This is probably a familiar tale: The space next to the stove in the kitchen is the only reliably warm spot in the house and is vital as the centre of my working day if I want to be able to feel my fingers. And with life revolving around the kitchen table it inevitably spreads out to the surrounding surfaces too. Once the remains of breakfast are cleared and the day’s ‘to do’ list is summoned the kitchen becomes a workshop.
For me the space is predominantly an art studio these days (the new products of which have just launched on my website). One day i’d like to ease the rest of the family out into an alternative kitchen space so that I can claim this particular workshop for myself. Of course i’d keep the stove and the sink’s vital too so it’d probably remain much as it is - these days most houses have more than one loo, why not multiple kitchens?
A modern functioning kitchen is so much more than a cooking space. For us it’s a seedling nursery; a potting shed; an art studio; an office; a repair shop; a dumping ground; a photographic studio; a sewing room and a dining space.
Its surfaces need to be able to be treated rough and scrubbed hard. Its finishes need to be robust. This is life’s workshop so i’d rather it look and function like a workshop, that way I can relax and lay down my paint brush, or my tea, or my hammer, without fear of leaving a mark. Sometimes when we make kitchens we go so far as to make those marks from the outset - brand new worktop - throw some red wine at it, scrub it hard and leave it raw - that way you need never worry about leaving that first mark. Instead you can relax and let the space work hard for you whatever trade you need it to contain.
Kitchen table art now available online at www.ridgeandfurrow.co.uk/shop