Kitchen Tour: A Garage Turned Cookery in Bath, England
Photography by Berdoulat Studio, unless noted
Patrick Williams of Berdoulat, specialists in lyrical and meticulous period restorations, lives with his family in a cluster of three conjoined structures in Bath, England. In the back, a 19th-century wine and provisions shop was used in recent years as a garage. “It was looking rather sorry for itself,” he says, before he transformed it with characteristic charm and rich color. Join us for a look at the artful results.
A newly installed 1890s mirrored door opens to the mews living quarters and kitchen, approximately 300 square feet.
Built in 1800 as a pub, the structure was converted at the turn of the century into a shop—and now has a partially frosted shopfront that provides privacy and light.
“In a back room we found what we imagine was the original counter, and decided to use this to house the kitchen, reinstating it in the same position per the 1890 plans,” says Patrick.
The sink has Barber Wilsons brass faucets and a backsplash of reclaimed subway tiles bought on eBay; the plate-drying rack is a prototype for one that will be sold in the Berdoulat shop.
Patrick has a fine-arts degree from Oxford and was born to his trade: he grew up helping his parents, both academics, restore an 18th-century French farmhouse called Berdoulat.
Another eBay purchase, an 18th century cupboard provides storage on the back wall of the kitchen.
An antique table had to be adapted in width to fit the compact dining area.
The contemporary designs Berdoulat offers are all made locally using age-old techniques, like Lydia Hardwick’s Inlaid Stoneware Platters, shown here.