- Photos & Ideas | Houzz

Interior view of the living room in the first Passive House in Milton Keynes. Designed for Milton Keynes Parks Trust, and completed in summer 2012, Howe Park Passive House is the probably the most airtight building in the UK, achieving 0.07 air changes per hour. This 5 bedroom family home replaced a burnt out derelict house with a house which was truly environmentally sustainable and at the same time aesthetically pleasing. The house was built for Milton Keynes Parks Trust who have rented it to a lucky family. It has been constructed from and clad with sustainable timber, the exterior cladding is Kebony. It has high levels of insulation, high performance triple glazing, exceptional attention to detail and minimal cold bridging. In addition, low VOC paints have been used on the interior to provide a healthy and comfortable home and the building orientation and form have been maximised for solar gain. Innovative details have been used throughout including the foundation detail where the timber sole plate has been eliminated. Ventilation is provided using mechanical ventilation with heat recovery ensuring fresh air to the house, with minimal heat lost, or the windows can be opened if wished. The minimal amount of heat needed is estimated to be below £75 per annum using direct electric heating which is offset by electricity produced from Photovoltaic panels (PV) on the roof taking advantage of the feed in tariff and making the house have almost zero fuel bills! The design also incorporated the following features: PV panels to offset electricity demand for the lighting and ventilation system. Water butt collects rainwater and overflow drains to pond in wood. Materials used for the house where possible have been selected for their environmental credentials such as sustainably sourced timber for the timber frame and cladding. VOC free natural paints & 50% recycled paint to feature wall. Specialist ecological advice was sort to ensure that existing wildlife, fauna and flora was protected and encouraged, the neighbouring orchard and meadow are to be revitalized. The kerbs and road gullies to make it safer for newts to cross the road. Reduction in car use encouraged by the provision of a secure cycle store and home office to allow residents to work from home. Principal Architect - Alan Budden, Chartered RIBA ARB Architect & Passivhaus Designer

Matty Mac Photography

Here you can see the other side of the island which uses drawerline units ideal for storing cutlery and table accessories. Off to the right you can also see the sink area with a large ceramic double bowl sink with towel storage down the side.

