The client wanted grand, classic, fine furniture. The goal was to create a space that felt architectural and substantial – less fitted kitchen, more period drama.
Flat paint is great, but this is next level. Here we hand-painted this kitchen with an antique finish. You can see the grain; you can feel the timber. It gives the joinery a tactile, limed look that whispers high-end craftsmanship.
This is the clever bit. Instead of a standard hob, we mounted stainless steel control dials directly into the cabinet fascia. It gives you professional functionality without breaking the beautiful visual line of the furniture.
The room is anchored by a stunning herringbone timber floor, bringing warmth where stone tiles might feel too cold. We built a substantial canopy with a full marble splashback to match the island, and added illuminated glass cabinets to show off the owner’s accessories.
This kitchen is the perfect resolution of the brief: a balance of serious cooking power and elegant display. It proves that you can have all the functionality of a modern space without losing the character and drama of a period property.
We really wanted the kitchen to feel like it has always been part of the home. By hand-painting traditional cabinetry with an antique finish, we were able to create that lovely, ‘lived-in’ character from day one. By mirroring the home’s original architectural proportions, the furniture acts as a seamless extension of its history while delivering a high-performance modern layout.
For this hand-painted kitchen with an antique finish, we selected stone that balances timeless elegance with practical performance. The main island and splashback feature classic Carrara marble, chosen for its soft, feathery grey veining and luxurious, refined appearance. Around the hob, we used a darker, patterned grey granite. Its robust character contrasts beautifully with the marble while providing heat-resistant durability – so you can place hot pans on the surface without worry. Together, the combination creates a harmonious balance of beauty and function throughout the kitchen.
The illuminated glass cabinets serve two purposes: they provide subtle accent lighting and act as a curated display, adding depth and visual interest to the room. At night, they emit a soft, ambient glow that highlights the craftsmanship of the cabinetry and prevents the large scale of the furniture from feeling heavy, keeping the atmosphere light and inviting.
The herringbone pattern is a classic choice that adds an immediate sense of ‘period drama’ to the space. It provides a rich, geometric foundation that compliments the architectural scale of the cabinetry, making the room feel more like a curated living hall than a standard fitted kitchen. The warmth of the timber also does a beautiful job of grounding the substantial stone elements, and creates a tonal balance with the delicate antique brass that really pulls the whole design together.
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