Kitchen of the Week: Crisp White Kitchen in a Rustic Barn Setting
This beautiful barn conversion walks the line between rustic style and contemporary edge
If you live in an uber-modern city apartment, I’m guessing you probably wouldn’t put a full-on country kitchen in it. So in a rustic barn, you might assume a high-performing, contemporary kitchen would look equally awkward. However, this beautiful Oxfordshire, England, conversion demonstrates that, done well, slick, clean lines can work brilliantly in a country setting. The smart white kitchen at the center of this high-ceilinged, open-plan space pulls off the trick of looking modern but not out of place.
The red-brick barn is a beautifully characterful, long, low building, but the owners wanted the kitchen to contrast with the rustic style. “They knew they wanted crisp, clean lines from the start,” Weeks says.
It was a challenge to blend old and new because the rest of the barn takes country style to the max. The adjacent living area is pure log cabin chic with its wood-paneled walls, while a fabulous ceramics collection adds color and shape. (There’s even a special “dog room” at one end of the property, which is about as country as it gets.) But, as Weeks says, “the simplicity of the kitchen works perfectly with the owners’ eclectic style. A fussy or detailed kitchen would have detracted from all the beautiful pieces they display.”
It was a challenge to blend old and new because the rest of the barn takes country style to the max. The adjacent living area is pure log cabin chic with its wood-paneled walls, while a fabulous ceramics collection adds color and shape. (There’s even a special “dog room” at one end of the property, which is about as country as it gets.) But, as Weeks says, “the simplicity of the kitchen works perfectly with the owners’ eclectic style. A fussy or detailed kitchen would have detracted from all the beautiful pieces they display.”
The copper ceiling panel, which accommodates the exhaust fan, is custom-made. “It was designed by the owners,” Weeks says. It sits squarely over the island, creating a striking effect.
A trio of industrial-style, oversized pendants makes another strong statement. Their large size adds focus and grounds other elements — smaller, more conventional lights might have looked lost in the mix, and thus messier.
The door to the bedroom was designed and built by the owners’ craftsmen on site, with both metalworkers and woodworkers involved. It’s clad in floorboards.
Flos Smithfield ceiling lights by Jasper Morrison, available from John Lewis
A trio of industrial-style, oversized pendants makes another strong statement. Their large size adds focus and grounds other elements — smaller, more conventional lights might have looked lost in the mix, and thus messier.
The door to the bedroom was designed and built by the owners’ craftsmen on site, with both metalworkers and woodworkers involved. It’s clad in floorboards.
Flos Smithfield ceiling lights by Jasper Morrison, available from John Lewis
This is a kitchen designed to be used, not just looked at. “The clients enjoy cooking, so this had to really work well as a kitchen,” Weeks says.
They opted for Bulthaup’s b1 kitchen in Alpine White lacquer. “It’s a highly engineered product featuring the latest soft hinges,” Weeks says. The countertop is laminate with a solid core. “The clients wanted something they could wipe down easily.”
The refrigerator is concealed in the tall cabinet next to the ovens.
b1 kitchen: Bulthaup; all appliances: Miele
They opted for Bulthaup’s b1 kitchen in Alpine White lacquer. “It’s a highly engineered product featuring the latest soft hinges,” Weeks says. The countertop is laminate with a solid core. “The clients wanted something they could wipe down easily.”
The refrigerator is concealed in the tall cabinet next to the ovens.
b1 kitchen: Bulthaup; all appliances: Miele
An L-shaped black bar area adds a social element to the island unit. It’s raised above the main countertop to demarcate it, and contrasts with the white. “The black shade was chosen to coordinate with the darkest tones in the wooden floor,” Weeks says.
The owners chose upholstered bar stools to make eating more comfortable. “This is their main dining area,” Weeks says. “They made the bar top deeper so you can easily balance a wine glass while you sit there, and not have your knees knock against the cupboards.”
The owners chose upholstered bar stools to make eating more comfortable. “This is their main dining area,” Weeks says. “They made the bar top deeper so you can easily balance a wine glass while you sit there, and not have your knees knock against the cupboards.”
The island is long — 8 by 3½ feet — and has plenty of storage. “As the barn isn’t overly large, the kitchen also needed to be able to store items for the open-plan living area,” Weeks notes.
The island also works as a room divider. “The face of the island consists of drawers and pullouts for cutlery, utensils, crockery, pots and pans,” Weeks says. “The back has cupboards, which are largely used for items required in the living area, such as books and games.”
The island also works as a room divider. “The face of the island consists of drawers and pullouts for cutlery, utensils, crockery, pots and pans,” Weeks says. “The back has cupboards, which are largely used for items required in the living area, such as books and games.”
“The [backsplash] is back-painted glass,” Weeks says. “It’s a really practical choice. Originally the owners considered adding another color to the scheme, but it was decided it would be a bit too much.”
The minimalist sink sits opposite the cooktop, while wall cabinets above the sink add to the storage. “These take care of items such as mugs and glasses, as well as being used for tea and coffee,” Weeks says.
Faucet: Quooker
The minimalist sink sits opposite the cooktop, while wall cabinets above the sink add to the storage. “These take care of items such as mugs and glasses, as well as being used for tea and coffee,” Weeks says.
Faucet: Quooker
Among the things that make this home unique are the long shelves crammed with ceramics, in burnt oranges, greens, blues and earthy browns.
Collected by the owners over the years, they add a bohemian, gallery feel to the space and an almost Mediterranean flavor to the atmosphere of the room. “The owner often searches for more unusual pieces while on holiday, finding great items in France and Germany,” Weeks says.
The shelves line the entire wall, linking the kitchen and living area.
Collected by the owners over the years, they add a bohemian, gallery feel to the space and an almost Mediterranean flavor to the atmosphere of the room. “The owner often searches for more unusual pieces while on holiday, finding great items in France and Germany,” Weeks says.
The shelves line the entire wall, linking the kitchen and living area.
Glass doors frame the view through the living area into the kitchen. Engineered wood flooring throughout the space helps tie the different zones together.
The original vision: an artist’s sketch of the planned design.
Who lives here: A professional couple, plus their dogs
Location: Abingdon, Oxfordshire, England
Designer: Vanessa Weeks of Hobsons Choice
This traditional red-brick barn is on the grounds of a larger farmhouse, on what was once a pig farm. And though it’s only a one-bedroom property, it doesn’t feel cramped.
The long living area is all on one level, allowing the roof to stretch up to its dizzying full-height glory. So was it a challenge to ensure that the kitchen cabinets didn’t get “lost,” with all that space above?
“It is really high,” says designer Vanessa Weeks of Hobsons Choice, which is behind the kitchen’s chic, functional design. “But that’s also its beauty. It allowed room to create the amazing copper ceiling section, above the island, which helps make the space feel more intimate.”
When it came to the cabinet design, Weeks worked cleverly with the lofty dimensions. “We used top boxes on top of the standard-height tall units, and the wall units are higher than usual. This helps with the proportions of the room, and gives additional storage for items you don’t use every day,” she says.
Rafters painted white add to a roomy feel that’s one part light-industrial, one part traditional farmhouse.