Home Kitchen Minimalis

Kitchen at a Glance
Who lives here A couple with one child
Location New Town, Edinburgh
Dimensions 5.2m x 6.1m; part of a Georgian townhouse
Designer Brian Minns of Sculleries of Stockbridge

Photos by Douglas Gibb

This family kitchen was designed to fit within the proportions of a beautiful Georgian space.

“When you’re working in a period property like this, there are fundamental rules you can’t break,” says Brian Minns. “For example, the fireplace absolutely cannot be moved.”

Traditional pale grey units and a mantel sit along the back wall, while an island in a contrasting dark grey forms the centrepiece of the room. “We hand-paint all our cabinets,” Minns says. “It means we can do it on-site and avoid damaging the paintwork while bringing it in. Also, you’re never sure what the colour will look like until you’ve seen it in the room, so hand-painting gives us more flexibility.”

Island painted in Down Pipe; units painted in Cornforth White; swivel stools painted in Pigeon, all Farrow & Ball.

The beautiful big window brings masses of light into the room.

A custom-made dresser in the corner provides additional storage for the dining table and features the smoked mirror used on the splashbacks.

Focus on family time
An alcove is an ideal spot for a kitchen booth, as the side walls can be used as the back of the benches, with a table positioned in the centre. For a relaxed, family-friendly look, decorate the walls around the table with photos and drawings, while the benches can be used for discreet storage.

Segue from casual to formal
For a multi-purpose kitchen booth that covers all your bases, pair an elegant dining table and chairs with casual bench seating around the edge, so you can dress it up smart for a grown-up dinner, or keep it relaxed for a quick breakfast.

Tip Make sure built-in seating is standard dining chair height to fit under the table, and don’t forget to factor in the height of the foam cushion that sits on top, too.

Likewise, this setting is both chic and laid-back, thanks to a freestanding bench alongside a majestic dining chair at the head of the table.

Similarly, this tiny nook tucked into the corner makes the most of an unused spot. Extending the banquette seating high up the wall creates the illusion of more space and adds a punch of bold colour to the otherwise neutral scheme.

Fashion a friendly focal point
If your kitchen is lacking a feature, a booth can bring instant impact. Team a comfortable bench seat with a robust dining table and sit it against the backdrop of a blackboard wall to create a family-friendly, usable space that will grab the attention and focus.

Introduce low-level seating
Make the most of garden views by keeping the bench seating below windowsill level. The space below the benches can also be maximised with cubbyhole storage built in – ideal for shoes, books and school bags.

Cosy up with cushions
To keep your kitchen booth super-casual, display an abundance of plump cushions along the benches and pair with low stools to continue the relaxed pull-up-a-perch look.

Work in a slice of Americana
Take a cue from retro American diners and source 1950s-style banquette seating, preferably in sugary-sweet pink or pistachio. Continue the stylised look with a period pendant and black-and-white flooring that suits the look. Now all you need is to whip up a milkshake!

Factor in fold-up chairs
In open-plan rooms where space is limited, a booth with foldaway chairs will tackle the issue of entertaining head on. Choose the same pale palette for the backdrop and bench seating, so the room remains light, bright and spacious, then opt for dining chairs that can be packed away to increase the sense of space.

Choose sleek and slimline
You might be leaning towards a sharp, minimal look, but ensure your nook still offers plenty of comfort by fitting a backrest cushion at an angle to create back support.

Do you have a kitchen booth in your home? Share your experience and photos in the Comments below.

Add a handy peninsular
Adding a peninsula to a typical L-shaped kitchen creates a G-shaped layout, which not only provides a casual space to sit, chat and dine, but serves to define the area visually – and discourage curious guests from wandering into the cooking action. A breakfast bar can also double up as a serving area and prep zone.

Integrate structural features
Don’t let pillars supporting an extension prevent you from creating your dream kitchen. They can often be disguised by incorporating them into an island or peninsula. This central support is butted up to an island, its base tucking neatly under the drawers. The units are an eye-catching blue, while the white-painted pillar merges into the background.