Nestled in the picturesque suburban area of Nazeing, Essex this stunning grand country house underwent an extensive renovation to become their forever home. Relocating to a grand country property like this offers huge potential to make it your dream home, and the goal was to blend timeless country charm with modern luxury, resulting in a kitchen at the centre that is as functional as it is breathtaking. Revitalising their living space, the area opened up to a kitchen, informal dining and living area, where the layout was carefully planned to enhance the flow of the zones, making it a hub for cooking, socialising and living. The whole space is not only beautiful inside but also maximises its connection to the outdoors. Large glass doors connect the open-plan space with the grounds bringing in a great deal of natural light and scenic views. Every corner is bright and airy, creating a relaxed and welcoming atmosphere. The location of this Nazeing home, surrounded by lush greenery and rolling hills, adds to the charm of this traditional yet modern kitchen design. Key design elements focus on natural oak, exposed wooden beams, and two spacious kitchen islands for maximum practicality and a touch of grandeur. In true Shaker style, the kitchen is both beautiful and usable, and we also designed handmade cabinetry for additional rooms such as a walk-in pantry, a utility and a media wall unit. Our client fell in love with the Classic In-Frame Shaker design, and this is the style that was chosen. The client also loved the look of natural oak to bring warmth to the room, tying in with the beams and country setting, so decided to have the whole middle section designed in nautral oak (2 islands and a dresser). What makes this hub of the home spectacular is the dual kitchen islands. Both built and designed in our beautiful natural oak, these two stunning islands serve multiple purposes for the space and our client. Working Island – Let’s start with the smaller one of the two. Square in shape, this is dedicated to food preparation and comes equipped with a Franke built-in sink and Quooker Classic Fusion Square in Patinated Brass. Ample counter space and storage solutions, including an integrated recycling bin, can be seen. Socialising Island – This is larger, more of a rectangle, and has a beautiful curved end acting as an additional informal dining area to the straight line. The space for six bar seats encourages family and guests to gather and socialise. It also features an S-Box (pop-up socket), bespoke cutlery & utensil drawers, deep pan drawers and curved end cabinetry. Further elevating the stunning design is the choice of range cooker and the exposed brick wall surrounding that sits at the centre. A cream classic AGA offers both traditional aesthetics and modern functionality that becomes the kitchen’s workhorse and the perfect choice for our client’s busy life. A little fun fact – this AGA is 30 years old! It has been repurposed from all gas to all-electric! It still looks brand new, keeping up with the modern family life! A quintessential country feature that is framed with bespoke cabinetry and an exposed brick wall, making it the focal point of the cooking area. Not only an appliance for cooking large family meals but a range cooker that heats the space during the colder winter months and adds to the homely, inviting feel of the space. Close, and just on the other side of the prep island and in direct view of the AGA, is a freestanding cabinetry unit that houses integrated cold storage appliances (fridge and freezer) from Samsung and a built-in Liebherr Wine Storage Cabinet. The breathtaking scenery is a natural backdrop, blending the indoors with the outdoors. Positioned in front of large windows and framed by exposed wooden beams, the sink area offers panoramic views of the surrounding countryside. The many windows flood the kitchen with natural light, making everyday tasks like washing up a pleasure. How this sink area was created: The Shaws Double Bowl sink brings the kitchen a classic yet timeless charm. A spacious, deep basin that’s practical for daily tasks and perfect for a family kitchen. The Perrin & Rowe Ionian Mixer Tap with Rinse in Aged Brass combines traditional craftsmanship with modern convenience. Choosing aged brass not only adds a luxurious vintage touch but also complements the natural tones of a country kitchen. A Perrin & Rowe Freestanding Soap Dispenser in Aged Brass Traditional completes the look. A small yet impactful accessory that blends seamlessly with the mixer tap. Its freestanding design allows for flexibility in placement – the sink area is kept neat and uncluttered, maintaining the clean lines of the design. This sink run includes two Miele fully integrated dishwashers and plenty of other storage solutions to keep the kitchen organised. The handmade cabinets are hand-painted in Rolling Fog by Little Greene. Further elevating the design with alternative storage and tying in with the country setting is the natural oak dresser. It’s the epitome of refined craftsmanship and classic style, that’s designed to elevate the aesthetics of the home and our client’s style. The dresser combines warm tones with the light, airy feel provided by the glazed doors and the Carrara Misterio worktop. With a bold structure, the upper section features glass-fronted cabinets, allowing our client to display their most treasured items while keeping them protected. It further enhances an open, airy look. Below, the dresser provides concealed storage with a sturdy oak door and drawers. The closed storage solution is perfect for keeping less decorative items, such as linens or tableware, neatly out of sight but easily accessible. In the middle is open-shelving. Something else that captures the eye and adds to the style and functionality of the kitchen is the beautifully crafted breakfast pantry, hand-painted in Rolling Fog by Little Greene. The pantry sits at one end of the kitchen providing a dedicated space for all your morning essentials, streamlining the daily routine all while adding a touch of refined elegance. It’s neatly organised, within reach, and designed beautifully behind bi-fold doors. The soft, muted tones of Rolling Fog, pair beautifully with the natural beauty of the woodwork. A Samsung Built-In Grill Microwave is housed in the middle and a quartz cold shelf is the ideal place for small kitchen appliances and keeping breakfast items such as butter, cheese, or fresh pastries cool during preparation. Other features of the kitchen include the handles – Perrin & Rowe Shell in Aged Brass, Perrin & Rowe Large Contoured Knobs in Aged Brass, and Armac Martin Bar Handles for fridge, freezer and wine cabinet. And the Carrara Misterio quartz worktops. Prime location, a light and airy walk-in pantry situated adjacent to the kitchen, enhancing the flow of the cooking and dining routines, is what we have created here. A thoughtful L-shaped layout brings a space that helps our clients quickly select ingredients, appliances, and other essentials and the spectacular views make it a space that feels both luxurious and serene. Our client opted for stylish storage jars to keep ingredients fresh and organised and wicker baskets to add to the rustic charm. These natural materials contrast beautifully with the sleek Carrara Misterio quartz worktops and open shelving, adding depth and character to the pantry design. A perfect blend of entertainment and cooking is just another key element of this space – a modern touch to the otherwise classic kitchen. In the living part of the open-plan space, we designed and built a media wall unit beneath those solid and beautiful wooden beams. Positioned in a way where you can see from the entertaining island, this beautiful feature still allows for all the family to enjoy TV shows altogether, whether cooking, eating or socialising. The media wall is framed with custom cabinetry that blends seamlessly with the rest of the space, keeping it stylish and attractive. The open shelving allows our client to display decorative items that fit in with the overall decor and below cabinetry to conceal other items you may not want to be displayed. We hand-painted the unit in Rolling Fog by Little Greene, a neutral hue that is warm and grounding.

