Kitchen design
The Plain English Kitchen. What’s not to love?
My love for bespoke English kitchens goes way back to my early days as budding kitchen designer. The classic pairing of clean, almost modern lines with an overall traditional, almost vintage, look and feel. The creamy, sometimes dusty painted finishes that incite a feeling of nostalgia.
When I think about it, these kitchens are so quintessentially English exactly for that reason. Steeped in tradition with a keen interest in all things modern and a bit edgy.
Plain English are masters of the juxtaposition of old and new, of tradition and modernism. In the almost workshop like space above, part of their Osea collection, all the elements fall into place. The almost industrial shell, the factory doors and windows, the wood planks that cover floors and walls and the simple open shelf, come to life through the use of color, contrasting hardware and a mix of work surfaces.
Far less edginess in this kitchen but the components are still there. Traditional inset doors, simple yet effective moldings and still that simplicity that makes this look at home in an English country manor or a city loft.
Dusty greys, greiges and beiges, only now making their way into the US design mainstream have long been a staple in British kitchen design. I love the unapologetic pairing with the pale wood counter top as it does not even try to create drama where drama and contrast are unwarranted.
And simplicity and purpose driven design does not end on the surface. This kitchen system hides plenty of storage and functionality behind closed doors for a furniture like effect when not in use.
For more information about Plain English please visit their website. Images all from Plain English.
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