Mr & Mrs Miller - Edinburgh , Edinburgh
The brief
More storage is on the wishlist of most (if not all) homeowners, and nowhere more so than in the kitchen. It seems that no matter how big the room is, there’s still never enough space for that stack of pans, or that oversized mixing bowl you got for Christmas 2012. Usually, it’s because the layout is all wrong, and the space isn’t being used smartly.
That was the case with this architect-designed property in Edinburgh. The owners felt that their kitchen just didn’t reflect the quality of the finish throughout the rest of their home. The clients wanted us to create a kitchen that serves in a practical sense, with increased storage and a much larger island to expand the worktop area, while also increasing the proportions of the kitchen so that it suits the scale of the room.
The rest of the house is minimalist, with floor-to-ceiling glazing throughout and a double height space in the dining area, so the new kitchen couldn’t feel poky. The Millers are also both keen cooks, meaning it was crucial that the design included multiple preparation spaces to allow for more complex dishes and cooking in tandem.
Solution
All the entertaining spaces (kitchen, dining area, lounge) in the home were open-plan so we agreed that the hob should be facing out into the room to create a very sociable working kitchen. A prep sink was also added to the island, which reduces the amount of time working with your back to any potential guests. A second sink in the corner of the kitchen is intended only for dishes at the end of the day, once any visitors have departed. A grey mirrored panel from Intaglio was added above this sink to create depth and light reflection.
The kitchen is an elegantly pared-back Leicht Contino handleless model, topped with slim Dekton work surfaces. The appliances are equally slick: most are by Gaggenau, and there’s a Sub Zero fridge-freezer and Quooker boiling-water tap. A neutral palette of grey, white and black was chosen so the cupboards and cabinets didn’t dominate the entire space..
The clients had a lot of furniture and design pieces that were to remain the focal point of the open-plan living space. As a result, the success of the kitchen would lie in the detailing of simple, clean lines, which would allow it to sit back rather than stand out.
