Beaulieu | The Lakes
The Lakes, Fryerning, was a high specification residential development where the kitchens needed to support both the quality of the homes and the expectations of prospective buyers.
The developers first approached Davonport to design, manufacture and install kitchens for three of the properties. At this stage, the brief was clear: the kitchens had to feel appropriate to the calibre of the development, with furniture, finishes and appliance choices that would strengthen the overall presentation of the homes.
For the developers, the kitchen specification was also part of the sales journey. A Davonport kitchen offered a recognised level of quality and craftsmanship, helping to give buyers confidence that the same care had been taken across the wider property.
Davonport’s involvement began with the first three kitchens. These initial homes allowed the developers to see the standard of the furniture, the quality of the finish and the level of detail within the design and manufacturing process.
As the development progressed, the developers returned to Davonport for the final two, largest properties positioned at the end of the lake. This marked an important development in the relationship. Rather than simply repeating the earlier kitchen designs, the final two homes were treated as a distinct design opportunity.
The brief became more ambitious. These principal homes required kitchens that felt more individual, more detailed and more closely aligned with the architecture of each property. The aim was not to create a standard developer specification, but to give each home its own considered kitchen while retaining a clear Davonport identity.
Both final homes were barn style properties, with oak beams running through the interiors and a traditional barn influenced exterior. This gave the kitchens an important role in connecting the character of the architecture with the expectations of a contemporary high value home.
For these two properties, Davonport designed a new furniture style called Beaulieu. The design is based around a raised and fielded door with a substantial Georgian moulding set within the door. While traditional in reference, the style was interpreted in a contemporary transitional way, using stone, fluted glass and layered lighting to give the kitchens a more modern architectural quality.
Both kitchens were finished in Davonport’s Satchel Grey and shared a consistent appliance and hardware specification. However, the layouts and furniture arrangements were designed separately, reflecting the individuality of the two homes.
The first kitchen was designed around two facing runs of cabinetry with a central island between them. The island provides preparation space and breakfast bar seating, creating a practical working area as well as an informal place to sit.
On the main elevation, the Wolf range cooker sits beneath a furniture mantle, with drawer storage positioned to either side. Glazed wall cabinets with fluted glass introduce a lighter decorative detail while maintaining the formal rhythm of the cabinetry.
Further along the same run, two large double door tall cabinets were designed to perform very different roles. One conceals the integrated Miele fridge and freezer. The other is a false cabinet, opening through into a walk in pantry. This allowed generous secondary storage to be included without disrupting the symmetry or furniture led appearance of the kitchen.
The second kitchen followed a similar architectural principle, with two opposing elevations and a central island with breakfast bar seating. As with the first kitchen, the Wolf range cooker sits beneath a furniture mantle, creating a strong focal point within the room.
The opposite elevation was designed with a dedicated drinks preparation area, giving this kitchen a more sociable function. Single glazed cabinets with fluted glass sit to either side, echoing the detailing used in the first kitchen while giving the room its own character.
This difference between the two kitchens was central to the client journey. The developers wanted the homes to feel connected as part of the same development, but not repeated. Each kitchen therefore responded to its own property, layout and likely buyer.
Materials and Specification
- Cabinetry: Davonport Satchel Grey
- Furniture style: Beaulieu
- Worktop, kitchen one: Statuario Gold quartz
- Worktop, kitchen two: Carrara quartz
- Backsplash: Calacatta Hermitage porcelain behind the Wolf range cooker in both kitchens
- Cooking appliances: Wolf range cookers
- Refrigeration: Miele, integrated behind furniture doors
- Dishwashers: Miele, integrated within the islands
- Hot taps: Quooker
- Hardware: Hendel & Hendel Liberty Collection in polished nickel
- Sinks: The 1810 Company stainless steel sinks
- Glass detail: fluted glass cabinetry
Craft & Detail
- Beaulieu furniture style designed specifically for the final two homes
- Victorian raised and fielded door design
- Heavy Georgian moulding set within the door frame
- Furniture mantles above the Wolf range cookers
- Fluted glass cabinetry used across both kitchens
- Concealed walk in pantry hidden behind a false cabinet door
- Integrated refrigeration behind furniture doors
- Breakfast bar seating incorporated into both islands
- Stone and porcelain specified individually for each property
- Polished nickel hardware used to complement the Satchel Grey cabinetry
The final two kitchens at The Lakes show how a developer specification can become more considered when each home is treated individually.
For Davonport, the project was not simply about supplying kitchens to a development. It was about understanding how the kitchens could support the sale of high value homes, while also giving each property its own sense of quality, proportion and detail.
The result was a pair of related but distinct kitchens. One centred on concealed storage and a walk in pantry, the other on entertaining and drinks preparation. Both reflected the barn style architecture of the homes, while introducing a more refined and contemporary furniture language through the Beaulieu style.
“The final two kitchens at The Lakes were an opportunity to build on the trust established earlier in the development. The brief became more individual and more detailed, which allowed us to design the Beaulieu furniture style specifically for these homes. Each kitchen needed to feel connected to the development, but also properly considered in its own right.”
– Richard Davonport
