Many homes in the UK are either blessed or burdened with fireplaces. They can be a joy to discover in a newly purchased property or create a whole host of challenges for the homeowner. Most of us, however, consider them a treat and an architectural feature. The Clean Air Act was passed in 1956, so most modern homes built in the UK were built with central heating replacing fireplaces. As interior design trends changed with the times, people began boarding up their Victorian or Edwardian fireplaces and chimney breasts to create a less ornate and more minimal interior aesthetic.
At Papilio Bespoke Kitchens, we have been designing kitchens for over twenty years and are often faced with design challenges when developing new kitchens in period properties. Some design considerations are more structural than others, and in many older homes in the southwest, including in Bristol, Bath and Bruton, we must create a truly bespoke kitchen design.
Chimney breasts and fireplaces are an architectural delight. They can create a beautiful feature in the kitchen even if they are no longer in use. Of course, many period properties had full working fireplaces or hearths in the kitchen intended for cooking, but with modern advancements in technology, today, the chimney breast and fireplace can become ‘alive’ once more.
We have conceived clever ways of incorporating old or disused chimney breasts and fireplaces for our bespoke kitchen designs. Here are a few of our favourites.
Mid-century-Inspired Kitchen in Somerset
For our Mid-Century Inspired Kitchen in the heart of Somerset, close to the market town of Bath, we designed a bespoke kitchen inspired by the architecture of the space and its past utilitarian function. We used the client’s mid-century furniture and built two kitchen islands as the focal feature. On the far end of the sizable kitchen was a large inglenook fireplace facing the floor-to-ceiling glass doors at the opposite end. The design featured a mini sitting room at the fireplace end, painted in a deep red colour to highlight tall cabinets in walnut and adorned with house plants and an upholstered armchair.
A Kitchen in Bath
For our Kitchen in Bath project, we designed a luxury kitchen in a grand Victorian villa for the fifth generation of homeowners. Due to the long family history, our client had a clear idea about the design. The design had to befit and respect the grandeur of the beautiful house, with all the gadgets and conveniences of the 21st century.
The wall dividing the two rooms had been knocked through to create a wonderfully light and open room. Using the original glazed brick chimney breast, we incorporated a drinks bar and space to sit and perch when entertaining into the design. The tiles omitted a warm red-brown tone and inspired the use of walnut for the bar. The back of the bar was finished in ‘antiqued glass’ with a Carrara marble countertop and a Miele wine fridge. Overhead, we incorporated a task lighting system and an undershelf glass rack for the family crystal.
The Bruton Kitchen
Our Bruton Kitchen project began in a lovingly restored family home in Somerset. The house dates back to the 1600s and features an abundance of original features, including stone mullion windows, ancient oak beams, flagstone flooring, elm doors and a sizable hearth, once used for cooking. Our brief was to create an atmospheric space bursting with character and warmth with a contemporary edge befitting a 400-year-old farmhouse.
The original stone mullion inglenook hearth framed the Aga perfectly, so we designed a sizeable free-standing kitchen island positioned centrally on legs, adding light and space to the room. The island was designed to be multi-functional to be used as a preparation area, a place to perch and socialise and as a solid piece of furniture to add a contemporary twist to the kitchen.
