A country kitchen in Berkshire that proves a small kitchen can be bright, light and beautiful

The kitchen of this country house has been brought to life with a reconfigured layout, white paintwork and veined marble. Arabella Youens takes a look.

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(Image credit: Patrick Williamson)

Sophie Eadie and Fi Crole, the co-founders of their eponymous design studio, were asked to redecorate the kitchen of this house near Newbury in Berkshire, creating a space that would be the focus for the life of a large, busy family. The original layout of the kitchen felt too cluttered, so they simplified it, as well as reducing the length of a work surface, and used the space behind to create a larder.

Colour has been kept muted throughout. ‘It’s not a big room, so we didn’t want to overcomplicate the space,’ explains Mrs Crole. ‘It was important for our clients that this end of the kitchen is functional and easy to use.’

The pair have focused on subtle details, including the addition of vertical panelling to the walls. The work surfaces and splashback behind the Aga are lent a luxurious look with a heavily veined Arabescato marble.

The cabinets and island were made by Martin Moore and the space provides enough room for all four children to sit and eat (0845 180 0015; www.martinmoore.com). The bar stools were custom-made by the Farmhouse Table Company (01803 362368; www.farmhousetablecompany.co.uk) and a window blind was made up in a hand-woven fabric by Namay Samay, sourced through Tissus d’Hélène (020–7352 9977; www.tissusdhelene.co.uk).

See ore at Eadie & Crole (01264 738768; www.eadieandcrole.com


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Arabella Youens
Arabella began her career at Country Life on the website as an intern. She read Modern History at Edinburgh University and spent a year working (photocopying) for PricewaterhouseCoopers in Barcelona before moving to London where she still lives with her husband and two young daughters.