Handleless Traditional Soft Mapesbury Shaker Kitchen 121 - London

This London project brought us into a smaller footprint than we usually work with, but one that made every considered decision count. A new build sitting neatly to the rear of an existing property, the brief was to deliver a high-end kitchen and appliance specification that would help the right client see themselves living there the moment they walked through the door. The kitchen and a run of hallway cabinetry work as a single piece, each carefully shaped to fit exactly within the space rather than against it, proving once again that a smaller room done properly can feel every bit as generous as a larger one.

The layout is a single wall galley style with a central island, an arrangement that works perfectly within the shape of the space and makes every inch of it count. The main run stretches floor-to-ceiling in one continuous composition, the sink breaking up the tall cabinetry with a moment of contrast and lightness, while a row of cabinets sits neatly above and a skirting-style plinth grounds the whole run at the base. Sitting quietly in front of it is the island, finished with the same skirting-style plinth along the front elevation and switched to a recessed plinth around the other side, a subtle detail that gives the cook a touch of extra toe room right where they need it. The plinth work is one of those decisions that seems small on paper but does an enormous amount for the room, giving the cabinetry a chunky, well-founded appearance and grounding the whole space with a beautifully considered, deliberate weight.

Quietly positioned and in the perfect spot around the kitchen are the appliances. The Miele fridge-freezer sits within the main run, fully integrated behind our own hand-built cabinetry so it disappears entirely into the floor-to-ceiling composition. On the other side of the same run, a Miele oven and steam oven in Obsidian Black are stacked neatly one above the other, their sleek handleless design chosen deliberately to sit in keeping with the rest of the kitchen. The dark, glassy finish adds a beautiful moment. Over on the island, the Miele hob takes its place at the centre of the room, giving the cook the best position in the house, facing out into the space and staying part of every conversation.

It is the smaller details that quietly complete the kitchen and make it a genuine pleasure to live with. Discreet under-cabinet LED lighting picks out the worktop after dark, softening the underside of the wall cabinets and giving the room a warm, atmospheric glow at any time of the day. On the island, an S-Box pop-up socket rises neatly from the worktop when it is needed and disappears back into the surface the moment it is not needed. Open any drawer and the same level of care continues with tailored cutlery inserts and storage, while bespoke oak trays and chopping boards integrate into the cabinetry.