Double Glazed - Sliding Window, Bifold Door & Specialist Windows with ColorBond™ Monument Frame and Black Hardware

This kitchen used an in-frame design with mainly one painted colour, that being the Farrow & Ball Old White. This was accented with natural oak on the island unit pillars and on the bespoke cooker hood canopy. The Island unit features slide away tray storage on one side with tongue and grove panelling most of the way round. All of the Cupboard internals in this kitchen where clad in a Birch veneer. The main Focus of the kitchen was a Mercury Range Cooker in Blueberry. Above the Mercury cooker was a bespoke hood canopy designed to be at the correct height in a very low ceiling room. The sink and tap where from Franke, the sink being a VBK 720 twin bowl ceramic sink and a Franke Venician tap in chrome. The whole kitchen was topped of in a beautiful granite called Ivory Fantasy in a 30mm thickness with pencil round edge profile.

Gareth Gardner

Folding doors are a fantastic way of opening a room and making the most of your garden. Bronze windows set within the timber framework complement the metal windows on the house. The windows are framed internally with decorative pilasters Vale Paint Colour- Exterior Earth, Interior Porcini Size- 10.9M X 6.5M

This is a great photo of the exterior cladding and black framed windows of this cubist home. The floor to ceiling windows on the ground floor enjoy views to the pool on one side of the home and the tennis court on the other. Sarah Wood Photography

ARDH, bathroom

This room plays off a white backdrop against textures, recycled timbers and soft grey accessories. Add the faux fireplace and the room is made for sweet dreams! Photography by Sue Murray - imagineit.net.au

Constructed from Ash and painted in a satin finish, this Baystone shaker in-frame is a range full of character and charm. The use of ‘Calico’ and ‘Mineral’ units make this kitchen feel light and airy. Bespoke colours used in images: Calico & Mineral. See this kitchen on our website http://firstimpressionskitchens.co.uk/bespoke/baystone/

The warm-toned guest bathroom embraces a natural stone feel, demonstrated by the walls clad with Calacatta Gold marble with a striking warmth to the gold veining. The beautiful marble covers ¾ of the luxuriously high ceilings, leaving the area above perfectly painted. The shower area extends the entire width of the bathroom which includes the window. This area is clad in an intricately patterned ceramic tile in gold print supplied by Made A Mano. A bespoke metal frame runs along the edge of the shower screen and between the marble and ceramic tile to provide a clean break between finishes. The window frame is painted in a beautiful black to finish the look. Photography by Richard Waite

A living room painted in Vardo No.288 Estate Emulsion with Shadow White No.282 Estate Eggshell on the window frame.

Bluff House living room looking out to deck and native landscape. Photography: Trevor Mein

Polly Eltes

Beautiful painted tulip in-frame kitchen with granite nero absolute worktops and island unit with oak top. Appliances by Miele.

