We are always eager to see the latest from Uncommon Projects—the London-based designers and makers of bespoke plywood kitchens and cabinetry. Founded by an architect and a product designer, Alan Drumm and James Hoy, their projects are deceptively simple and immaculately executed. Bold color choices and unfussy design allows their cabinetry to work in any environment.
This is the kitchen of Julia Gilmour and her husband, Stephen—a three-story townhouse overlooking a park and private marina in Teddington, southwest London. The couple—keen cooks in their mid-60s—moved into the property four years ago, following a year-long renovation. The work was carried out without a lead architect, which enabled Alan to draw on his experience in interior architecture, reconfiguring the layout of the first-floor kitchen and using bespoke cabinetry and a taut palette of materials to create a sense of connection between each of the six split levels.
Above: “The house itself is a really interesting design,” says Gilmour. ‘It looks like an ordinary, modern, three-story townhouse from the outside, but inside it is six split levels, plus two terraces on the top floor, all joined by an original aluminum staircase. We moor a boat right outside our study: perfect for day trips or an evening cruise up river to Hampton Court or Teddington Lock.” Above: Alan suggested swapping the position of the kitchen and the dining area to create more space for the kitchen and improve the circulation from the hallway. The kitchen area is now a U-shaped design with a peninsula that has deep drawers on one side, sliding door storage on the other and integrated bar seating on the end. The white Corian worktops reflect light from the windows. The bar stools with colored foot rests are Uncommon Project’s own design. Above: To maximize light and views, the entrance to the kitchen was widened and a sliding pocket door was installed, which the owners generally leave open. Tall units house the Fisher and Paykel fridge freezer and feature a built-in bookcase, which adds a point of interest as you enter the room. The original terrazzo flooring was cracked and has been replaced throughout with terrazzo by Diespeker. “It hides dirty spots, so it’s perfect,” says Gilmour. The recessed kickboards are also terrazzo. Above: By rearranging the floorplan, Alan was able to create a small utility room off the dining area in a space that was previously an awkward corner of the kitchen. “This is great for hiding all those bits you don’t want to be facing when you’re having dinner,” explains Gilmour.
Above: The Brora hob and downdraft extractor is on the same side of the kitchen as the Gaggenau ovens and warming drawer. The decision was made to keep the peninsula free from appliances to allow space for eating and socializing. The countertop is illuminated by LED lighting. Above: A mini shelf to the left of the hob displays 3D-models of the couples’ three grown-up children. Above: The sink has a single Quooker Fusion tap with integrated boiling and filtered water. A narrow row of open shelving has been built beneath the wall cabinets, creating another point of interest in the room. Above: A shallow herb box has been built in below the window, between the sink and the peninsular. “This was a great solution for us, as we used to keep all our herb pots next to the kitchen sink,” explains Gilmour. “Now we are able to keep the sink area clear.” The herb box also creates a seasonal connection between the kitchen and the park views beyond. (In the winter months, the herbs are replaced with crimson poinsettias.)
Above: The terrazzo continues into the sunken living room, providing a robust surface for the steps, which include integrated storage and provide a room-length display for the couples collection of art and objects. (Thanks to the wide pocket door, there are now through views from the living room into the dining area.) Above: The wall-mounted sideboard in the dining area helps unify the space. All joinery has been made from easy-to-clean oak-veneered birch plywood with cut-out handles. Above: Another simple, wall-mounted sideboard in the main bedroom. (The couple swiftly commissioned Uncommon Projects to design and build their bedroom storage.)
When you register as a free Member of the Remodelista family of websites (Remodelista, Gardenista, and The Organized Home), you gain access to all current posts plus 10 archived posts per month, our internal bookmarking tool, and the community bulletin board.
Access 10 archived posts (older than one year) per month on each site
Use of our internal bookmark tool, so you can save products, posts, and other pages for quick reference
Access to our community bulletin board so you can ask and answer design-related questions
Unlimited access to the Product Catalogs, Design Travel sources, and Architect & Designer Directory listings
Choose from our ten newsletters to keep up with the latest on the sites
Or Subscribe for Maximum Value!
For $5/month ($59.99 paid annually) you'll enjoy unlimited, ad-free access to Remodelista, Gardenista, and The Organized Home and all the benefits of Membership.
Annual subscribers pay 50% off the monthly subscription price of $9.99
×
Subscribe to the Remodelista family of websites
For $5/month ($59.99 paid annually) you'll enjoy unlimited, ad-free access to Remodelista, Gardenista, and The Organized Home and all the benefits of Membership.
Annual subscribers pay 50% off the monthly subscription price of $9.99
×
Sorry! As a registered member you get 10 free posts from our archive (posts more than a year old) every 30 days. You have reached your limit for this 30-day period. If you would like to access unlimited posts from the archive (ad free, too), become a subscriber today, and keep reading as many articles as you want.
Full Access Individual Subscription
Benefits include:
Unlimited access to Remodelista, Gardenista, and The Organized Home sites
Ad-free browsing environment
Unrestricted access to 30,000+ archived posts
Receive the full-text daily newsletters
All features that Members have access to
Annual subscribers pay just 50% off the monthly subscription price of $9.99
Sorry! You have reached your limit of three (3) free posts from our archive every 30 days. You can increase this to 10 posts by joining as a free Member, or read unlimited posts with no ads by becoming a paid Subscriber.
Subscribe to the Remodelista family of websites
For $5/month ($59.99 paid annually) you'll enjoy unlimited, ad-free access to Remodelista, Gardenista, and The Organized Home and all the benefits of Membership.
Annual subscribers pay 50% off the monthly subscription price of $9.99
Become a Member at no charge
When you register as a free Member of the Remodelista family of websites (Remodelista, Gardenista, and The Organized Home), you gain access to all current posts plus 10 archived posts per month, our internal bookmarking tool, and the community bulletin board.
Congratulations on becoming a Subscriber to Remodelista, Gardenista and The Organized Home! You now have access to many great features across the sites:
Unlimited access to all three sites
Ad-free browsing environment
Unrestricted access to 30,000+ archived posts
Receive any of the newsletters, including the the full-text daily Remodelista and Gardenista newsletters
Use of our internal bookmark tool, so you can save products, posts, and other pages for quick reference
Access to our community bulletin board so you can ask and answer design-related questions
Congratulations on joining as a free Member of Remodelista, Gardenista and The Organized Home! You now have access to many great features across the sites:
Access to all posts published in the past year
Access 10 archived posts (older than one year) per month on each site
Use of our internal bookmark tool, so you can save products, posts, and other pages for quick reference
Access to our community bulletin board so you can ask and answer design-related questions
Unlimited access to the Product Catalogs, Design Travel sources, and Architect & Designer Directory listings
Choose from our ten newsletters to keep up with the latest on the sites
If at any time you want to become a Subscriber and enjoy unlimited, ad-free access to all our content, just go to the My Account link and choose Subscribe.
Have a Question or Comment About This Post?
Join the conversation