The Heart Of The House
Birthday invitation celebrations: The party is --- in the kitchen! Where else! All parties congregate eventually in the kitchen. The heart of the house.
The days of the kitchen being an ancillary but essential element to a house tucked away on a cold, north-facing side of the house – or worse, in a damp basement with little natural light are long gone. Gone are the days of formal entertaining in most houses with a “state” dining room used on Christmas Day. Modern living centres on a principal room that encompasses all family needs – cooking, eating, and recreational space. Many a large Victorian dining room has been reinvented to create a family-useable space that enjoys direct access to the garden, often incorporating further little-used adjoining rooms and adding an Orangery to bring the outside in. As life moves apace and whilst home will always be the family base, increasing influences beyond the home necessitate the base to be as user-friendly and efficient as possible.
Fashions will always dictate generational trends, and maybe future generations will relish a conventional layout in their homes, but I doubt kitchens will ever be relegated to the basement without light.
Upgrading period houses to suit modern living can be an expensive exercise, with kitchens costing tens, if not hundreds, of thousands of pounds, and bathrooms receiving the same treatment. It’s difficult to assess whether the capital expenditure is shown in a return on value, but it certainly is in terms of family use and appeal when selling.
There are infinite choices when buying a new fitted kitchen- endless companies offering designs on all scales and whole magazines devoted to the subject. Always seek professional advice from architects when seeking planning to alter the house – their vision may just come up with an angle you haven’t considered and will also ensure all planning and building regulation approval is gained – essential when selling to have a full paper trail. Cutting corners – physically and metaphorically - can prove expensive in the long run. Do consider the building itself and create a design that complements its period and style. Whilst all interiors reflect the designer and instigator, as it is always a personal choice, anything totally out of sync will be a negative when selling.
So enjoy the parties and the ease of daily living -as ever home is for creating memories in an environment of your choice: “It’s all about coming home”.
The Kitchen:
Fursdon Farmhouse. Sherford Kingsbridge: A handsome Georgian farmhouse set in 13 acres, easily accessible to Kingsbridge and the coast including bespoke David Salisbury Orangery kitchen with lantern roof. Gardens with tennis court, paddocks and woodland. A special property!
Wrafton End. Braunton: Exceptional family residence with Art Deco features in south-facing grounds within walking distance of Braunton yet not far from North Devon's famous coastline and beaches. Impressive family kitchen with circular glass roof and bay window creating focal centre of the house.
Highgrove. Ashburton: A newly refurbished Georgian residence with detached two-bedroom cottage annexe set in 1.9 acres of landscaped grounds including swimming pool, woodland. Great family home with impressive kitchen/family room.
Kaywana Hall. Kingswear: Unique house in totally secluded 11.36-acre woodland setting on the outskirts of Kingswear, enjoying total privacy. Originally designed by renowned architect Meryn Seal and reconstructed in 2009. A true one-off centred around an impressive swimming pool with a contemporary pool house providing additional accommodation. Four self-contained detached bedroom pods and open-plan principal accommodation. An eclectic home in a magical setting
Grey Wethers, Tavistock: An imposing and spacious Edwardian family residence I prestigious part of Tavistock near the golf club, sitting in large gardens.