Nouvelle Cuisine: modern kitchen design ideas
“Working in food, it was really important to me to get the kitchen right. It’s not that I ever really stopped cooking, but I’ve reconnected with it a lot more now that I have my own space,” said food editor and writer Mina Holland when we paid a visit to her south London home. Sharing her sentiment, we’ve put together some modern kitchen design ideas that will have you reaching for your chefs apron.
Warley Close, London E10
An expansive living area, including the kitchen, sits under a pitched roof with skylights at this beautifully remodelled warehouse in Leyton. The large kitchen has a reclaimed iroko worktop, adding to the industrial charm, while large double doors lead out to a south-facing terrace for alfresco suppers.
Crowan, Cornwall
The kitchen of the main house at this former vicarage estate represents the only modern addition to the building, constructed from a timber structure that supports a pitched glass roof and providing access to a secluded area of garden. Elsewhere, original timbers, stonework and fireplaces resonate against the minimalism of the modern design.
Peasmarsh, East Sussex
Evidence that modern kitchen design ideas aren’t all about poured concrete worktops and plywood cabinets, the kitchen in the former stable of this Arts and Crafts house balances country charm with modern convenience.
Mehetabel Road, London E9
With a pantry that leads through to storage vaults, this characterful kitchen is one for those who need somewhere to hoard their gastronomic finds. Access to the garden makes for a tranquil place to cook, while a beam-supported island forms a convivial focal point for entertaining.
Packington Street, London N1
“The architects packed the place with little details, such as the exposed slats, which are behind the glass splashback in the kitchen,” said Bessie Austin when we visited her Packington Street home for our ‘Open House’ series. The lesson here is, when it comes to modern kitchen design ideas, the devil is in the details.
Ivinghoe, Buckinghamshire
The renovations to this charming Grade-II* listed house extended to the kitchen, which incorporates bespoke floating cabinets and Corian worktops. Reclaimed teak parquet flooring extends from here into a secondary utility kitchen, perfect for chucking dirty dishes into at the end of a dinner party.
Cheeran House, Berkshire
This lauded house centres around a partially sunken courtyard, enclosed within flint-faced walls. The kitchen forms part of the open-plan living area that opens out onto the courtyard via floor-to-ceiling glazing and is well equipped to realise the ambitions of any home cook with Gaggenau and Miele appliances.
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Read more: My Modern House: food editor and writer Mina Holland on refurbishing a first home in south London
My Modern House: chef and food blogger Anna Barnett talks cooking and communal living in a converted East End pub
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