A spacious kitchen for eating and entertaining was essential for the Italian family who moved into this stunning home in Ascot. Their first decision was to relocate the existing small kitchen into a generous extension. Next stop was Charlie Smallbone, founder of Ledbury Studio, to request a show-stopping kitchen design imbued with his signature mix of materials. The result is a stunning kitchen that’s perfect for busy family life.

Charlie’s design centres around a generous island that’s hand-painted white and wrapped in a hard-wearing Calacatta Quartz waterfall worktop. The island is positioned below a roof lantern that floods the room with natural light throughout the day; a trio of decorative pendants provides effective task lighting at night. 

“The couple wanted a sleek, contemporary aesthetic for their kitchen, so we chose grey-stained natural oak for the base cupboards,” explains Charlie. “Then, to create a contrast, the island cupboards are also oak but stained white. Staining timber in this way allows the natural beauty of the grain to shine through.” 

A large double larder (left) and a breakfast cupboard (right) flank the wall run. The doors are also grey-stained oak with exquisite brass inlay in a diamond-shaped design.

“And one of my favourite elements is the liquid pewter finish with shagreen-like texture we created for the wall cupboards in between,” adds Charlie.

The adjacent wall is dedicated to the practicalities of the kitchen: a bank of ovens and a dedicated fridge (left) and freezer (right) separated by an impressive wine cooler. Huge slabs of porcelain in a cararra-marble finish were chosen for the floor as a final touch to this fabulous open-plan kitchen where practicality and glamour go hand in hand.

Ledbury Studio kitchens start from £50,000.