On buying an 18th-century listed manor house in the Hertfordshire countryside, the new owners set about re-thinking the kitchen to make it better suited to their family life. Fancy a tour?

The space is a luxe blend of champagne hues and elegant design – but it wasn’t always the case. KBB journo Amelia Thorpe discovers the ins and outs of this modern kitchen design in an open-plan layout…

“The seven-bedroom property had been recently restored by a developer, who had done a good job – except for the kitchen in a new extension at the rear of the house, which felt like an afterthought,” explains James Kalozois, studio manager and senior designer at Poggenpohl Hampstead.

“It had an awkward design and poor-quality cabinetry with an expensive range cooker in the middle, added in an effort to conceal the quality of the installation. It just wasn’t in keeping with the beautiful house, nor did it work well for a busy family with lots of visitors.”

The vision

Seeking a new and contemporary design, the owners met with James, after following up a recommendation and admiring the impressive engineering and chic style of Poggenpohl’s German-made furniture.

They had three specific criteria, as James explains: “The new kitchen was to include luxury Gaggenau appliances, a brand which they had enjoyed using in their previous home, with a soft and elegant colour scheme, and durable countertops with the look of marble. Beyond that, they were happy to give me fairly free rein to develop a design that would work well for their love of cooking and entertaining.”

Designing the new kitchen

James started working on the layout, while also helping the owners sell the range cooker on Used Kitchen Hub which specialises in ex-display and second-hand kitchens and appliances. He began with a wall of tall cabinets at the far end of the room, built to maximise the potential of the 3.3m-high ceiling and create impact, as well as to provide plenty of storage and accommodate the bank of integrated Gaggenau appliances.

“Given the position of the windows and doors, this was really the only possible space for a full sweep of tall cupboards – and, by using the beautiful Champagne Aluminium finish, we could make a statement feature,” he says.

Beautiful details

To enhance the role of the room as an entertaining space, James avoided the use of a chimney or island extractor hood, instead opting for an induction hob system with integrated extraction, in front of a dramatic splashback. “This helps the room feel less like a traditional kitchen and more like a space with beautiful furniture and materials,” he continues.

Even the sink area is designed with beauty in mind, built into a bridge of worktop so that it appears to float in front of one of the sets of arched windows.

“The owners can swing open the windows and feel as if they are outside and enjoy the light and views. It was technically challenging to support the sink and conceal much of the plumbing, but worth it, because it makes such a feature.”

The island

The island is the hub of the room, designed with plenty of preparation space, cupboards with internal drawers for storage, as well as an under-counter fridge-freezer, to provide additional capacity to the fridge integrated into the tall housing.

“A bespoke dining table is bridged on to the island, providing an area for family meals – with a second table and banquette seating built into an adjacent niche, for drinks or coffee,” says James.

In keeping with the couple’s desire for a subtly sophisticated colour scheme, the Champagne Aluminium tall kitchen cabinetry is teamed with base units and island in a soft Sand Grey satin lacquer finish. “We asked a local anodising firm to colour-match the finger pulls to the same champagne finish, as an elegant finishing touch,” he notes.

With gold, ochre and grey tones on a white background, the marble-effect sintered stone worktops, splashback and flooring add a sense of natural beauty while being durable, stain- and scratch-resistant.

“This material has a consistent look coupled with the toughness necessary for a high-traffic kitchen,” says James. “Functional but elegant – which is how I’d describe the whole room.”

As originally told to: Amelia Thorpe | Photography: Darren Chung

This house tour was featured in the January 2025 issue of Kitchens Bedrooms & Bathrooms magazine.

Enjoyed this post? Click here to tour this modern kitchen-diner with a hidden walk-in pantry

About Post Author