Uncommon view

“From the outset we spent time with Edd understanding how he lives and works day to day: how he moves around a kitchen, what he reaches for most often, what slows him down and what he needs close at hand when baking, cooking or filming. Those conversations shaped the layout and cabinetry design. Rather than responding to the room as it was, we designed the space around the way he wanted to use it.

“When we joined the project, the architects had developed an L-shaped layout with a peninsula and a compact island. Through our early conversations with Edd it became clear that a single, larger island would better suit the way he cooks and moves through a space. Removing the peninsula opened up the room, improved circulation between the kitchen and dining areas and created the generous central workspace he needed for baking, filming and everyday cooking.

“As part of our Bespoke service, every drawer and cupboard was planned specifically for his needs. The galley area contains deep, wide drawers sized for baking trays, cooling racks and everyday utensils, each one made to the millimetre in our workshop. Tall storage in the dining area provides ample room for equipment and ingredients, placed where it is easiest to reach during long days of cooking and filming. We also designed a shallow spice cabinet that conceals a structural post, turning an unavoidable element of the build into useful storage.

“The palette pairs maple veneer with a ‘Rust’ island and green terrazzo floor tiles, giving the room a warm but playful character. An open bookshelf at the end of the island steps neatly into the lower dining level, linking the two spaces and offering Edd convenient access to important reference material.

Alan Drumm, design director, Uncommon Projects

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Client’s view

“Being able to tailor the storage to the way I work has completely transformed things. I’m especially pleased with the baking tray and cooling rack drawer and the utensil drawers, which have honestly changed my life.

“The original kitchen was a narrow galley, so we added a modest side return instead of a big box on the back of the house. Moving the kitchen to the middle room meant the dining area could look out to the garden. Uncommon’s layout made a huge difference. Removing the peninsula gave us a bigger island and much better flow through the space. The kitchen is now social, generous and perfect for cooking for friends and family.”

Edd Kimber, @theboywhobakes