Rustic Oak Kitchen in The Peak District

Sometimes it makes a refreshing change to move away from the standard door designs with all their uniformity - and that was certainly the case with this Peak District cottage kitchen, which rather leant itself to a more visually relaxed approach.

After a huge flood, the homeowners thought it the ideal opportunity to create a kitchen more befitting the age and style of their cottage. They wanted rustic style cabinetry with an organic feel, which meant no straight runs of timber. As you can imagine, creating each door was rather like piecing together a jigsaw, with the carefully shaped pieces of timber joined together and then braced from behind to ensure the doors retain their shape. Handmade rose-head nails add extra detail to the doors and combined with matching wrought iron hinges and handles add to the rustic charm. This was a very time consuming and labour intensive build, but it was well worth the effort in the end!

The patina, created by the knots and burls of the character oak, together with its rich and varied tones, creates a wonderful warm and homely atmosphere. The cabinets were finished with a matte lacquer which protects the wood without altering its appearance. The locally sourced ‘Mandale Limestone’ worktops add yet another visual element with its unique fossilised finish created over thousands of years!

Bespoke cabinetry size and shape flexibility enabled us to make best use of the space under the stairs running into the kitchen, with an integrated fridge and freezer, pantry cupboard and additional drawer storage… you can never have enough storage! Note also the useful ‘roll out’ cupboard shelves.

Quaint and rustic the kitchen furniture might be - however all modern appliances are still integrated along with a useful island to strike the perfect balance between function and form.