It was our Remodelista friend Megan Wilson who tipped us off to Inglis Hall, a new-to-us kitchen maker based in East Sussex, England. The company was founded in 2013 by woodworker Toby Hall, who over the course of a two-year residential project that involved 10 carpenters building the frame, the kitchen, and all the wardrobes (basically every woodworking element in the house), discovered that he had a knack for combining traditional cabinet-making with contemporary design.
Today, Inglis Hall continues to create bespoke timber features for every room of the house, from staircases to closets, but it’s their kitchens that interest us—in particular, this one set in a grand 17th-century Queen Anne manor house on the rural outskirts of Lewes. The clients “are a large, very social family with multiple generations under one roof, and with many relatives and friends visiting on almost constant rotation. The kitchen is a hub of activity and certainly the most crucial space in this residence, with rarely less than a dozen for dinner each night,” says Peter Spence, Inglis Hall’s head of design.
“We were keen to produce a design that was sympathetic and fitting for the property, and yet truly represented the individual character of our clients,” he continues.
We think they nailed it. While the cabinets and materials are traditional, the palette chosen for the room—a surprising mix of drabware hues and bright dashes of color—feels fresh and full of personality.
Ready to see for yourself?
Photography by Leigh Simpson, courtesy of Inglis Hall.
Above: Aside from the impeccably crafted cabinets, it’s the color palette chosen for the space that stands out. “We worked with our good friend Simon Marchand, from Marchand Son here in Lewes, for all of the paints on this project,” says Peter. (For more on the brand, see Color Makes People Happy.) “On the walls we chose ‘Prosthetic Limb,’ with ‘Beige by Any Other Name’ for the main kitchen cabinets and the island, and then ‘That Guy Will Never Make It Selling Those Shoes’ for the large walk-in larder and the sideboard. Finally, there was ‘Smart Tony,’ which was used in high gloss for the window frames and doors leading off from the kitchen.”
Above: The stools are from Inglis Hall’s Laine’s Collection, their first furniture collection. “The stools come in band-sawn English oak or a range of hand-painted colors to order. On this occasion, color was appropriate!” says Peter. “The narrow slots next to the refrigerator house a series of dovetailed oak trays for sending snacks and meals out to the lawn or throughout the house.”
Above: The countertops are ‘Topus’ quartz Caesarstone. The refrigerator is Fisher & Paykel’s fully integrated RS90A1 with stainless-steel doors.
Above: “We paired Perrin & Rowe’s Ionian faucet in aged brass with Quooker’s traditional boiling water tap, which we had refinished to match the aged brass of the main tap,” Peter says. The stove is an Everhot range.
Above: French doors lead to the walk-in pantry. The flooring is honed York slate.
Above: The sideboard features Carrara marble. The glass doors here lead to the garden room, which was also designed and built by Inglis Hall.
Above: “These are beautiful copies of antique handles in solid brass and with a lovely soft patina,” says Peter.
Above: Peter’s favorite part of the project is this drinks cabinet: “The kitchen is partially divided into two spaces: the main kitchen and an informal seating area around a large fireplace. This is where a little drinks station with a Carrara stone worktop, painted tongue-and-groove paneling, wrap-around shelves with corbel brackets, oak-fronted drawers, and open wine racks all sit behind two three-quarter height doors.”
For more kitchens with pretty palettes, see:
- Kitchen of the Week: A ‘Dreamiest Dream Kitchen’ in Yorkshire, England
- A New and Noteworthy Paint Collection from Plain English + Designer Rita Konig
- Steal This Look: A Plaster Pink Kitchen in Bath, England
N.B.: This story originally appeared on March 26, 2020 and has been updated.
