Polished concrete and brass for an industrial new-build kitchen
We browse Mike Fetherston's newest kitchen renovation, including Matt and Victoria's fridge and cooker choices and veneer oak cabinetry
The brief for this airy new-build’s kitchen redesign was simple yet sophisticated.
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“It started with a desire for a classic-meets-contemporary look,” says Mike Fetherston, Design Director at Hetherington Newman, who masterminded the project.
“Something quite smart and perhaps a little Belgian in style,” he said.
However, the initial idea evolved quickly once the residents of the property began to explore materials and finishes.
“Things took a more industrial, almost commercial style,” Mike explains, “inspired by favourite haunts including the Soho House properties in London, New York and Berlin…”
Here’s how it ended up.
The project in a nutshell:
The property: A new-build in Cheshire, influenced by the architecture of Agent Provocateur’s HQ on Clerkenwell Road in London
Who lives here? Matt and Victoria, with their young family
The designer: Mike Fetherston, Design Director at Hetherington Newman
The budget: £75,000+
A wealth of the very best appliances were incorporated into the cook-space; integrated wine storage and an integrated freezer complete with ice-maker by Gaggenau, for example. A dual-fuel range cooker from Mercury was also selected, making whipping up a culinary storm an affair as straightforward as it is stylish.
The polished concrete and aged brass worktops were both designed by Hetherington Newman, as was the bespoke extractor, which was breathed into existence by Westin.
Key to the look is the cabinetry, with the main pieces finished in veneer oak that was “machined to create a tongue and groove effect”, explains Mike. “It was then sandblasted to a rough texture and finally stained to look like burnt timber,” he says.
The open shelving design was largely influenced by the glassware rack-style shelving that you’ll typically find in ‘hip brasseries’, Mike reveals.
He says: “We used raw steel, unfinished, and left the welding marks exposed in order to give it a very edgy, industrial feel.
“The suspended shelves have a mesh base, whilst the shelves on the wall above the coffee station are in sandblasted oak that’s been silvered to offer a weathered effect.”
We asked Mike for his top tip for kitchen design:
Don’t do it in isolation. Work out how your family will use the house as a whole, and make the kitchen work within the overall design, both aesthetically and practically.
