Wood Warms a Kitchen in an Old Converted Warehouse
Rich walnut contrasts with whitewashed stone walls in this 17th-century home in Devon, England
This apartment, in a 17th-century warehouse near the River Exe in the English county of Devon, rocks a softly industrial look now, but when owner Jose Cortizo bought the property, it had a mud floor, stone walls and not much else. Cortizo added interior walls to form a two-bedroom home. Next he wanted to create a kitchen that would fit unobtrusively into the open-plan living area.
“The design had to be minimalist and not appear to be a kitchen at all,” says Cortizo, who wanted a New York loft feel and all modern conveniences incorporated into this relatively compact space. So Mark Newbery of Sapphire Spaces came up with a design that was functional and minimal, but with lots of warm wood to prevent the cabinets and island from looking stark against the industrial backdrop.
“The design had to be minimalist and not appear to be a kitchen at all,” says Cortizo, who wanted a New York loft feel and all modern conveniences incorporated into this relatively compact space. So Mark Newbery of Sapphire Spaces came up with a design that was functional and minimal, but with lots of warm wood to prevent the cabinets and island from looking stark against the industrial backdrop.
Compact and largely free-standing, the kitchen cabinets can be neatly closed to give the space a serene, tidy appearance. “It’s an open-plan space,” Alex Newbery says, “so to hide things away, we decided to have the appliances in one cupboard, as well as all the usual plates, mugs and cutlery in another.”
Mark Newbery and his team adapted a Bulthaup B2 double cabinet to house the appliances, with a matching single pantry cabinet nearby. “You shut the doors and it’s all gone, so you don’t feel as if you’re sitting in a kitchen,” Alex Newbery says.
Bertoia barstools: Harry Bertoia for Knoll via Utility
Mark Newbery and his team adapted a Bulthaup B2 double cabinet to house the appliances, with a matching single pantry cabinet nearby. “You shut the doors and it’s all gone, so you don’t feel as if you’re sitting in a kitchen,” Alex Newbery says.
Bertoia barstools: Harry Bertoia for Knoll via Utility
A large cabinet contains the refrigerator, while a matching unit to the right holds utensils, glasses and china. It’s also made from walnut veneer, but with beech shelves.
Refrigerator: Siemens
Refrigerator: Siemens
A generous island provides space for food prep. “It also screens the main kitchen prep area without acting as a divide in the room, so all your ingredients, messy plates and bottles of tomato sauce or whatever are hidden from people sitting in the living room,” Alex Newbery says.
The island’s natural aluminum finish contrasts nicely with the wood cabinets, while the walnut bar counter ties in with them.
The island is the main dining area in this space, but the owner’s children also use it for homework. “It’s a nice place to perch with a glass of wine and nibbles when friends come over,” Alex Newbery adds.
B3 island: Bulthaup
The island’s natural aluminum finish contrasts nicely with the wood cabinets, while the walnut bar counter ties in with them.
The island is the main dining area in this space, but the owner’s children also use it for homework. “It’s a nice place to perch with a glass of wine and nibbles when friends come over,” Alex Newbery adds.
B3 island: Bulthaup
The island measures about 8½ by 3¼ feet and includes a sink, a flush induction cooktop and a Quooker boiling-water faucet. There are also sectioned trash compartments, a dishwasher, and drawers to house cutlery, utensils, dishes, cookware and bakeware. The quartz work surface is only about one-third-inch thick.
The owner found the pendant lights. They were salvaged from commercial ships in operation during the 1950s and 1960s.
Lots of interior glass ensures that the rooms within this warehouse apartment feel bright. There’s even an indoor garage, visible from the living space, which brings in light and prevents the apartment’s configuration from feeling boxy.
Cooktop: V-Zug; sofa: Ligne Roset
The owner found the pendant lights. They were salvaged from commercial ships in operation during the 1950s and 1960s.
Lots of interior glass ensures that the rooms within this warehouse apartment feel bright. There’s even an indoor garage, visible from the living space, which brings in light and prevents the apartment’s configuration from feeling boxy.
Cooktop: V-Zug; sofa: Ligne Roset
Except for the island, the kitchen cabinets are free-standing. “They look like pieces of furniture, so when you’re relaxing on the sofa, you never feel as if you’re sitting in a kitchen,” Alex Newbery says. The designs are not only beautiful but practical too. “The walls are not straight, so building in a fitted kitchen would have involved a lot of work,” she says. “Here, nothing is attached to the walls.”
The pantry, based on the classic design of a tool cabinet in a carpenter’s workshop, can be closed up completely. It measures about 26 inches wide.
It was designed by Bulthaup in collaboration with the furniture and product designers at Eoos, after extensive global research into how people use kitchens. “The designers drew up a definitive list of all the essentials that everyone around the world uses and needs,” Alex Newbery says. They then designed a cabinet that can hold it all. “Obviously, if you have kids, you often have drawers full of crayons, but if you’re quite minimal, structured and organized, essentially everything you need would go in here.”
More: The 10 Most Popular Kitchen Photos of 2016
It was designed by Bulthaup in collaboration with the furniture and product designers at Eoos, after extensive global research into how people use kitchens. “The designers drew up a definitive list of all the essentials that everyone around the world uses and needs,” Alex Newbery says. They then designed a cabinet that can hold it all. “Obviously, if you have kids, you often have drawers full of crayons, but if you’re quite minimal, structured and organized, essentially everything you need would go in here.”
More: The 10 Most Popular Kitchen Photos of 2016
Kitchen at a Glance
Who lives here: Jose Cortizo, director of Devon Stone, who uses it as a second home for family and friends
Location: Topsham, Devon, England
Designer: Mark Newbery of Sapphire Spaces
Cabinets finished with walnut veneer add warmth to the kitchen and contrast against the whitewashed stone walls, softening the industrial look of this space. “Light cabinets against those walls could look a bit stark,” says Sapphire Spaces director Alex Newbery. “These bring in some warmth.”
B2 and B3 cabinets: Bulthaup; flooring: Devon Stone; Shell CH07 cowhide chair: Hans J. Wegner for Carl Hansen & Son via Sapphire Spaces