Kitchen of the Week: A Calming Cornish Kitchen With Echoes of the Sea

Kitchen of the Week: A Calming Cornish Kitchen With Echoes of the Sea- Proximity to the sea and miles of rugged headland for walking attracted Hugh and Ruth Pittman to buy a ramshackle house in Trebarwith Strand, Cornwall. The original structure had to go, but the new, timber-framed house provided the couple with a relaxing home from home, as well as a robust rental property brimming with character.

Anticipating the kitchen would be the spiritual heart of their new holiday home, the couple enlisted the help of designer Stephen Graver, who consulted with the architect to create a relaxing scheme that works in perfect harmony with the rest of the house. ‘Working with the architect allowed me to make the best possible use of space in the kitchen,’ recalls Stephen. ‘We were able to redesign the windows to emphasise the symmetry of the room.’

Stephen opted for a relaxed beach-house feel in keeping with the style of the property. ‘The finished kitchen is certainly robust enough for rental purposes, but it’s also a very calming and charming room that’s perfectly in tune with its surroundings.’

Kitchen at a Glance
Who lives here Hugh and Ruth Pittman
Location Trebarwith Strand, Cornwall
Designer Stephen Graver
Size 5 bedrooms, 4 bathrooms

Stephen Graver Ltd

The kitchen perfectly captures the relaxed beach house vibe. The soft lines of the country-style accessories enhance the Shaker units, while the neutral palette peppered with soft blues references the property’s coastal surroundings. Stephen used Farrow & Ball’s Parma Gray on the underside of the kitchen island, capturing the watery hues of the sea just moments away from the house.

Stephen Graver Ltd

The glorious double-width island is the spiritual heart of the kitchen, but is a practical as well as a beautiful feature, says Stephen. ‘Hugh and Ruth wanted a design that could withstand lots of use, so the island had to be robust,’ he explains. The glinting white quartz worktop is more hard-wearing than marble and reflects the abundant natural light streaming in from the generous windows. Storage cupboards and a dishwasher are concealed underneath the island, which also serves as a laid-back dining area. A double Belfast sink with a Perrin & Rowe tap keeps the pretty look grounded.

Stephen Graver Ltd

‘The windows were much smaller in the original plans,’ explains Stephen. ‘We turned the process on its head and planned the fixtures and fittings first before redesigning the windows around the kitchen to ensure the room has a sense of symmetry.’ Built-in floor-to-ceiling cabinets between the windows conceal a fridge-freezer, as well as storage to ensure clutter is kept out of sight. The burnt-oak flooring – used throughout the house – is another practical solution and conceals cosy underfloor heating for when the temperature dips.

Check out ways to incorporate an island into your kitchen

Stephen Graver Ltd

Painted cabinetry, in Farrow & Ball’s Wimborne White, continues the relaxed Hamptons feel. Stephen decided an Aga wouldn’t be suitable for the rental market and opted for an electric Everhot range cooker with a three-ring induction hob instead. ‘Aesthetically, they’re quite similar, but this is far more practical,’ he explains. Hugh and Ruth sourced the eye-catching pendant lights from Restoration Hardware.

Read tips on choosing the right pendant light for your scheme

Stephen Graver Ltd

‘I wanted to introduce a subtle nautical theme in the kitchen and the cooker hood was a natural fit,’ explains Stephen. The bowed canopy echoes the lines of a boat hull and is made using a traditional ‘ribbing’ technique used in shipbuilding. A stainless steel lining is both durable and practical. The extensive tongue and groove panelling throughout the kitchen is a further nod to the nautical theme, but also serves to pull the look effortlessly back to its beach house heritage.

Stephen Graver Ltd

Stephen’s meticulous attention to detail is demonstrated in this close-up of the cooker hood, where rivets have been punched into a thin sliver of exposed stainless steel to mimic those traditionally found on a ship’s hull.

Stephen Graver Ltd

The kitchen is a masterclass in blending aesthetic beauty and practicality, but there are some notable exceptions. Keen to utilise local materials in the construction, Stephen suggested using natural Cornish slate for the worktops. ‘It’s not the most hard-wearing material,’ he admits. ‘It will mark and scratch, but that’s part of its charm. Things don’t always have to be pristine to look good.’

Be inspired by more coastal kitchens.

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