Luxuriously dark cabinetry, light worktops and walls with a spacious feel - this is a cool take on a classical kitchen design. Custom made for a couple with a keen eye for design, who work hard, know how to relax and absolutely adore their pups. Their kitchen renovation was part of a whole house restoration. With busy careers and two pups the brief highlighted two main aims. Firstly, to create space to enjoy the kitchen, for cooking and relaxing. Secondly, to provide customised storage so that everything has a place to help keep the space tidy. The main kitchen area is where the culinary magic happens with space to unwind. The home bar for gin and wine lovers, includes wine racks, antique mirror, glazed shelves for the gin collection and two fridge drawers for wine and mixers. Designed with pocket doors it can be left open to admire the beautiful bottles, or closed – maybe for Dry January?! It’s positioned cleverly next to their outdoor ‘lounge’ area complete with comfortable chairs and an outside rug. The larder cupboard has spice / oil racks, baskets and boxes at the bottom for treats. There are electrical points inside so the coffee machine is plugged in here and ready to serve that morning espresso. Being able to keep the kitchen tidy was important so we created a ‘home for everything’ using drawers within drawers, an Oak baking tray divider, pan drawers with lid holders and integrated chopping board and tray spaces. The ovens, warming drawer, induction hob and downdraft extractor are positioned together with the plenty of prep worktop space. The cooking section is aligned with the washing area including Fisher and Paykel dishwasher drawers, beautifully glossy white ceramic sink and boiling water tap. With a slim Oak shelf above for displaying favourite things. The Island serves as a breakfast bar as well as a sweet spot for a casual supper. There is a Zebrano wood knife block inset into the Island worktop so that their Global knife collection is on hand for food prep by the hob and oven. The table and chairs are painted in the same colour as the cabinets and upholstered in black and white, with bench seating by the window including drawers for dog toys conveniently by the doors to the garden. The second part of the design is the walk-in butler’s style pantry. This area was designed to keep the kitchen ‘clutter’ out of the main area. And it is a brilliant area to stack all the dirty dishes when entertaining as it’s completely out of sight. The cabinetry is an a classic ‘u’ shape and houses the fridge, freezer, cupboards for large appliances, oversized dishes and one for the mop and bucket. The tall cupboards with bi-fold doors are for food storage, and you can see from the photos that everything is beautifully kept – rice, pasta, popcorn, quinoa all in lovely named jars. It’s an organisers dream come true. There is also a sink for washing vegetables and oodles of prep surface. Colour pallet The cabinetry is hand painted in Farrow and Ball ‘Off-Black’. Dark and inky, it just lures you right in, timeless and deeply refined. With the cabinetry being grand in proportion too, with detailed cornicing it creates a really bold statement in this space. It can be daunting to go for a dark shade of black, blue or green, but you can see the drama of the cabinets is perfectly matched with plenty of natural light, the white walls and warm Oak floor tiles. The white patterned Domus ‘Biscuit’ tiles bring texture and playfulness. The worktop, Caesarstone Ocean Foam, is a white quartz with speckles of grey crystals. In a classic polished finish it lets the rest of the room do the ‘singing’ while providing a clean light reflecting practical surface for preparing and enjoying food and drinks. The floor tiles bring the warmth. No two tiles have the same pattern so they really do look like wood, but are better suited to the pups as they don’t scratch and are non-slip. Lighting Design The slim black framed windows with doors onto the garden flood the kitchen with natural light and warmth during the day. But atmospheric lighting into the evening was important too, so we incorporated custom lighting in the glass cabinet, gin cabinet and pantry. “It is so well integrated and was a really important thing for me, along with all the smart lighting in the room, and Mike did a great job with it all.” It was such a pleasure to make this kitchen. They wanted to work with a local company and we feel so lucky they picked us.

The living room, with flexible furniture arrangements and a concertina window wall leading to the outdoor living deck. Photo by Emma Cross