Audley | A classic family kitchen

Located on a beautiful tree-lined road in Rochford, Essex, the 1920’s detached 7-bedroom executive property is home to Mr and Mrs Brooks, their two Daughters and well-loved black Labrador, Monty.

Despite lots of original period features, the interior in the character-filled three-storey house was somewhat dated, however, the couple had confidence that over time they could transform it into the perfect home for their family.

The original kitchen was modest in size and overlooked the leafy south-facing garden with a separate breakfast room nearby for dining.  As avid hosts, the couple wanted to create a larger open-plan kitchen-dining room that would allow them to prepare food and socialise in the same space.

After remodelling and extending the existing architectural layout to create one large open-plan room, with a nearby utility, Mr & Mrs Brooks approached Davonport to design a practical family kitchen that wowed.

Having inherited an Aga with the original kitchen, the family had become accustomed to the way of Aga cooking and wanted to include a larger model in their new kitchen. They liked the idea of classic style kitchen cabinetry to complement the iconic range oven and suit the period of their property.

The kitchen has been designed in Davonport Audley style furniture (which feels considerably bolder than its simplistic shaker-style counterparts) with glazed sections in the wall cabinets to help to inject a softness, exuding an elegant regal feel.

A statement island, made from chocolate American walnut, is at the heart of the room opposite the traditional style mantel framing the Aga.

“After school, the girls do their homework at the island whilst I prepare dinner. The new layout allows us to all be together.” Explains Mrs Brooks.

In addition to breakfast bar seating, the kitchen incorporates a deep window seat overlooking the garden, providing the perfect spot to lounge in between food preparation. 

The spacious dining area is connected to the rest of the kitchen with a striking Davonport pantry finished in the same Audley style furniture. When opened, it wows with mirrored internals, a marble top and hand-carved labelled drawers made from the same American walnut.

The overall style of the kitchen is resoundingly classic, with rich walnut accents and light hand painted cabinets topped with a practical light stone worktop and paired with timeless brushed chrome handles.

“We absolutely love our new kitchen! It’s perfect for day-to-day family life and a wonderful room to entertain in” says Mrs Brooks.