From accountant's office to family kitchen: A social space with warmth and grandeur
Bunny Turner has transformed a former accountant’s office into a family kitchen by removing false ceilings, custom-ordering a table and combining classical beauty with durability.
When refurbishing an apartment in a Kensington mansion block, Bunny Turner of Turner Pocock took on the challenge of transforming a former accountant’s office into a kitchen. ‘The ceilings had been lowered to accommodate the services, interfering with the window height in a hideous way,’ says Bunny.
'The blue-grey linen curtains have a rustic feel that offsets the grandeur of the space'
‘The aim was to celebrate the room’s period features.’ By removing the false ceilings, the full height of the windows was restored and the bay used for an oval dining table from Julian Chichester, which was custom-made to fit the space.
'The cupboards are finished with burnished brass handles to add a touch of warmth'
Classic cabinetry is in keeping with the age of the property and the large island was designed as the main preparation area. The cupboards are painted in Slate III by Paint & Paper Library and finished with burnished brass handles to add a touch of warmth.
‘Quartz worktops and splashbacks combine the classical beauty of marble with the zero porosity and durability of a modern engineered material.’ The look is echoed by a Bourgos stone floor, complete with a border that surrounds the island.
'The Turner Pocock house style is people. It all begins and ends with the client, everything else is secondary to us.'
Large globe pendant lights suit the impressive scale of the room (their antiqued-brass finish echoes other metal details in the scheme). The Opera bar chairs from Soane are upholstered in an inky-blue leather and blue-grey linen curtains from Mark Alexander have a rustic feel that offsets the grandeur of the space.
Turner Pocock see their role as facilitators of the clients’ dream lifestyle with a simple goal: to help them to live better in their homes.
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Amelia Thorpe is a design and interiors journalist and regular contributor to Country Life. She spent the first half of her career book publishing, before jumping the fence to become a writer — a role that she adores. Amelia lives in London with her husband and two roguish dogs.
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