Kate Halfpenny's Countryside Kitchen
The countryside home of English bridalwear designer Kate Halfpenny is a charming and eclectic space. A former Georgian vicarage and chapel, this family home in Faversham, Kent has been extensively refurbished and restored, resulting in a truly special place that houses intimate and charismatic design details in every corner.
Kate shared with us the process behind her beautiful kitchen design, as well as why Perrin & Rowe and Shaws of Darwen were the perfect choices for the space - both practically and aesthetically.
"I moved from central London to a wonderful vicarage in Faversham a number of years ago now and it took a really long time for us to decide on the best way to renovate our kitchen. The existing space was in the perfect location, opening up into the garden, but it was very small and my husband and I love nothing more than entertaining so we knew we needed a lot more space! Taking walls out simply wasn’t an option in that area of the house so we had a brilliant idea to move the kitchen into what was the dining room, and the dining room into the kitchen. I’m so pleased we made that choice as the new space works perfectly for our busy household."
"For me, the key spot for the sink is under a window but the big beautiful sash window looking out on the front garden didn’t feel right and I knew a big round table would make the best use of that space. My lovely friend is an incredible food stylist and kitchen designer who works with celebrity chefs and I roped her in to help me. She took one look at the space and said it’s obvious the location of the sink is under the side window. It really is the dreamiest place to wash dishes in that gorgeous Shaws of Darwen Ribchester sink, looking out at the birds in the trees with the late afternoon sun streaming in. Who knew washing the dishes could be so wonderful? My double sink makes it so much less of a chore, I love the two sinks as I use one as a dish drainer instead of having a draining board."
"The Perrin & Rowe instant hot water tap makes making a cup of tea so much easier, no longer do I hang around waiting for the kettle to boil! The pan filling tap above the stove is not only aesthetically pleasing but also makes cooking easier and takes the pain out of carrying pans of water across the kitchen to your stove. The beautiful brassware is easy to clean and the look elevates my entire stove area. We polish it every week and it's such a joy to see it shine."
"The new set up is not only practical, but beautiful and magical to cook in. Our kitchen really is the heart of the home. It’s where we spend most of our time and I adore how it looks and functions for our family.”
