O
ur dream was to live in the countryside
with the children, a dog and chickens
running safely around the garden,’ says
Claire Brooks. ‘It took a long time to make
it happen, but our beautiful Georgian farmhouse in
Hampshire ticks every box for us.’ Former Londoners,
Claire and her husband Andrew had spent four years
looking for the perfect place to settle, so they wasted
no time putting their stamp on their new home.
Admittedly, Claire’s vision of a light-filled family
kitchen required a little extra patience. ‘The kitchen
was originally on the other side of the house. It was
north-facing, old and extremely cold,’ says Claire. ‘We
decided to move it into the drawing room, which had
large floor-to-ceiling Georgian windows and opened
straight out onto a beautiful walled garden.’ The
ground works alone took two months, as the floor had
to be dug up to lay new plumbing and electrics. The
task wasn’t made any speedier by the need to protect
and retain the many original Georgian features that
the Brooks had fallen in love with. ‘It turned out to be
a huge job but, again, it was worth the wait, not least
because we took the opportunity to install underfloor
heating,’ says Claire. They obtained seven quotes from
various kitchen companies, without finding ‘the one’.
‘Nobody seemed to get what we wanted and always
said we’d have to compromise because of all the
windows,’ says Claire. Then a friend suggested they
try bespoke cabinetmakers Searle & Taylor, who
immediately understood the couple’s ideas.
Claire’s brief was to create an elegant and calm
but functional room that naturally incorporates the
existing architecture. ‘I wanted a layout that would let
me cook, socialise and spend time with my family all
in one room,’ she says. The island plays a pivotal role
in this, positioning Claire at the heart of the kitchen.
Searle & Taylor also understood Claire’s wish for a
kitchen that would look attractive when entertaining.
The built-in appliances and TV can be hidden away to
achieve a relaxing, living-room feel when friends visit.
Moving to the country may have turned out to be a
bit of a drawn-out mission for the Brooks but they have
no regrets. ‘It has transformed our lives and having this
beautiful kitchen is the icing on the cake,’ says Claire.
Formerly the grand drawing
room, the kitchen has
beautiful original features
The interior of the glassware
cabinet is painted in a pretty
vintage pink and features
low-level lighting that helps
create a relaxed mood
