in-frame kitchen in wandsworth
Debbie Travis, British-Canadian author and TV presenter of interior transformation shows, turned to Jason Smith, designer at Ray Munn Kitchens, when transforming her own London property.
“Our three-storey home in Wandsworth was built in 1805 and is an ideal bolt-hole in London, with its vibrant neighbourhood and easy access to the city,” recalls Debbie. “We bought it seven years ago and knew it needed total renovation, but our two sons were based there at the time and they were not particularly bothered about the state of décor – as is the case with most youngsters of their age!”
Debbie was keen to tackle the house, however, and while her sons were distracted by their careers, she began to consider a full redesign and renovation project, aiming for an interior design scheme that would be traditional with a contemporary twist.
“The kitchen was a focal point,” she explains. “It needed to be in keeping with the period and personality of the property, but also in tune with modern daily life and our own tastes. I will be the first to confess that I’m quite demanding, because I know exactly what I want to achieve – I quickly realised that an ‘off-the-shelf’ furniture solution wasn’t going to be the answer.”
Jason translated Debbie’s ideas into reality using Ray Munn’s bespoke, in-frame furniture service. To give Debbie the clean, contemporary, yet period look she could see in her mind’s eye, Jason recommended narrower furniture frames and tall units scaled to the height of the room. He suggested removing the cornice for a cleaner line and customising many of the accessories, including copper-plating the knobs and handles, for coherence. Pendant lighting and floating shelves add to the fuss-free look.
This, combined with Crittall glazed doors and Farrow & Ball’s Pavilion Grey paint for the wall-mounted furniture, makes the room feel bright and spacious despite the low ceilings and narrow proportions typical of Georgian terraced homes. Debbie’s choice of the same oak flooring throughout the house serves to tie the lounge and kitchen together.
Particularly practical is the kitchen island, with its concealed, integrated appliances and breakfast bar in Raven by Little Greene. The Neolith porcelain worktop reflects the available light and also creates a visual contrast to the furniture’s paint finish. Not only the look and practicality of the kitchen impresses Debbie – she is delighted by its durability.
“The build quality of the furniture means it’s ‘son proof’,” she concludes. “This is most important when we are not here and they have their friends round!”
“I’m so happy with the result; Jason’s flexible approach means the space works perfectly for us – both on a visual and practical level – providing us with all the storage and food preparation capacity we wanted.”
Read the full magazine article from Utopia Kitchen & Bathroom Magazine here.
