When designers Jason and Jenny Rose Maclean relocated from London to the Cotswolds in 2022, one of their neighbors turned out to be Lulu Guinness. Years back, Jenny worked on Lulu’s fashion team creating her signature life-of-the-party evening bags and clutches (if you’ve ever noticed someone toting a bag that looks like a pair of red lips, basket of hydrangeas, or bird on a nest, chances are it was a Lulu).
The timing was just right for the three of them to be back in each others’ orbits. Jenny and Jason together run Studio Maclean: we’ve featured their former Stone Farmhouse in Southwest France and first Kitchen System. And, of late, they’ve created their “Dot range” of furniture and kitchens starring pale wood printed with bright geometric patterns. Lulu’s Cotswold’s house, part of a Grade II-listed, converted Victorian girls’ school, was in a need of a new, bigger kitchen, and something bold and bespoke fit the bill. The harlequin-patterned results have just been unveiled. Join us for a first look.
Photography by Chris Tubbs, courtesy of Studio Maclean (@studiomaclean).
The breakfast table is surrounded by scalloped-back lucite chairs. Lulu pulled them from her deep vintage holdings, along with the trio of 1960 Venini Triedri pendant lights. The wide-plank wood flooring is original.
Lulu looked at 17th-century European painted furniture as a reference, and, after considering several Studio Maclean print options, went with the harlequin design in a rich green. “Our idea was to cover the main units in the print, but to break them up with a solid island and solid textural worktop and backsplash,” says Jason. “So, although it’s patterned, solid elements balance the whole effect.” Also, he might have added, their client is someone with an appetite for maximalist decoration.
The back wall has four drawers and eight cupboards—the fridge is tucked behind two of them to the left of the induction stove, which is by Smeg (“modern and streamlined with a nod to vintage, which works well here,” says Jason). The stainless-steel sink with drainboard/work surface is by Franke.
When asked about her house renovation, Lulu told The English Home, “My friends call it ‘Lulu-fying things… I have no rules. I’m a creative and I don’t stop, whether it’s interiors or fashion.”
How exactly is the wood digitally printed? “We work with a well-established manufacturer who have developed the technique with us and allow us to be hands-on,” is all Jason will say emphasizing that they experimented with a variety of base materials before focusing on oak, and “always run several test prints to achieve the finished result.” As for durability: a proprietary finish—”something we also developed over time and testing”—is added to the panels to ensure they’re able to withstand food splatters, scrubbing, and other kitchen wear and tear.
Three more favorite examples of kitchens with color and pattern:
- “A Hypnotic Optical Effect”: Viruta Lab Covers a 1946 Fisherman’s House in Blue-and-White Checks
- An East Village Cook Space that Defies “One-Word Summaries”
- 7 Kitchen Design Ideas to Steal from deVol’s Latest Showroom
Have a Question or Comment About This Post?
Join the conversation