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The Nazeing Country House
Nazeing, Essex
The Nazeing Country House is a bespoke classic in-frame Shaker kitchen designed by Bridger Bespoke for a grand country house in Nazeing, Essex, featuring twin natural-oak islands, walk-in pantry and utility, hand-painted in Little Greene Rolling Fog with Carrara Misterio quartz worktops.
A grand open-plan country kitchen in Nazeing featuring twin natural oak islands at its heart, designed to merge timeless country charm with modern luxury. The space encompasses a walk-in pantry, utility room and bespoke media wall, all finished in Little Greene Rolling Fog with aged brass accents throughout.
The kitchen spans a fully renovated ground floor where exposed wooden beams and large glass doors dissolve the boundary between interior and garden. A smaller working island houses preparation and recycling, while the larger curved island seats six and anchors the social heart of the room. Natural oak cabinetry, Carrara Misterio quartz surfaces, and a cream AGA beneath an exposed brick arch complete a scheme that feels both contemporary and deeply rooted in its setting.
Kitchen Details
- Cabinetry StyleClassic In-Frame Shaker with natural oak islands
- Colour PaletteLittle Greene Rolling Fog with natural oak accents
- WorktopsCarrara Misterio Quartz throughout
- HandlesPerrin & Rowe Shell handles in aged brass
- Range CookerCream classic AGA (converted gas to all-electric)
- Sink & TapShaws Double Bowl with Perrin & Rowe Ionian in aged brass
- RefrigerationSamsung built-in fridge & freezer; Liebherr wine cabinet
- DishwashersTwo Miele fully integrated dishwashers
The Brief
A grand country house in Nazeing was being renovated as the family's forever home. The kitchen, informal dining and living spaces had been opened up into a single zone. The brief was to draw cabinetry that proportioned this larger volume, treated the natural oak structure as part of the architecture and supported the way the family entertain.
Design Response
The kitchen sits within the open volume with two distinct islands rather than one. The smaller square island is the working face: Franke built-in sink, Quooker Classic Fusion Square in patinated brass, integrated recycling. The larger rectangular island carries a gently curved end with bar seating for six, an S-Box pop-up socket, bespoke cutlery and utensil drawers, deep pan drawers, and curved end cabinetry. The two islands give the room two readings, one for cooking and one for gathering.
The architectural anchor is the AGA. A cream classic 30-year-old AGA, repurposed from gas to all-electric, is set into an exposed brick wall at the centre of the cooking elevation. The brick wall is the visible reminder that the house is a period country property; the AGA is the working heart that has come with the family. The cabinetry frames both rather than competes with either.
The wider room reads in two timber tones. The two islands and the dresser are built in natural oak so the central run of the room ties into the exposed wooden beams overhead. The perimeter cabinetry, walk-in pantry, utility room and media wall are all hand-painted in Little Greene Rolling Fog, a soft muted neutral that lets the oak read as the principal material. Carrara Misterio quartz carries through every worktop in the project, including the dresser and the walk-in pantry cold shelf, so a single horizontal datum connects the rooms.
Detail Focus
Twin islands in natural oak
A 30-year-old AGA framed in exposed brick is the visible centre of gravity; twin natural-oak islands divide the function. The smaller working island carries the prep sink and the Quooker Classic Fusion Square in patinated brass; the larger socialising island carries six bar seats around a curved end. Both islands are drawn in matched natural oak so the centre of the room reads as a single piece of cabinetry making a deliberate proportional statement against the exposed beams above.
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Materials Palette
- Cabinetry style
- Classic in-frame Shaker, hand-painted on site for the perimeter and finished as natural oak for the two islands and the dresser.
- Cabinetry paint
- Little Greene Rolling Fog on perimeter, walk-in pantry, utility and media wall.
- Oak finish
- Natural European oak on both islands and the dresser, finished to bring out the grain.
- Worktop
- Carrara Misterio quartz, carried through kitchen, dresser, pantry cold shelf and utility.
- Range cooker
- Cream classic AGA, originally gas, converted to all-electric. Set into an exposed brick wall surround.
- Prep sink and tap
- Franke built-in sink with Quooker Classic Fusion Square boiling-water tap, in patinated brass.
- Main sink area
- Shaws Double Bowl sink, with Perrin & Rowe Ionian mixer tap with rinse and a Perrin & Rowe freestanding soap dispenser, all in aged brass.
- Cold storage
- Integrated Samsung fridge and freezer, paired with a Liebherr Wine Storage Cabinet in a freestanding cabinetry unit.
- Dishwashers
- Two Miele fully integrated, side by side beneath the main sink run.
- Pantry appliance
- Samsung built-in grill microwave housed in the walk-in pantry.
- Utility laundry
- Stacked Miele washing machine and dryer; Shaws Butler sink with Perrin & Rowe Ionian mixer tap in aged brass.
- Handles
- Perrin & Rowe Shell handles and Large Contoured Knobs in aged brass on perimeter cabinetry. Armac Martin Bar Handles in aged brass on fridge, freezer and wine cabinet.
Every Bridger Bespoke kitchen is drawn from scratch in response to the architecture of the room. There is no catalogue. There are no ranges. The cabinetry is engineered and built entirely in our own workshop in Bishop’s Stortford.
Highlights of This Kitchen
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Dual Oak Islands
Two statement kitchen islands crafted in natural oak - a square working island with integrated sink, and a larger socialising island with curved end seating six guests.
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Repurposed Heritage AGA
The client's cherished 30-year-old cream AGA was converted from gas to all-electric and repositioned as the kitchen's focal point against an exposed brick wall.
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L-Shaped Walk-In Pantry
A generously proportioned L-shaped pantry with open shelving, Carrara Misterio quartz worktops and scenic countryside views.
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Bespoke Media Wall
A handcrafted media unit in Rolling Fog with open shelving and concealed lower storage, positioned beneath original wooden beams.
Frequently asked questions
Why two islands rather than a single larger one?
A single oversized island would dominate the room and reduce the flexibility of the open-plan space. Two islands give the kitchen two readings: a working island for prep with the Franke sink and Quooker tap, and a socialising island with a curved end and bar seating for six. Both are built in matched natural oak so they read as a single piece of cabinetry.
Was the existing AGA retained in the renovation?
Yes. The 30-year-old cream classic AGA was repurposed from gas to all-electric and set into an exposed brick wall surround that became the architectural focal point of the cooking elevation. Retaining the AGA tied the new kitchen to the family's previous home while updating its services for the new property.
What materials connect the kitchen with the walk-in pantry, utility and media wall?
A single paint, Little Greene Rolling Fog, carries through the perimeter cabinetry, walk-in pantry, utility room and media wall. Carrara Misterio quartz is used as worktop throughout. The shared palette gives the four rooms a single design language while letting each space respond to its own function.
This project was crafted in our own workshop by The Handmade Kitchen Company.