The Canterbury Townhouse Kitchen & Bar
“Long before we decided on this house we knew we wanted Herringbone to be a part of it. Having successfully transformed our London Kitchen we looked forward to going on this journey with them again, and just like before they left us with so much more than just a kitchen. Centered around a marble monolith, inside Canterbury’s city walls, is where you’ll find the heart of our home and its all thanks to Herringbone.”
The Design
This kitchen is designed to be the ultimate entertainment space, or as the client so perfectly puts it was was designed “to create the best champagne bar in Canterbury”. The design was created to fit our lovely client’s lifestyle and love for entertaining in this gorgeous central Canterbury townhouse.
“Since the house is new (by Canterbury standards) we wanted to give a nod to Victorian furniture with some of our built ins. We also knew we wanted to open up the space as much as possible in order to brighten up the lounge floor and adjacent stairwell, while simultaneously creating multiple areas to maximise hosting and cooking. Lastly in case we were to miss the night life when we weren’t in London, we knew the only solution was to create the best champagne bar in Canterbury in the comfort of our home. With these few requirements we took our first steps to creating the perfect kitchen for us (yet again).”
It features an almost hidden kitchen in the corner of the space for food prep, also hiding away the fridge freezer keeping any mess away from the main entertainment area. The buffet bar is made taller to enable the display of food and drink, whilst the island is draped in the most gorgeous veined marble.
The client originally wanted a huge island but due to structual difficulties an island would look forced.
“After several proposed layouts we decided on the perfect compromise between an island and a peninsula, something we jokingly referred to as an “estuary”. The final layout allowed us to create the marble focal point we dreamed of that both segued and separated the bar/hosting area from the cook/prep area. While we were relying on the open plan to brighten up our dark stairwell David had the brilliant idea to incorporate a ribbed glass crittall wall where a door used to be.”
The cabinetry is our Westminster Range, in a gorgeous and impactful black colour.
The Details: Colours, Hardware, Worktops Etc
This kitchen has extraodinary attention to detail, maximising the space to its full potential. From the marble floating shelves in the corner and the drinks cooler sink on the island to the spice rack in the boiler cupboard and the bora hob tucked away behind the wall, we love how everywhere you look you find a small beautiful surprise.
“In our home my husband is the chef and I’m the bartender so it was important for us to make both areas look special. With that in mind we opted to take the marble from the base of the bar up to the cladded wall along the hob. Because we weren’t working with a fully open plan we wanted the space to look special and cohesive from any vantage point. In order to maximise the natural light we chose to add pops of gold and brass motif along with the ribbed glass throughout to reflect it.”
The hidden storage is lovely in this kitchen and the two Quooker taps serve as an elegant reminder of how this kitchen was designed with pure entertainment in mind.
More windows means less walls; which also means limited upper storage. Facing this dilemma we worked with the client to design two units to look like furniture pieces except they were in fact built in. The first was a take on a classic sideboard you’d find in a granny’s dining room. The idea was to occupy the entire space under the window with drawers for storage and provide a large surface above that could be used for preparation and also when hosting (ie, buffet, dessert spread, etc). To finish off the sideboard look we had the whole unit sit on legs, freeing up space underneath.
“Having completed our first kitchen renovation in 2019 my husband and I were well equipped for what was to come, thanks to Herringbone Kitchens. Our design consultation was like riding a bike. David, our assigned designer, picked up exactly where he left off with our last kitchen. He recognised our aesthetic but appreciated our lack of familiarity with the space. First and foremost we knew we wanted to embrace the 180º natural light provided by the existing windows and work around the long & narrow enclosed space.”
The Bar
The second unit, a glassware/bar cabinet, echoed the cornices and skirting from the other utility units but was instead finished off with ribbed glass crittall doors & side panels. Illuminated, backed in mirror and topped with a marble surface the inside of the cabinet is just as beautiful as the outside.
“We would have never imagined we could have this much storage with virtually no upper cabinets.”
We are big fans of the client’s glassware and attention to interior detail - we wish the clients a lifetime of fun and happiness in their beautiful home.
On Using Herringbone
“Regardless of all the gadgets we’ve grown dependant on; the versatility that Herringbone helped us realise in such a unique space is what we love the most. Not only did they transform our kitchen; they gave us a hub that enables us to host in every capacity.”
As seen in: These Three Rooms, English Living, Good Homes etc.
Making Your Dream Kitchen In Our Workshop
Each piece of your bespoke project, is carefully made and assembled in our Canterbury workshop. Our expert craftsmen take great pride in what they create and love to see your projects come to life.
If you would like to come see your project being made, you can ask your designer to arrange a workshop visit, only a ten minute drive from our Canterbury studio!
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