KITCHEN PROJECT

Moving the kitchen to the heart of the house made perfect sense in this family home

Moving out of central London in search of greener spaces gave CEO Carrie Preston the opportunity to flex her creative muscles. The new home in question was bought almost ‘unseen’ while the family were on holiday abroad. ‘The estate agent sent photos and I knew immediately it was the one. Viewing the property when we returned was just a formality really,’ recalls Carrie. The architectural style and location – beautiful period proportions in a conservation area surrounded by woodlands – were spot on. The interior was also well presented but the layout didn’t meet Carrie’s exacting standards. ‘I have an obsession with symmetry and proportion, which is why I’ve always loved Georgian and Regency style properties,’ she explains. ‘But above all, I wanted the kitchen to be at the heart of the home and a place where everyone feels comfortable and relaxed the moment they enter.’

Rather unusually, the existing kitchen was furthest from the main hallway and felt disconnected from the other living spaces, while an indoor pool stole prime position. The couple decided to fill in the pool and put the kitchen in its rightful place, adding skylights to the dramatic pitched roof to boost the light levels. ‘I didn’t want a vast kitchen that felt intimidating, so we included a boot room, dining room, office, utility and cloakroom as well,’ adds Carrie.

With a Georgian-style kitchen in mind, Carrie headed straight to Martin Moore’s Notting Hill showroom. ‘I’ve dreamed of having a Martin Moore kitchen for years. I love how they hide everything behind doors so that all you see is beautifully crafted furniture,’ says Carrie. ‘I struck up a great relationship with designer David Sant. It’s so important to get that connection right, especially on an extended project like ours.’

It took almost five years to complete the renovations but the results are everything Carrie imagined, and more. ‘With every decision I asked myself, as a family, what are our needs? A home is all about making the people inside it feel good,’ she explains. ‘The timeless, classic design of our kitchen is soothing and calm, and that’s how we want to feel when we come home.’

❝IT REALLY IS THE HEART OF THE HOME. LOCKDOWN HAS PROVED HOW WELL IT WORKS FOR US ALL

The bowed island was designed so family and friends sitting on the bar stools can all make eye contact while talking

The desk area at the island provides the perfect spot for Carrie to help with her son’s homework while she’s cooking dinner

Finding chrome too cold, Carrie chose warm nickel for the taps and burnished brass knobs

Bifolding doors neatly conceal small appliances and a built-in microwave

The Quartz clad cook’s shelf, a signature Martin Moore feature, helps protect the marble splashback from food splashes