Get your spacing just right
If you fancy a double galley, consider how much space there will be between the facing banks of cabinetry. There needs to be enough so doors on both sides can be open at the same time, but not so much that you’ll end up walking miles around your kitchen. Make sure the banks run smoothly: here, the sink run flows neatly into an alcove with a deeper-cut worktop to keep the front edge smooth, while a shelf above provides visual balance.

Zone an open-plan kitchen-diner
Open-plan rooms are often the hardest of all to design – remove the walls, the obvious site for storage, and it’s hard to imagine where everything will sit in the space. By locating the hob and sink in the island, it functions as the hub of the kitchen, while contrasting flooring serves to delineate the working area from the living and dining spaces.

Blend your kitchen and living space
Not keen on having your kitchen intrude into the living area? Arrange your units along one wall and choose a finish that ties in with the rest of the room – this distressed wood is repeated on the feature wall. Open shelving as opposed to wall units keeps the look light and less ‘kitcheny’.

Take your worktop out on a limb
Continuing the base unit into a peninsula gives this mini U-shaped kitchen increased storage, a place for the hob that’s handily across from the fridge-freezer, and an inviting breakfast bar. For an even sleeker look, try swapping the overhead extractor for a downdraught model that simply pops up from the worktop.

Build space into a U-shaped scheme
Going for a U-shaped kitchen? Resist the temptation to fill the walls with units so the design still feels spacious, even without a window. Here, open cabinets at the far end break up the banks of units, while the white-painted end wall makes it feel light and airy.

What is your favourite kitchen layout? Let us know in the comments.

Go slick and simple
A neat L-shaped workspace, sleek white units to reflect light around the room and a boiling water tap to do away with the kettle make this narrow kitchen seem more spacious than it is. High cabinets are the perfect place to stow rarely used kitchenalia, too – just make sure you have a stepstool on hand for when you need to reach them.

See more contemporary white kitchen schemes

Get ready for a galley
Whether you fit in one or two runs of cabinetry, a galley design is a great way of making the most of a long, narrow room. Be sure to position your cooking area, sink or dishwasher and fridge only a few steps away from each other to prevent too much walking around. Open shelving instead of cupboards will keep the room feeling light and spacious.

Make a mini statement
Pale colours are a natural choice for a small kitchen, as they help to open up a space, but adding a couple of strong focal points will give it personality. One hit of bold colour adds punch to this mini galley, while a stylish extractor is an easy way of creating character when space is limited. Simple, brushed-metal handles smartly link the different units.

Push out with a peninsula
Peninsulas are the hero of many a compact kitchen, doing the job of an island, but taking up much less room. As well as including welcome storage and a worktop overhang that forms a breakfast bar, this one is home to the sink and tap, expanding the workspace and prep area – elements that are at a premium in smaller designs.

Don’t dismiss traditional units
Slick modern cabinetry lends itself perfectly to small spaces, but there’s no reason well-considered traditional units won’t work just as well. Stick to a simple colour palette, such as this cream-painted design, and even architectural features, such as this wooden overmantel, shouldn’t make the room feel cramped.

Make use of a small island
Large islands are often home to sinks and hobs, but in a smaller room, they’re still handy simply as storage, extra food prep space or for casual meals. This also makes them easier to include, as there’s no need to route plumbing and power to them. This island, in the same colour as the units, slots in seamlessly.

Did you find these tips useful? What style would you like to incorporate into your kitchen? Let us know in the comments.

Incorporate the key three
The ultimate trio of materials for an industrial interior are brick, wood and metal. This diner-style room mixes all three to dramatic effect, adding an imposing black skylight for extra impact.

Cosy up the look
Make an industrial kitchen-diner super livable with softer elements. The textural knitted and woven fabrics, boarded walls and shelves of colourful ceramics in this room take the edge off the metal pieces for a relaxed mood.

Freshen up
A pastel wall colour will serve to balance an industrial room, offsetting gritty furniture and fittings. This soft green soothes the rough-and-ready pendant lights and raw wood table.

Browse more pastel schemes

Pull some strings
Lighting strung on traditional braided fabric flex is a great way to work the industrial look. But instead of standard black, go for colourful cords for a creative and eye-catching way to light the dinner table.

Are you a fan of the industrial look? How do you like to incorporate it into your home? Let us know in the comments.