Please credit: Higham Furniture www.higham.co.uk
Please credit photographer: Paul Craig

Short caption:
This light and airy modern Shaker kitchen features exclusive inset handles designed by Tim Higham and made by Armac Martin. Painted in Aquamarine by Little Greene, it features tall and undercounter cabinetry with a mix of storage drawers and cabinets on the task side and on the island. With no overhead cabinetry, there is a floating shelf instead. A tall larder pantry houses all dry goods, sauces and condiments. Worktops are 30mm Horizon quartz, appliances are by Bora, Neff, Fisher & Paykel and Bosch, the sink is by Villeroy & Boch and the patinated brass tap is by Quooker. Kitchens by Higham Furniture start from £35,000. www.higham.co.uk

About this kitchen:
Taking centre stage in a rear extension to a four-bedroom late Victorian family home in West London, this modern interpretation of the classic Shaker kitchen was designed by Veronika Lovasova of Higham Furniture. The open plan space is perfect for multifunctional living, with a central island for cooking, food prep and entertaining guests, direct access to the garden through black panelled glazed doors and plenty of natural light pouring in from the large skylight above.

The open and airy feel is enhanced further by using open shelving instead of wall units along the main sink run and a fresh Aquamarine painted finish for the Inset Handle Shaker cabinetry. The kitchen extends further into a functional utility room-cum-pantry, which features matching cabinetry for a fully cohesive design.

With a love of entertaining as well as a busy family lifestyle, the clients approached Higham Furniture with a brief to design a kitchen perfect for multitasking, with space for both casual and more formal dining and a fresh, contemporary look with a timeless feel. The colour they selected for the painted maple and tulipwood cabinetry was Aquamarine 138 by Little Greene. This on-trend shade not only complements all kinds of fittings, flooring, worksurfaces and accessories, but it also enhances the uplifting mood of the entire space, so that even on a cloudy day, the kitchen will be a joy to use. A central island was also important to the clients, so by adding a BORA extractor hob to the Horizon Carrara Quartz surface, they can cook while chatting to guests sitting at the Magis Bombo bar stools on the opposite side.

Storage was also an important consideration, as the clients wanted everything to have its place with a combination of open and closed solutions. This includes drawers, cupboards, pull-outs, shelving and bookcase-style storage so that they can choose which items to display and which areas to keep hidden neatly out of sight, especially when entertaining family and friends and wanting a clear and clutter-free space in which to relax.

Designer Veronika Lovasova designed this family space using the exclusive Higham Inset Handle Kitchen. Higham Furniture has been designing, manufacturing and installing bespoke Shaker kitchens since 2004 and is renowned for both its classic and contemporary bespoke in frame kitchens and furniture as well as its Inset Handle design, which is the perfect bridge between handled and handleless styles. This unique design by Higham’s founder Tim Higham features handles that are handmade in Britain by luxury hardware designer Armac Martin.

The Inset Handles within this West London home are finished in Burnished Brass, which complements the freshness and lightness of tone of the Aquamarine 138 cabinetry paint colour beautifully. The cabinetry is a framed Shaker style with thin 45mm rails and stiles and frame to ground plinths. The doors and drawers are painted maple, the frames are painted tulipwood while the carcasses are made from lacquered oak veneer ply. All timber is sustainably sourced and all cabinetry is expertly crafted at the Higham Furniture workshop in Denmead, Hampshire.

The kitchen island is made for sociable cooking with a BORA X Pure Surface induction hob with integrated extractor while the wet area in the main base cabinetry run behind it combines a Kohler Deerfield smart divide sink with a Quooker PRO3 Fusion Round boiling water tap for hot, cold and instant 100˚C boiling water for cooking and hot drinks, which is finished in patinated brass to complement the Inset Handles and add contrast against the Horizon Carrara Quartz worksurfaces and splashback behind. Below the sink is a Bosch fully integrated dishwasher, which is completely hidden from view.

On the opposite side to the sink run is a bank of tall, floor-to-ceiling cabinetry with bookcase-style cubby hole open shelving at the end, perfect for displaying cookery books, colourful ceramics and pots of fresh herbs. To the right is a practical double-door larder complete with vertical wine rack, open shelving, worksurface space for toaster and coffee machine, horizontal wine rack, pull-out shelving, slots for chopping boards or trays and bult-in racks on the back of the doors for dried herbs and spices. This cook’s cupboard packs plenty in and is ideal for keen cooks, home bakers and families alike. To the right of this is a freestanding Fisher & Paykel French-door fridge freezer with a generous capacity for both fresh and frozen food.

To the left of the utility room door is another floor-to-ceiling bank of cabinetry. This one houses the Neff built-in ovens – single and steam. The Aquamarine painted finish really pops against the Farrow & Ball Wevet painted wall behind while the Wychwood Limestone tiles from Artisans of Devizes give the floor a cool, contemporary feel. The marble-topped dining table was an eBay find while the dining chairs are by Eames Vitra.

Higham kitchens are made from the finest quality and sustainably sourced timbers, with solid oak cutlery drawers, knife blocks and drawer boxes. The wall lights are from Pooky while the vintage sideboard is by Tikamoon, adding an eclectic touch and rich material finish to this soft blue-green scheme.

The kitchen leads through to a compact yet functional utility area-cum-pantry with matching cabinetry, a Villeroy & Boch Cisterna 50 undermount sink and Elysian commercial pull-out mixer tap. The cabinetry also conceals a Miele washing machine, keeping noise to a minimum on laundry day while the family is dining or simply enjoying all that this light, bright and joyful multifunctional space has to offer.