in Stanford Design’s showroom, the crisp, white Shaker-style units were dressed up with glamorous antiqued mirror splashbacks and a sparkling crystal chandelier. ‘My taste is quite classical and I felt the rustic beams demanded a traditional style, but Nigel is all about contemporary design,’ says Julia. ‘We settled on a modern-classic look and we all love how fresh and uplifting the room now feels – it’s truly the heart of our home.’
‘The quartz worktops are really practical, so there’s no need to fret over spills or stains’