Harry Colby
Alon Interiors (Ashford)
A kitchen created from the fires of its Forge: The typical approach for a listed conversion would be a traditional kitchen. However, I felt that there was opportunity to integrate an ultra-modern design, creating a striking contrast whilst still paying homage to the history of the building utilising clever materials.
For the kitchen fascia’s I decided to use ‘Key Cucines – Factory’ paired with ‘Hacker’s 6084 – Volcano Oak’ to compliment the distinctive forge restoration that resides between the kitchen and living area. The cast iron fronts on the island, representing the anvils that were originally used as part of this buildings trade, provide a spacious open preparation area situated perfectly between the sink, hob, and cooling appliances. A more obvious choice to overcome the extraction parameters would have been a vented hob but I felt there was opportunity to create a truly unique piece with a stud column clad in 8mm matching worktop material. In pairing this with ‘Elica’s illusion’ we enable the hood to also be clad in the same material, this marble reproduction ensures that the column radiates luxury.
The strikingly textured volcano oak, influenced by the charcoal of the forge, provides a truly tactile experience. The three ovens providing steam, microwave and fan assisted cooking are housed in matching panel to the island, sitting proud to the tall housings to provide extra definition. On the opposite end of the tall bank, you will also find a full height fridge with double door breakfast/bar cabinet. Internally you will find the integral wine cooler, smoked mirror backsplash for added depth perception and worktop clad shelves to empathise the contrasts against the vertical recessed LED strip lighting.
The use of full height doors on touch latch for the sink area allow a continuation of the full height doors, the dishwasher is accessed using the Siemens ‘DoorOpen Assist’ feature. Using a ‘Blanco subline 430/270’ sink gives two good sized bowls, whilst also allowing the tap to be offset lining perfectly with the centre of the window gable. There is a covering panel than spans the top of tall housings allowing a unique L-shape LED light detail in the sink area.
The island also boasts a spacious casual eating area. Using the 12mm ‘Dekton Liquid Sky’ with a mitred build up to 100mm adds another level of definition to the island. Below is recessed LED strip lighting, syncing up with the other lighting around the room. The end of the seating area drops down 200mm into a 100mm Volcanic oak pilaster to create a unique waterfall edge. As a final touch of luxury, using 1810’s accessory trough in the raised section gives versatility to end user. This trough can work as the perfect place for growing cooking herbs. Alternatively, to match the end user’s lifestyle, it can double as an ice trough (with waste) for those who like to host.
I truly believe the use of unique materials embodies the property’s history and will capture the attention of the developers target market.
