Kitchen of the Week: A Modern Barn Conversion in the English Countryside
HomeAll Posts...Kitchen of the Week: A Modern Barn Conversion...
What this project lacks in color, it more than makes up for in texture. Brushed stainless steel and light oak combine with the age-old timber ceiling beams and stone walls original to the structure, formerly a barn, for a particularly striking materials palette.
The team behind Jack Trench, a bespoke kitchen design firm in London, was tasked with converting the barn into a guest house. With such strong textures in play, the decision was made to go for a minimalist design. “We kept the kitchen design as clean and pared-back as possible so as not to detract from the barn’s stonework and original roof beams,” says founder and company director Trench.
Above: An open kitchen and living area comprises the airy first floor. Behind the weathered-oak paneled wall is a staircase that leads to the lofted sleeping quarters.Above: An oversized picture window now replaces the double barn doors that were once there. The window extends all the way to the floor, which proved to be a challenge for the design team when it came time to install the floating cabinet and stove in front of it. “This meant that we had to construct the cantilevered elevation against glass, a feat that tested our design engineering skills to the limit.”Above: The cabinets and kitchen island are clad in Corian and topped with brushed stainless steel counters.Above: The weathered oak paneled volume conceals the stairs that lead to the loft and houses a double pantry, refrigeration, and under-stair storage. It was built and tested off-site before getting installed.Above: “Particularly satisfying was designing the stainless steel backsplash and upstand that houses the bespoke downdraft extractor and especially the integrated full-length plant trough, designed to be used as a container for herbs.” The stovetop is by Barazza, the ovens by Gaggenau.Above: The flooring is ‘fumed’ (smoked) solid oak.Above: A peek at the lofted bedroom, where the same materials palette continues.
Above: The view from the exterior.
For more barn-inspired projects we admire, see:
N.B.: This story originally ran on July 7, 2022, and has been updated.
