Cherrie and Michael have transformed their kitchen with some clever space planning and a dose of warm colour and character. Fancy a tour?

A part of the daily walk with their dogs, Cherrie and Michael would often stroll past a handsome country house, built in the early 18th century and surrounded by five acres of beautiful garden. “We had long identified it as our dream house,” Cherrie tells KBB journo Amelia Thorpe. “One day, we realised it had come on the market, just as we had decided we were ready to buy our forever home.”

Cherrie, a former professional dancer-turned-full-time mum to the couple’s three sons, and chief executive Michael moved quickly to buy the seven-bedroom listed property. “The house was much loved, but in need of updating,” she continues. “The kitchen, in particular, needed re-thinking to make it feel more spacious and suitable for modern family life, with plenty of storage and somewhere to sit together.”

But the slender room presented quite a challenge, given its historic status. “With five doorways, two large windows, and original wall panelling, we were limited on what we could do,” explains Cherrie. While they contemplated moving the kitchen to another part of the house, it made sense to keep it where it was – at the heart of their L-shaped home.

“Once we had made that decision, it helped us really focus on how to make the most of the existing space,” she says.

The plans

Working with planning consultancy Country House Homes, they were able to obtain listed property consent to create a new, wide opening between the kitchen and adjacent dining room, through an existing alcove. “This instantly made the kitchen feel much larger, with much more natural light flowing through the space, particularly from the tall French windows in the dining room,” she notes.

At the same time, they blocked off the former narrow doorway between the rooms, tucked to the side, and did the same for another door on the wall where the range cooker is now.

To create the new kitchen, Cherrie visited several kitchen companies, before deciding that they were too inflexible for their tricky space. Just as she was beginning to worry that a solution was not to be found, she came across local bespoke kitchen, cabinet, and furniture makers Herringbone House, meeting senior designer Ella Kirsopp.

“Not only did I like her immediately, but also Ella’s approach was totally different,” she says. “With all the furniture made from scratch in their workshop in Canterbury, Ella wasn’t fazed by our wonky walls and odd sizes – she just said, ‘Let’s do this!’ and that was so refreshing.”

The pink cabinetry and oak kitchen island

The focal point of the space is a large island with room for six barstools, important for this sociable family. Ella hand-drew the design for the turned legs, inspired by a traditional table, to add character. “The legs help to make the island feel more like a piece of furniture, less like a ‘standard’ kitchen,” explains Ella.

On the ‘working’ side of the island, fitted bins and two fully integrated dishwashers make it super-practical, as does a double-bowl sink and plenty of preparation surface. Behind the island, a run of cabinetry makes use of the newly available wall space with a family-size range cooker at its centre.

All cabinets fit around the room’s idiosyncrasies, including a breakfast dresser scribed around the detail of the wall panelling for an immaculate result. The same applies to a double-doored larder, which provides lots more storage and fits almost flush with the wall. “This covers the previous doorway to the dining room,” explains Ella. “One side is shallower than the other, to allow for pipework behind the cupboard, which we couldn’t move.”

The palette

Choosing the palette came readily, says Cherrie. “We wanted to use natural materials throughout the home, those that would have been used over the centuries,” she explains of the oak and marble. “I love the way these materials develop the patina of age.”

To add warmth to the kitchen, the couple chose a soft neutral pink paint colour for the walls and sections of painted cabinetry, its blush hue balancing the richness of the timber and the drama of the veining in the marble.

To complete the design with a touch of joyful personality, Cherrie selected exuberant wallpapers for the walk-in pantry and dining room. “Both Michael and I love pattern and we didn’t want to shy away from making the house feel truly ours,” she says. “The whole project has been about creating a home that works for our family and accentuates the beautiful feeling of the house.”

This house tour was featured in the October 2025 issue of Kitchens Bedrooms & Bathrooms magazine.

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