Jamie Blake of Blakes London applied a high/low mix of materials—from marble to readymade beadboard—in his design for a sun-splashed kitchen. Thanks to the popularity of the kitchen, Blake has kindly offered to share its secrets.
The bright kitchen opens out onto a green backyard in Beckenham, on the outskirts of London.
Photograph courtesy of Blakes London.
Photograph courtesy of Blakes London.
The open kitchen is fronted by a marble-topped island built from wood textured to look like reclaimed timber.
The upper cabinets have a surprise lining of white subway tiles with dark grout.
Photograph courtesy of Blakes London.
Materials
The countertops and backsplashes are Carrara marble. Considering splurging on marble in your own kitchen?
The cabinets are painted a Farrow & Ball dark charcoal called Railings; $97 a gallon.
The cupboard’s Metro White Matt Flat Wall Tiles came from Tons of Tiles in the U.K.; £0.32 (50 cents) per tile.
What looks like old wood, Blake reveals, isn’t reclaimed timber: “It’s a finish that we do ourselves, completely handmade to look like reclaimed timber. Almost any color or texture can be achieved.” Since Blake’s technique is labor intensive (not to mention proprietary), we suggest sourcing Reclaimed Barn Wood.
Another surprise is the floor: What looks like whitewashed wood is actually white porcelain timber-effect tiles.
Not every detail in the kitchen is rarefied. It can be sourced at building supply stores, such as Lowe’s, where White/Satin Hardboard Wall Paneling is $19.98 for an approximately four-by-eight-foot panel.
Photograph by Izabella Simmons.
The kitchen faucet was built on site by a plumber. How-to site Instructables explains How to Build Your Own Copper Pipe Faucet.
The Faucet
The trio of Twisted Flex & Copper Pendant Lights hanging over the island are by Cox & Cox of London; £30 ($39) each.
Lighting
The Barn Light Electric Canal Street SoHo Pendant comes in a few blue shades; $329 at Barn Light Electric.
Industrial Scissor Wall Lamps were sourced from Etsy seller Long Made Co. of Houston; $175 each.
Furniture
The Thos Moser Continuous Arm Bench is available at Thos.
The Eames Molded Plastic Dowel Leg Side Chair starts at $439 at Design Within Reach.
The electric Dualit 1 Litre Jug Kettle in canvas white (also available in black) is £54.99 ($72) from John Lewis.
Accessories
The Dualit New Generation Classic Two-Slice Toaster comes in 11 colors, including cream; $239.95 from Williams-Sonoma.
In the middle of the kitchen island—territory that often goes unused—Blake inserted a custom stainless steel planter that holds pots of herbs. To make your own inset, consider the 34-by-4 1/2-inch Stainless Steel Bottle Trough from Central Restaurant Supply; $54.99.
The Canvas Home Abbesses Creamer with a Blue Rim is $8.
Ikea’s Hederlig Red Wine Glasses are $1.99 each.
The Riess Enamel Aromapot by Viennese industrial designers Dottings comes in a range of sizes and stacks for compact storage; $188 for the half-liter size on Amazon. Read about the design in the Remodelista 100, a list of our favorite everyday objects.