Kitchen of the Week: A Warm and Contemporary Kitchen on the River Dart

Kitchen of the Week: A Warm and Contemporary Kitchen on the River Dart- To say access to this house, built at the bottom of a cliff overlooking the River Dart, was tricky for contractors is something of an understatement. ‘The logistics were extraordinary,’ explains kitchen designer Andrew Petherick of the unusually located new build in Dartmouth. ‘We had to book a barge that left from further up the river so it would arrive on site at high tide.’

As river barges don’t have any protective layers and are, in essence, floating metal shelves, all of the materials had to be heavily protected to ensure they wouldn’t be damaged en route. ‘It was a complicated project,’ Andrew admits, ‘but looking back, it was great fun.’

Artichoke

Kitchen at a Glance
Who lives here A family
Location Dartmouth, Devon
Size 8 x 9m. The house has 4 bedrooms, 6 bathrooms
Designer Andrew Petherick of Artichoke
Architects Robert Seymour Conservation

The kitchen design was part of the wider construction of a new, four-bedroom home undertaken by Robert Seymour Conservation. A previous house was knocked down to make way for this one, which overhangs the River Dart.

‘When the client bought the house, he bought the public loo at the top of the house, too, which he turned into a lift lobby to get down to the property at the bottom of the cliff,’ explains Andrew.

Artichoke

Artichoke was asked to create a kitchen that alluded to the forms of a boat, as the owner is a keen sailor. ‘The client wanted the design to nod towards a galley kitchen,’ explains Andrew. Teak worktops, olive ash cabinets and the curved edges of the island and splashback, with everything neatly tucked away, give it a real sense of a nautical cook’s kitchen.

Artichoke

One of the most striking things about the space is the amount of light, with glass elements on both sides of the room and a large skylight above the central island.

The skylight was also instrumental in bringing in some of the heavier furniture, such as the ovens and fridge, which would have been too heavy to bring in by barge. ‘We had a digger lifting the furniture off the barge into the living room, and we were worried the heavier pieces might pull it into the water,’ explains Andrew. Instead, they used a crane to lower these items through the skylight.

Fridge, Sub-zero. Bar stool, Nest.

Artichoke

The bay window peeps out over the tidal wall of the house, allowing spectacular views of the River Dart. In terms of deciding on the layout, says Andrew, ‘It was important the living room took precedence in terms of views.’ The living space, including central fire pit, was designed by the architect, with furniture selected by the client.

Artichoke

The island comprises olive ash cabinets and drawers, which hide some of the utilitarian elements, such as the dishwasher and rubbish bins. A microwave is also housed in here, opposite the Aga. ‘I’m not sure I love having huge banks of appliances, it makes it difficult to design something elegant,’ explains Andrew. Simple spotlights highlight the island after dark.

Microwave, Miele.

Artichoke

In order to be able wash some of the client’s more delicate crockery, Andrew included a solid teak sink in the design, as it’s more forgiving than other materials. Teak contains natural oils that repel water, making it ideal for wet areas. The taps are operated by pulling the upright tips forwards.

The worktop is also teak. ‘The client wanted to be able to chop directly onto the surface,’ explains Andrew. Although chopping will mark the surface, the client wanted it to be a usable and practical worktop, and knew replacing it would be easy once it became heavily marked.

T45 taps, MGS.

Get expert tips on choosing the perfect worktop

Artichoke

On the other side of the island, the wood dips back to create a breakfast bar. ‘We made it that shape because it mirrors the curve in the glass splashback behind,’ says Andrew. It also features a crisp mitred edge (where a joint is cut at 45 degrees to hide any edge detail). It’s small touches such as these that give the kitchen its elegance.

Artichoke

The second sink is the scullery sink and is a stainless steel under-mount, designed to be big enough for Aga pans. Andrew went for recessed handles detailed into the furniture so as not to break up the lines, and so it remains in keeping with the contemporary, sleek look.

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Bifold doors open out onto a patio that overlooks the river. Behind, the lift shaft is visible; this is also the entrance to the home. When buying the property, the client also bought the 1960s public loo at the top of the shaft and transformed it into the lift lobby, as the only other access was via a steep, narrow set of concrete steps. Now a lift takes you down into the home with ease and convenience.

Artichoke

In this image, the curves of the kitchen are easily visible. ‘This is by no means a square kitchen,’ says Andrew. For the splashback, the designer had to take templates of the interior wall of the building to curve the back-painted glass to the same angle.

Olive ash, used for the cabinets, tends to grow in very straight lines and has a distinctive, and rather beautiful, striped grain. ‘It’s a nice warm colour,’ says Andrew. ‘When we do contemporary designs, we try to do them with warmth. Contemporary can be hard, so we introduce a softer and warmer element, making it more fun to be in.’

Range cooker, Aga.

Check out different types of wooden kitchen cabinetry

Artichoke

The wooden elements and sleek lines of the kitchen successfully give it that galley kitchen feel, making it perfectly at home in its little spot by the river.

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