'The Brits Do It the Best in Their Kitchens' – Inside an Eclectic English Country-Inspired Kitchen Designed to Feel Collected, Not Cluttered
From custom storage to antique finds and soft design, Basic Projects has transformed this kitchen into the eclectic room the clients dreamed of. Here's how
A kitchen thrives when filled with collected pieces. From furniture to ceramics, the mix of styles and designs adds a homey quality and a reflection of the homeowner's personality, creating a room that feels relaxed and lived-in, rather than simply functional.
As avid collectors, this charming kitchen had to reflect the client's love of hand-thrown ceramics, eclectic style, and antique finds, yet still feel edited and functional for day-to-day life. That balance has been achieved in unexpected ways, including elements of custom storage, thoughtful pattern choices, and the sprinkling of vintage style.
But this neutral kitchen shows that an eclectic approach doesn't mean cluttered or overfilled. Every element in the room was designed with a careful balance of pretty and practical, and every piece added with absolute intention. The result? A truly timeless kitchen that will never get old.
Embrace Storage That Holds and Displays Joyful Pieces
If you love collecting antique plates that are beyond using for dinner, displaying them on your kitchen walls is a lovely way to keep them on show and add vintage style.
While kitchen storage is an incredibly practical element of a design, it can also be an aesthetic one. Instead of sticking to classic kitchen cabinets throughout a space, breaking them up with custom builds not only creates a unique space, but also opens up opportunities to mix closed and open storage.
Here, a custom built-in hutch sits on the far wall, featuring a long plate rack, an open shelf, and the main kitchen sink. It blends storage with beautiful display opportunities, all while introducing a more historic charm to the design. It's practical, yet stands out as a beautiful design moment within the kitchen.
'I think this is the best way to show so many beautiful patterns and colors while being practical,' says Kate Towill, Co-Founder and Creative Director of Basic Projects. 'All these items they use every day! I love that. I hate when people have 'china that only comes out once a year' – beautiful things are meant to be used and celebrated!'
Use an Island to Add Warmth, Vintage Style, and Functional Workspace
Charming bobbin stools in the same dark wood finish give the sense that they are part of the island, rather than another decorative detail fighting for attention.
A large, built-in island has many benefits, but it can also make a kitchen feel smaller and, in this kitchen's case, create a modern feature that takes away from the more traditional, collected look. But Kate found the most characterful alternative. 'I love a found piece for an island; honestly, the Brits do it the best in their kitchens. We wanted something that stood out and felt elevated yet still worn,' she explains.
The wood adds a heavy dose of warmth to the neutral space, and ties in beautifully with the ceiling beams and doors leading to adjoining rooms. The freestanding, prep-table style is much more open, creating a sense of more space. But it also adds extra drawer storage and plenty of surface space. 'This piece had to be hardworking too,' Kate adds. 'We worked with a local cabinet maker to create this custom piece – I love how it turned out.'
Invest in Kitchen Flooring That Feels Truly Timeless
Scale is crucial for a patterned kitchen floor to feel elevated. Here, the black diamond tiles between the white marble ones were carefully chosen to feel classic yet not too busy.
It's easy to overlook kitchen flooring ideas. Simple, neutral slabs or classic wooden flooring have become go-to options for a blend of traditional style and functional design. But sometimes – especially in a neutral kitchen – choosing flooring that adds interest and texture is the difference between a nice and truly elegant scheme.
'This tile was a real effort, but I love how it turned out. We wanted the proportions to be just right, and it had to feel old,' Kate explains. 'We found a maker in Turkey to do our exact dimensions and a properly tumbled white and black marble so it felt old and lived-in. If an octagon and dot is too large, it can feel too grand and not cozy like this one.'
Give Your Kitchen Seating the Living Room Treatment
The seating Kate chose works because it's tall enough for casual dining, yet soft enough that it can be used to relax and curl up in the evenings.
The kitchen has once again become the heart of the home, but if you're going to spend more time in these rooms, you'll need comfortable seating – something that invites you to sit and linger long after the cooking is done. In this kitchen, a charming seating space in front of one of the grand windows maximizes comfort, featuring an upholstered love seat, two mini armchairs, and an antique table that adds character in abundance.
'I really love some soft seating in a kitchen; another design element I think the Brits do so well. It creates informality in the kitchen and really makes you want to cozy up for a morning coffee or glass of wine while your partner cooks,' Kate notes. 'I love these pieces from Nickey Kehoe. We also used outdoor fabric on the settee to be extra practical – these clients have young kids and a dog; it’s important nothing feels off limits!'
Take a Collected Approach to Decor for a Lived-In Feel
At first glance, the open storage reads as an area for display, but a closer look shows it's also used for glassware and mugs used daily – they are much easier to grab from a shelf or peg rail.
One of this kitchen's greatest successes is the way storage has been utilized to double as decor. There is plenty of closed cabinetry to keep the space tidy and clutter-free, but the small moments of open storage allow collected ceramics to become display pieces, enjoyed every day, rather than just on special occasions. And it works because the pieces were genuinely found over time, rather than bought in one go.
'We did just that; we collected so many different things we all loved,' Kate recalls. It became an important part of the design process, but also one of the most enjoyable. 'I took the clients to Round Top with me and we found some beautiful pieces like the large display cabinet and the marble table base. We also worked with my talented friend at PORTA to curate all the beautiful plate-ware/bowls on the shelves!'
Quick Tips
Wall lights and framed art show up throughout the kitchen, further adding that lived-in, collected feel the clients love so much.
- Create storage that balances function and style
- Make an island work harder – both for practical needs and visual appeal
- Make sure you choose a floor tile that elevates your design, rather than disappearing into the background
- Take the time to add comfortable seating. It makes a noticeable difference to the usability of your kitchen
- Put your favorite kitchenware on display so it can be enjoyed even when it's not in use
Collected and characterful have become buzzwords in recent kitchen trends, but neither of these things are design styles or aesthetics – they are a way of approaching a design. This kitchen truly nails the balance. It's a hardworking room that functions seamlessly for day-to-day life, but those small elements of custom storage and attention to cozy details make a huge difference. 'This kitchen had to be as practical and hard-wearing as it was beautiful,' Kate affirms. 'All the best design is, in my eyes.'
Shop the Look
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