Rich colours and clever storage solutions combine to create the perfect kitchen for this 450-year-old Yorkshire farmhouse
The range cooker is built into a faux chimney breast, flanked by an integrated fride-freezer on one side, and a breakfast cupboard on the other. The wall units are painted in Farrow & Ball’s Paean Black, and the island in its Preference Red. The antiqued mirror splashback reflects light, increasing the sense of space in the small kitchen
THE STORY
OWNERS Wendy Walker and Thomas French live here with their four children
PROPERTY A 450-year-old four-bedroom farmhouse in West Yorkshire
WHAT THEY DID The couple installed a new Drew Forsyth & Co kitchen as part of a whole house renovation project
Looking across the valley to the Yorkshire moors beyond, Wendy Walker and Thomas French knew that their decision to buy the dilapidated farmhouse was right. ‘It is the most beautiful spot,’ says Wendy. ‘When we first saw it, we both instantly knew that it was where we wanted to spend the rest of our lives.’
Constructed of huge pieces of dressed Yorkshire gritstone, the Yeoman Clothier’s farmhouse, dating back to 1575, had not been lived in for nearly a decade and its most recent renovations were made in the 1960s. With this in mind, Wendy, a mental health nurse and care coordinator, and Thomas, director of ETEC Escalators, set out on a major renovation of the listed property.
It was back-breaking work. The first steps included wheeling barrow after barrow of clay outside the house as they excavated the floor to prepare it for underfloor heating. ‘It was the most laborious job,’ says Wendy, ‘but we really wanted to keep visible modern additions, such as radiators, to a minimum.’
When it came to the gloomy, dated kitchen, they took an equally sympathetic approach. ‘We wanted to create a room that was suitable for modern family life but with traditional cabinetry that would also sit comfortably in a Tudor house,’ explains Wendy, who approached local company Drew Forsyth & Co, well-known for its bespoke and handcrafted kitchens.
The furniture was made to fit the uneven walls perfectly, maximise storage and work surface space, as well as fitting family-size appliances. ‘In a slender space, a narrow island tends to look stingy and as if it might topple over,’ explains Leigh Topping, the designer at Drew Forsyth & Co who worked on this project. ‘A cook’s table, however, with light passing through its base, looks much more balanced in a smaller kitchen.’ Finished with chunky, traditional-style legs, this sturdy table has a granite top to offer preparation and serving space. It also includes drawers, a fitted oak chopping board and tray, with a slatted base for baskets and pots. ‘It makes a fantastic, multifunctional centrepiece,’ says Wendy.
