Furniture-maker and artist Tim Moss originally trained at the London School of Furniture, where he learned to make early musical instruments, including lutes, which gave him an interest in period crafts.
The owners got in touch with the designer as they were searching for someone who could design a very particular one-off kitchen for this Grade-II*-listed Queen Anne house. ‘This whole project was a collaborative effort between me and my clients, who were interested in the interiors and had clear ideas about what they wanted me to do.’
The aim was a kitchen that was beautifully made, practical to use and a little bit, as Tim says, ‘workery’ in its design. ‘This space had long been used by the household staff — behind the table is the original Tudor fireplace and my clients wanted to maintain the “downstairs” vibe,’ explains Tim. To the left is a housekeeper’s cupboard with elegant moulding details and a rounded end that houses the fridge and freezer. On either side of the AGA are two deep cupboards that sit below the window recesses, which allow cleaning products and condiments to be hidden away.
Despite being situated slightly below ground level, the room receives ample natural light. The muted palette of paint is from the Stone collection at Paper & Paint Library, a range of neutral shades inspired by natural stone, lending a calm and earthy feel to the space. A kitchen table with a solid-oak top and drawers for cutlery at either end was made in-house. Tall, elegant, glazed cupboards frame the doorway to the scullery, which is home to a collection of copper jelly moulds.
-
A five minute guide to the Loch Ness monsterThe legend of the Loch Ness monster has endured for more than a thousand years, inspiring countless works of art along the way.
-
‘Its loss became a cautionary tale, and a rallying cry for architectural conservation’: The rise and fall and renewed interest in Ireland’s remarkable country housesLesley Bond traces a brief history of Ireland’s country houses and questions whether you can ever separate the house from the history it represents.
-
Giles Kime: 'Darkness in an interior is equally as beguiling as large amounts of natural light'Why subtle lighting is about more than a dimmer switch.
-
'Tones of natural wood and warm olive': Isabella Worsley transforms a coastal Sussex kitchenFor this kitchen on the Sussex coast, Isabella Worsley dispensed with a classic seaside palette and turned to rich colours and natural textures
-
The designer's room: The large country home with relaxed and easy to maintain interiorsArabella Youens talks to Nicola Harding about her decision to juxtapose an imposing piece of furniture with utilitarian fabric.
-
The perks of being wallpaper: A collection of never-before-seen William Morris designs are to go on saleThe first new Morris & Co. designs in a century were developed using archive materials discovered inside a Californian library.
-
Kitchen island or table? The little distinction that makes a big differenceArabella Youens considers the renaissance of the cook’s table — a vortex of culinary activity, used for everything from rolling out pastry to boning a chicken.
-
Why four-poster beds aren't for historic houses aloneFour-poster beds aren’t for historic houses alone. A new generation of designers is using them to create a pared-back contemporary look.
-
The 24 best furniture makers in Britain, as chosen by the nation's top designers and architectsGiles Kime asks members of Country Life's Top 100 for their recommendations when it comes to choosing a furniture maker.
-
'She dismissed the twin bed as the invention of the Devil': A brief history of country-house sleeping etiquetteForget the standard double: country-house sleeping layouts have undergone all sorts of intriguing (and eyebrow-raising) shifts throughout history, observes Melanie Cable-Alexander.
