American style kitchen with pale blue units and bold appliances

Posted on 12th July 2023

While the property may be nestled in the historic city of Winchester, this American family wanted to create a taste of home in their new kitchen extension, with appliances and a palette that would fit right into the USA.

“The existing kitchen was part of a 1980s extension. Various small renovations and redecorations had been done over the years, so it really needed an overhaul,” says the owner of this Victorian detached property. “It was a tired, traditional wooden kitchen that struggled with natural light. The layout was very inefficient, especially for a large young family.”

Let’s find out more about how this American style kitchen came together…

American style kitchen: the brief

The family were introduced to Snug Kitchens through their interior designers, Studio Hooton. “We needed a light, practical design which suited the large open-plan space and could house all the activities required. The scheme had to marry the warmth of a living space with the functionality of a commercial kitchen,” they say.

“It needed to be traditional enough to be in keeping with the existing property, and also have an inviting and comfortable atmosphere for quality family time and entertaining.”

American style kitchen design — The American style kitchen needed to be traditional in keeping with the existing property, but also inviting.

The layout

“The extension created quite a square room, and we knew we needed to separate the space into three parts for the kitchen, dining and snug,” says the owner. One of main “must-have” items for the American style kitchen was the large Wolf range cooker. Placed against the wall, it helped to decide where the three zones would be split.

L-shaped kitchen design with central island — An L-shape sofa helps create a distinct living zone. Extra seating has been provided at the end of the island.

“The sink, from Waterworks, on the island allows for plenty of work surface either side of the cooking and preparation areas. To give an airy feel, we chose shelves instead of wall units. Everything else then fell into place, with the central unit looking out of the large bi-fold doors onto the lovely garden beyond,” they add.

brass tap on big island — The sink was positioned on the central unit allowing for plenty of work surface either side of the cooking and preparation areas.

The worktop

“Choosing worktops was a bit of a journey,” says the homeowner. “We started by discussing man made and natural stones. We decided on a natural stone with veining as we wanted something a bit softer in this space that would still provide the practicality of a man-made design.”

Initially, they considered using Quartzite. However, the veining was not what they were looking for. “In the end, natural marble ticked all the boxes. The exact positioning of the veining on the splashback was considered at great length, as this was one of the visual highlights of the kitchen,” they explain.

Finding the right marble slabs for both the worktops and splashbacks was challenging. “It took us almost one and a half years to track down the right pieces, due to a shortage of quality slabs coming out of Italy. We had to make some compromises with the positioning when we were finally able to acquire the stone,” they say.

marble worktop and splashback — The natural marble helps add interest and charm to the American style kitchen.

American style kitchen: the appliances

“Being American, we really wanted a selection of Wolf appliances, especially the range cooker and extractor. Once these pieces were picked, we then chose the rest of the appliances based on functionality and our family requirement on a daily basis,” they say.

American range cooker in moder kitchen — The large range cooker was the starting point for the whole American style kitchen design.

What is a pot filler tap and why you should have one: click here

The owner kept looking for inspiration throughout the design process. During a trip home to the US, they visited Waterworks’ sister showroom in Boston and found a tap they loved. “This led to the choice of brass finishes throughout the kitchen with the Joseph Giles handles and knobs to add a touch of warmth and glamour,” they explain.

double brass tap in American style kitchen — The brass tap led to the choice of finishes throughout the American style kitchen.

The colour palette

The family chose a pale blue for the main colour of the units to keep the feel light and open. “We wanted a New England aesthetic and the pale cabinetry helped to achieve this look. To add interest and detailing, we used the bright Arance wallpaper by Cole & Son above the splashback in the breakfast larder,” they say.

storage in American style kitchen — The units are drenched in a pale blue colour.

open breakfast larder with citrus wallpaper — The units are drenched in a pale blue colour.

The utility room

As part of the project, Snug Kitchens also designed and fitted a bespoke laundry room and boot room. These include custom designed drawers, some of which are specifically to hold wrapping paper and accessories.

There’s also two washing machines and two driers and an area for bespoke laundry baskets on wheels. But most importantly, there’s space for a comfortable dog bed and plenty of seating.