In a historic house focused on antiques, this white kitchen island quietly rocks.
English merchant and designer Jasper Conran (menswear, women’s wear, home goods) wrote a book about country life in 2010. Pictures of his own historically important (18th century, natch) country house, Ven, were published just this month. The focus was on the glorious yellow living room and amazing antiques but leave it to me to focus on the kitchen where I found a unique island and other juicy bits.
What fascinates me about the island is its two faces. The cooking side faces the sink wall and boasts a gas cooktop. It has a closed back with decorative beaded board. The side adjacent to the dining table is an open gallery with a typical English kitchen pot-storage shelf on the bottom and charming architectural columns used as supports for the top. The apron houses a trio of shallow drawers (likely for cutlery). One detail that’s loaded with personality is the fancy architectural cut-out below the drawers (usually that apron bottom is straight). The entire island is topped with radius-edge wood counter. Unpainted natural wood drawer knobs match the top and two of the window casements and shutters.
Also notable at the kitchen sink are a pair of hot and cold brass pillar taps (which appear to be antique) alongside a modern cold-water filter faucet. The sink is mounted in marble. A shelf below the sink-wall windows provide a great spot for plants. But it’s the simplicity and the individuality of the island that makes the kitchen so distinctive.
