Luxury villa kitchen design in Fulham, London

“Et Lorem have just designed and fitted the most beautiful kitchen for me. Professional, responsive and creative – every member of the team really understands the art of kitchen design and what really works. They are a pleasure to work with.”

Located in a peaceful residential street in the heart of Fulham, this luxury villa required a comprehensive kitchen transformation. This was part of an extensive property-wide renovation project. Our client lives at the villa with her teenage son, and has resided in the area for many years. She had a clear vision for their new kitchen right from the outset.

We worked closely with premium building contractors GM Developments – with whom we have a long-standing relationship. This was to design and install this prestige, bespoke kitchen setting. GM Developments completed all the building works for the property. We worked alongside them during the renovation, to ensure we could fit the kitchen around the other extensive works being carried out. A new bespoke kitchen typically takes around 12 weeks to produce. Once crafted, they usually to take a further three weeks to fit, from start to finish.

Light and space

The luxury villa’s previous kitchen was narrow, dark and cramped. The huge potential, however, was obvious. Our client wanted plenty of light and space. So, she briefed us to create a kitchen where she and her son would enjoy spending time. It was important to keep the family feel, and craft a multi-functional sociable space that could accommodate daily life. To achieve this, we completely reimagined the layout of the kitchen. This involved removing a wall to open up the area to create a much larger, open-plan kitchen, dining and living space. The new kitchen footprint measures 7.3m x 4.0m, and overlooks beautiful landscaped gardens.

Room with a view

Our client requested a fresh, contemporary, yet timeless bespoke kitchen for her luxury villa. Together we decided on a hand-crafted, in-frame design, to ensure maximum flexibility in terms of layout, materials and functionality. We hand-painted the kitchen in Farrow & Ball shades of Pigeon and Green Smoke, to complement the Farrow & Ball shades of the property’s exterior. Our client wanted to have fun with colour, so she made this palette ‘pop’ by adding her own pink accents. The kitchen also looks out onto the garden, which features pink tulips and other flowers that enhance these accent colours.

Blending the old with the new

We took great care to ensure that the kitchen renovation complemented the luxury villa’s period Italian-style heritage. Working with bespoke furniture is a tried-and-tested strategy for honouring the old, in order to balance the new. In this case, the in-frame kitchen design and Shaker doors added a classic finish to a fresh, contemporary setting.

We had previously designed a kitchen for this client at another property, and knew that she favoured this style. Importantly, the craftsmanship of this hand-made in-frame Shaker kitchen is also a highly sustainable option; this level of quality will most certainly stand the test of time. So, we focused on a design that would not date or look out of place in any way, in years to come.

We teamed the bespoke cabinetry with a Silestone splashback and worktops in Snowy Ibiza, and Pushka hardware. Silestone is a sustainable hybrid surface, made from premium natural minerals and recycled materials; and our client loved this about the product. Practical yet stylish herringbone parquet-style floor tiles completed the timeless look.

Island life in a luxury villa

This home’s previous kitchen featured a narrow kitchen island. Our client requested we replace this with a much larger version. This way, it would help to create a more sociable space, especially when cooking. We designed a bespoke curved island, to add interest and impact to the space. We conceived the unique curved shape specifically to work with the pinch points of the room, to allow freedom of flow around the space.

Mindful of the room’s multi-functional requirements, a media wall area added a practical, family-friendly touch. And to further enhance the sociable ambience, the old dining room was opened up and incorporated into the new kitchen. We added a large dining table to this space, with clear sight lines of the curved island, hob and sink.

Overcoming obstacles

All projects of this magnitude incorporate design obstacles to overcome, and this luxury villa was no exception. Initially, the client was unsure whether to proceed with removing the existing wall between the old kitchen and the dining room. So our dedicated team delivered different versions of the new design. We understand that as the heart and identity of a home, a kitchen is a truly personal space. And we pride ourselves on really listening to clients, in order to imagine settings that work specifically for how they wish to live.

However, after detailed discussions between us, the client and the developer, it was decided that the new kitchen would be much bigger, and more enjoyable, as an open-plan space. Nonetheless, once the wall in question had been removed, there would still have been pinch points around the standard kitchen island, with not enough space for comfortable movement. Our solution was to add curves to the island design, to accommodate the space available. This helps to highlight how bespoke joinery always facilitates maximum creative freedom.

Artful artwork for a luxury villa

The modern artwork, which adds colour and personality to this luxury villa’s kitchen, belongs to the client, and was hung after we completed this project. As part of our design process we can include existing artwork in our designs, to show the client how they will look in their new space. In this scenario, we would photograph the relevant pieces during a home visit, to better incorporate it into our planning and proposals.

Appliance design details

Stunning bespoke kitchen cabinetry deserves to be complemented by suitably high-end appliances. Our client is a keen cook, so we chose the Miele KM3034-1 Gas Hob, which offers four burners and one dual wok burner. We sited this hob in the island, so friends and family can gather around the breakfast bar to chat during food prep and the cooking process.

Installing a downdraft extractor from Falmec eliminated the need for an overhead extractor fan. Venting hobs like this help to create a sleeker, uncluttered aesthetic; are far more flexible in terms of kitchen layout; and are especially suited to central kitchen islands. This luxury villa kitchen also has a Quooker tap, which has become a must-have item for most of the designs we work on.

Practical extras for this luxury villa

Most of our bespoke kitchen designs have practical extras. This luxury villa’s kitchen has a pantry – an option that is often high on a wish-list, thanks to its versatility. Many clients use their pantry to bulk-store food items. This client has used hers as a coffee station and showcase for her mug and vase collection.

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