KITCHEN PROJECT
HELEN AND JENS HUCKE HAVE RECONFIGURED A TINY KITCHEN INTO AN OPEN-PLAN DESIGN FILLED WITH LIGHT THAT MAKES THE MOST OF ITS PERIOD SETTING
A classicmeets-modern design is the perfect fit for a period setting
After living in the local market town, Helen and Jens Hucke opted to move to the countryside in search of more space to enjoy with their young son, Finn – and two dogs, three ponies and two goats. Set in seven acres with landscaped gardens, a natural lake and paddocks for the ponies, the four-bedroom house itself is full of period character, including exposed beams and original fireplaces. ‘We could see it would make a wonderful family home – and we were right,’ says Helen. ‘Finn just lives in his shorts and wellies and has fantastic freedom.’
First, though, estate agent Helen and Jens, who designs and makes electric guitars, decided to renovate the kitchen. ‘The existing room was charming, but small,’ recalls Helen. ‘I think a house needs one big family room where everyone congregates, so we decided to reconfigure much of the ground floor and add an extension to create an open-plan kitchen-living space.’
By removing internal walls between the former kitchen, snug, boot room and larder, they were able to open up the space, before extending 2.5m over the former patio and adding black glazed doors to frame the view of the garden. With the house a building site, the couple followed up a recommendation to meet Alan Bricknell, owner and designer of Truman Kitchens. ‘Alan’s enthusiasm for the project was infectious,’ says Helen. ‘He came out to the site, listened to our ideas and added his own – and he is obviously a craftsman, something that was undoubtedly important given the challenges of the original beams, structural pillars and the fact that none of the original walls are straight.’
As they both enjoy entertaining, Helen and Jens were keen to include a large island as the hub of the room and as a place where they can prep while chatting to guests. ‘I also wanted plenty of storage for my cooking equipment and a large fridge-freezer for food,’ says Helen. ‘Alan took it all in his stride, creating a very practical layout and a classic-meets-modern design with just the right amount of character to fit comfortably into an old cottage with exposed beams.’