As a former Publishing Director of Marie Claire, Angela Rawstorne was used to living a creative and rather busy life in London. However in the summer of 2023 and needing a change, Angela and her family decided to relocate to where she grew up in the North East of England. As a multi generational family their mission was to find a home in a vibrant area with excellent schools and enough space for everyone.
They found a house, on an elegant Victorian terrace nestled within a sought after street in Jesmond perfect for all their needs and enough work to do to really add their own original flair. Cumulatively, it gave them the opportunity to reconfigure the entire kitchen space which has now been transformed into a wholly contemporary, calming space, finished with impeccable details and joinery.
We had the absolute pleasure of meeting Angela and asking her a few questions about her journey with us and her exquisite Hoxton kitchen.
Why did you choose Mowlem & Co?
We were torn between Mowlem & Co. and one other company. Both offered premium, beautifully designed kitchens at a similar price point. However, we felt Mowlem and Co. were more approachable and willing to collaborate closely with ourselves and our architect. I’ll never forget Lois meeting us on her day off just because we were visiting Newcastle that weekend, that level of dedication sealed the deal for us.
Did you enjoy the design process?
Yes, I loved seeing the plans come together. Initially, it was hard to visualize the design until we saw the technical drawings, but once those arrived, the excitement kicked in as the vision became tangible. The technical aspects, for example fitting everything required into the space, making sure the proportions are correct, cabinet heights etc. all of these were fascinating and complex. Watching the designer Lois piece together the jigsaw and explaining why some of my more ‘unconventional ideas’ wouldn’t work was enlightening. For example, I wanted to use a slightly inaccessible dead space creatively for laundry, but Lois sensibly pushed back on that idea.
Your colour palette and surface textures are beautiful. How did you decide?
In our previous kitchen, we’d avoided bold colours and settled on white, but we’ve always been drawn to dark, moody tones, as reflected in the rest of the house. We decided to move away from traditional blues, which are quite trendy, and embrace our love of green. After a lot of searching, we landed on Farrow & Ball’s Studio Green, it satisfied our need for rich, moody colours while steering clear of the blue trend.
In hindsight, we over-obsessed about the countertops. We originally wanted honed Carrara marble, which we have on the island, but worried about how natural stone would wear in more heavy use areas of the kitchen. This led to lengthy debates over the hob countertop and after some indecisions we switched to the most beautiful green ‘apli verdi’ marble and it was the best decision ever. We absolutely love it and it genuinely brings me joy every time I’m in the kitchen.
The backsplash was tricky, as nothing initially stood out. Then, we saw a silver leaf backsplash in Mowlem’s showroom and were smitten. Unfortunately, it didn’t fit our budget, so we opted for a smoky antique mirror instead. It complements the green cabinets beautifully and feels just as impactful.
Did anything change within the design as you discussed your vision?
Yes, the design evolved during the process. Originally, we planned to close off a doorway and create a double larder space, but we wanted the option to reopen the doorway in the future. This meant rethinking the larder, and we ultimately decided on oak shelves with a counter-height marble worktop.
At first, it felt like a compromise, but it turned out to be the best decision. It maximized the architecture of the roofline, broke up what could have been an overwhelming row of dark green cabinets, and gave us a space we use all the time. Plus, it’s a great spot for styling and displaying lovely glass storage jars, plants and items we didn’t want to hide in a drawer.
Finally what three words would you use to describe your Mowlem and Co. kitchen?
Serene, very sophisticated and minimalist.
Keep posted on our Instagram for a film featuring Angela and her beautiful kitchen, and as always if you have a design in mind for any room in your home please contact our Mowlem team.