All in the mix
Keen cook Lisa Posner wanted a new kitchen with more than just good looks - it had to function superbly as well. "No problem," responded designer Simon Bray.
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What's the most important room of the house if you're a budding Nigella? Why, the kitchen, of course! Which is exactly where Lisa Posner's enthusiasm for her recently purchased property began to wane. "I absolutely love cooking," shares Lisa, "but the kitchen we had inherited had minimal storage options and a lack of prep surfaces, so it was a real problem."
The Hertfordshire home of housewife, Lisa, and husband Alex, who works in finance, was built only eight years ago. Unfortunately, the cook zone took up less than half of the total available area, while the adjoining conservatory was awkwardly arranged. "It needed a complete overhaul, but it was just so difficult to know where to begin," Lisa explains.
With three young children, Cate (nine), Reece (six) and Joshua (three), Lisa has her hands full, and therefore the luxury of visiting a large selection of specialist showrooms wasn't possible. So, it was just as well that the very first magazine she opened featured a beautiful kitchen installation by Simon Bray. "I instantly fell in love with it," she recalls. "It was contemporary, but with traditional aspects too, and the combination of elements was simply stunning - I couldn't resist."
Lisa met with Simon, asking him to create something similar, but that would suit her family's lifestyle. "We entertain regularly, so we yearned for a kitchen that was stylish with plenty of 'wow'.
It had to be designed so that I could easily chat to friends while cooking, plus be robust enough to cope with the kids running about," she says.
Known for his modern English furniture and luxurious blend of timbers, stones and lacquers, Simon responded confidently to the challenge, combining oak and burr oak cabinetry with areas of Pearl White lacquer and Sivha Kashi granite worktops. "The mix of materials keeps the feel of the room bright and fresh, preventing the wood from becoming overbearing," he says.
Different components have been used to form clever, clearly defined zones within the hub, such as the Aga area. "I wanted to create a more modern interpretation of an Aga surround," explains Simon. "Something that was perhaps a little different from the traditional chimney breast with overmantel arrangement," he adds. Burr oak cupboards, trimmed in clear oak, have been built around the cooker, while worktops of black granite provide contrast. A glass splashback, etched with specially commissioned engravings by Lindsay Devine, adds to the overall personalised appeal.
The island is another focal point, its sweeping curvature narrowing to a point at one end. "The shape helps the room to flow, and the cook station still feels spacious," says Lisa. The layout also allows Lisa to be preparing her dishes at the island while enjoying the views of the garden at the same time. Plenty of accessible storage, including a tall larder cupboard, is close to hand, permitting the room to function ever so effectively. "It makes such a huge difference to me," she says. "Now, cooking is a real pleasure again."
It's not just creating culinary masterpieces that Lisa enjoys. A bespoke oak table, also by Simon, takes pride of place in the conservatory, to welcome a crowd for dinner. "Easy as one, two, three, Simon knew exactly how to arrange the area," laughs Lisa. "It's been such a success, that we've asked him to design furniture for other rooms in the house!"
