There’s something rather lovely about a kitchen space when people start to gather. Someone cooking, someone opening a bottle, children coming in and out, and before you know it, everyone has found their way to the kitchen. It happens almost without thinking. Perhaps someone pulls up a stool at the island, someone else leans against the worktop, and the person cooking becomes part of the conversation rather than disappearing into another room. For us, this is where good bespoke kitchen design really begins.
Not with a particular door style, a beautiful piece of stone or the latest appliance (these come later) but with how you want to live in the room. It’s these everyday moments that have shaped the way we think about the art of gathering, and why the way a Mowlem and Co. kitchen is designed can make such a difference to how a home feels. Read on to discover some of the details we believe make a space truly work.
Designing for the people who will use it.
Every Mowlem and Co. kitchen is bespoke, but bespoke means much more to us than making cabinetry to a particular size. It means understanding the people behind the project and designing around the way they live. How do you cook? Where does everyone naturally gather? Do you entertain often? Do you want friends to sit and talk while you prepare dinner, or would you rather have a little more separation? Is the island somewhere for breakfast on a Tuesday morning as well as drinks on a Saturday night?
As Callum Boyland, Designer at Mowlem and Co, puts it: “Rather than starting with a fixed design and trying to make it fit, we respond to the architecture, the proportions of the room and the way our clients want to use it. Those initial conversations with our clients are some of the most interesting and important.”
These conversations and our design process shape the design. The position of the island, the relationship between the kitchen and dining spaces, the flow through the room, where appliances sit and how the cabinetry responds to the architecture all need to work together. That is the difference between a kitchen that simply fits a room and one that feels as though it was always meant to be there.
The island, naturally.
There’s a reason the kitchen island has become such an important part of modern kitchen life. It provides valuable workspace and storage, of course, but its real success is often what happens around it. A couple of stools become the place for morning coffee. Friends gather while dinner is being prepared. Someone sits down for five minutes and stays for an hour. On a Sunday afternoon, the island can become the centre of everything.
But an island should never be there simply because a kitchen is expected to have one. Its size, shape, position and relationship with the rest of the room all need careful thought.The answer might be a generous island with plenty of seating, a smaller perch at the end of a run of cabinetry, or perhaps a dining table that sits closer to the kitchen. Good design is knowing what the room needs, rather than forcing it to follow a formula.
As Emma Wiseman, Senior Designer in Chelsea, says: “For us, the question is never simply where can we fit an island? It is where will people naturally want to be?The kitchen should work around the way you live, rather than asking you to change the way you live around the kitchen. It is this sort of thinking that makes a gathering space feel effortless.”
Making space for life.
Some of our favourite Mowlem projects are not the ones that look the most perfect. They are the ones that feel effortless. A kitchen where two people can cook together without constantly getting in each other’s way. Somewhere children can help themselves without interrupting dinner preparations. A place where guests can sit comfortably without feeling as though they are in the way.
Good planning makes all of this feel instinctive. It is something we talk about a great deal at Mowlem and Co. because functionality and beauty aren’t separate considerations. They should work together. The clever storage that keeps the worktops clear. The lighting that changes with the time of day. The position of the fridge that makes sense when everyone is hungry. The prep space that means cooking for twelve doesn’t feel like a military operation.
As James Lambert our Chelsea Senior Designer comments “These are the details you might not notice when you first walk into a kitchen. But you will notice them every day once you live with it, and for us getting that right is so important. The details might not always be obvious, but they are what make a kitchen work.“
A kitchen that belongs to the home.
A kitchen doesn’t have to be the loudest room in the house to be the heart of it. In fact, some of the most successful spaces are those where the kitchen sits comfortably alongside the rooms around it, allowing cooking, eating and relaxing to happen together without everything feeling like one big kitchen.
This is particularly important when designing open-plan spaces. We consider what you see from the kitchen, what you see from the dining table and how the different areas feel when you are using them together. Sometimes that means keeping cabinetry quiet and architectural; sometimes it means introducing a piece of furniture, a change in material or a more decorative detail to soften the kitchen.
As Nikita Malhotra our Senior Co-Ordinator at Mowlem and Co. explains, “We’re always looking at the relationship between the kitchen and the rooms around it. It’s about making sure everything feels connected and considered, rather than designing the kitchen in isolation. A kitchen that belongs to the home, rather than a home that revolves entirely around the kitchen.”
It is about creating a sense of balance. The kitchen needs to work hard, but it should still feel like part of the home rather than taking over the entire space. The result is a room that feels natural to be in, whether you’re cooking dinner, sitting at the table or simply passing through.
Beautiful enough to admire, comfortable enough to use.
We have always believed that our kitchens should be lived in. Of course we care enormously about the craftsmanship, the materials, the proportions and every beautifully finished detail. That’s part of what makes a Mowlem and Co. kitchen what it is. But the real test comes afterwards. When the doors are opened and closed every day. When someone spills something on the stone. When a friend stays for another glass. When Sunday lunch stretches into the afternoon and nobody is quite ready to leave.
As Lois Riley our Senior Designer in Jesmond comments “We always encourage clients to think about how materials will live with them, not just how they look when they’re first installed. A beautiful stone or timber should be able to cope with everyday use, and some materials become even more beautiful as they develop a little character. Choosing finishes that will age well is an important part of creating a kitchen that you’ll still love years from now.”
And perhaps that is the real art of gathering: creating a space where people naturally want to come together, where there is always room for one more, and where the most memorable moments happen almost by accident. That, to us, is what makes a kitchen truly successful.
Thinking about your own kitchen?
The way you live should be at the heart of its design. Whether you’re planning a new kitchen, renovating an existing space or simply wondering what might be possible, our designers are here to help.
Visit one of our studios and talk to us about your project. We’d love to hear how you live, cook and gather, and create something that feels entirely at home with you.