building block

A find in a friends butchers shop is at the heart of the kitchen in Richard and Tessa Stamfords home

STYLE CLASSIC

SHAKER

As seen in MAGAZINE

Next to the island is a butchers block made of solid beech. It came from a friends old shop, says Tessa, and is at least 50 years old
Oak furniture was handmade to create an airy feel in Richard and Tessas new kitchen. Its wine rack was inspired by an idea the couple saw in Spain. The blinds were made by Jane Bick Interiors using Woodridge fabric from Academy Clairtex

106 Beautiful kitchens

DESIGN & CABINETRY

n Richard

and Tessa Stamford with Lee Ashford at Traditional Woodworks, Unit 3, Badminton Road Industrial Estate, Yate, Bristol BS37 5JZ (01454 310404) n Bespoke solid oak furniture with glass cabinetry
Incorporated into the working side of the island is a 17-litre microwave, which offers an alternative cooking option to the range. It has five power settings and a quick-start control
OUR TOP TIP FOR SUCCESSFUL PLANNING: The main criteria for anyone thinking of going down the self-build route is to obtain good design information and reliable quotes well before you start any building work. As long as you can keep talking and listening to each other it should all work out

WORKTOPS

n Nero
Zimbabwe granite, Marmobello. Price per sq m

SINK & TAP

n Undermounted
single-bowl sink in stainless steel, for similar try Star U4540, Caple n Single-lever monobloc mixer tap in chrome, for similar try BlancoCurzon 7500-S, Blanco

APPLIANCES (shown)

n RC1090
dual-fuel range cooker in stainless steel, Mercury n MC1761EM built-in microwave, AEG-Electrolux n 800GDP chimney extractor hood in glass and stainless steel, Stoves n FA550XBI American-style fridge freezer, Smeg
hen a plot of land came up for sale on the road that Richard Stamford grew up on, he and his then fiance Tessa jumped at the chance to buy it. The site had once been an enormous lawn owned by a neighbour and encompassed a quarter of an acre, giving Richard enough space to build the five-bedroom home he had always dreamed of having. Architect Paul Campbell of Argyll Design was commissioned to design the impressive threestorey house, which included a conservatory-style
kitchen-diner. We wanted to flood the room with as much light as possible, explains Richard. So the middle section of the roof is all glass and there are French windows leading into the garden and windows on three sides. After hearing that the couple were looking for wooden cabinetry in a classic arrangement to fill the room, their builder Roger Williams recommended Lee Ashford of Traditional Woodworks as their kitchen designer. To make the most of the stunning garden vista and to separate the dining and sitting areas from the working zone of the
kitchen, Lee designed the scheme around a central island. Not only does it serve as a handy prep station, it also incorporates a microwave and an enormous wine rack. A chunky, beech block at one end of the island was sourced from a friends old butchers shop. They sold it on to us and we had it dipped and sanded, says Tessa. The whole focus of the house is our kitchendining-living area and we dont really use the other ground floor rooms, explains Tessa. People often say, if I could do it again Id have this or that, but we managed to do it all.

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APPLIANCES (not shown)

n Fully

integrated dishwasher, AEG-Electrolux For stockists, see page 146
A beautiful wall of floor-toceiling windows finishes Richard and Tessas kitchen with central French windows providing access to the garden. A large glass lantern is an alternative ceiling solution that makes the most of the natural daylight. To keep the room feeling airy and fresh, the couple chose a cream paint for the walls, for similar try Passion Flower by Fired Earth. The wooden dining table and chairs are from Antix
FEATURE victoria jenkins PHOTOGRAPHY willoughby andrews

TESSA STAMFORD

GUIDE PRICE

n Starting

price for a Traditional Woodworks kitchen

12,000

108 Beautiful kitchens
Nero Zimbabwe granite continues as an upstand behind the wet area to form a ledge for the windowsill behind. To the left of the sink, the worktop is grooved with ridges so that crockery and glasses not suitable for the dishwasher can dry
We get the most use out of the dishwasher. Its great to have a kitchen slave to do the dishes, especially after having a delicious dinner with lots of guests. No one wants to have to do the washing up then