The owners of this townhouse decided to move their kitchen from the first floor down to the ground floor, and asked me to design a space that as a family of four, could all sit down and enjoy together during mealtimes.

As well as being a fully functioning kitchen that was enjoyable to cook in, this space also needed to incorporate an island, bench seat, dining table, and a full width bookcase/media wall for a TV and an area to display books and ornaments.

Space was at a premium. This challenge was overcome by positioning the fridge further back inside an old doorway into the utility room, this doorway wasn’t being used any more, and this gave the space needed to make this kitchen work with a nice flow.

New cabinetry in the utility room built around the fridge completely hides the fact that it creeps into the room by a few inches.

A bench seat built onto the back of the island, providing a row of seating on one side of the dining table, helped to gain some extra space by not having free standing chairs. It also created an opportunity for valuable extra storage space underneath the seating, with a hinged lid as an access point.

An area for making tea and coffee is tucked away behind closed doors in a larder unit next to the fridge, keeping things tidy. A full sized interior door was also made in the same style as the kitchen for the under stairs cupboard, which has been turned into a pantry.

Oak parquet flooring throughout the ground floor creates a warm and timeless feel, and subtle details like framework chamfers and antique brass finger pulls with matching hinges add character and depth.

All of the small details on this sleek and modern version of a contemporary shaker kitchen are highlighted by the genourous amount of natural light that floods in from the Bi-fold doors. Making this a wonderful space to cook, entertain and relax in.

Rao Furniture is run by furniture designer and cabinet maker Brandon Rao. He has many years experience designing and building beautiful bespoke handmade traditional and contemporary kitchens. If you have a keen interest in creating a unique kitchen space that complements you and your home, Brandon would love to hear from you.

MATERIALS: Solid Hardwood Framework, Solid Oak, Oak Melamine Carcass, Furniture Grade MDF, Antique Brass Handles

FINISH: PU Primer (spray finish), Kitchen – Little Green – Livid (hand painted), Utility Room – Little Green – Hicks Blue (hand painted)

LEADTIME: Approximately 8 weeks