Very many of our projects feature contemporary kitchen and dining spaces filled with light and opening up onto the garden beyond. Here we have set out a number of completed kitchen projects which illustrate the various approaches in respect of layout, material and detail. Many of our Fulham extension and basement projects have seen both the side infill extended into and rear extensions added, so as to create a large kitchen and dining space with an easily planned simple geometry giving onto the garden beyond. With this approach it is often possible to create a kitchen and dining space and soft area for sitting. All giving onto the garden. In this configuration the location of rooflights assist in achieving the quality of light we are after and can often be located to co-ordinate with the kitchen island or seating areas. By the same token artificial lighting that is integrated with the planning and the detail of the kitchen is an important consideration and this varies from task lighting to feature lighting over an island or dining table or LEDs set in the plinth of the kitchen units.
Our various kitchens have been located and configured in numerous ways. Several have been located in the middle of the space to act as a divider between dining and sitting areas to form an overall large open space that is simply zoned rather than divided by partitions. Others have followed a long run down one wall with an island looking out to the garden or else set below a feature rooflight.
In terms of the design process we as architects start the kitchen design process off with the client and set out plans and elevations and it is then typical for the client to take these drawings to various kitchen specialists who then develop the design in detail according to their system. These drawings are then fed back to us in order that we can locate the various power points, water supply and drainage. In a number of instance the Contractors own sub-contractors have built the kitchen or a separate specialist joiner has provided it.