Octavia Dickinson is one of those designers who captures the English aesthetic perfectly. She creates homes that have been decorated but without that box fresh feel. Instead, they feel lived in and collected. Her London home was featured in House & Garden in 2020. As they put it, 'Octavia Dickinson has achieved a very clever trick: she has conjured up a country house in the middle of London.' What a trick, one that I am all too keen to see more of. So it was a thrill when Octavia agreed to take part in 'Get It Together' and provide us with one hell of a kitchen scheme.
Kitchens need to be very practical, but I like to furnish them with as much life and interest as I would a Sitting room or Bedroom. Joinery usually takes up the majority of the room, so I like to design bespoke joinery, and for this scheme, I would commission the wonderful decorative painter Tess Newall to paint the cupboards in a Swedish antique effect with stencil design to make it feel like it has been there for a long time. I have sourced an antique Spanish Refectory table with upholstered chairs in our new Oscar gingham fabric – hardy and patterned so it hides any grubby hand marks! Kitchens need to be softened as there are a lot of hard surfaces, so I like to have large, thick curtains, and these ones are in our Amara fabric, and other textures such as these vintage wicker bar stools and fabric lampshades.
As lighting is so important, as well as some task lighting (I like to use spotlights from Phos lighting, which give a wonderful architectural light), I have chosen this Howe Tubular steel pendant to go over the table, a Vaughan lamp with a bespoke red linen concertina shade to sit on one of the worktops, and some antique wall sconces that I would hang either side of the fireplace, as you need some candlelight.
I also like to display some of the more beautiful china and glass in a kitchen, and this Jamb pantry shelving rack is perfect for just this.
(Links To All Products Below)
Clockwise from the Top
Chandelier Over The Table - Tubular Steel Chandelier, Howe
Curtains - Amara - Cream, Octavia Dickinson
Bar Stools Around The Island - Pair of Wicker Stools, Octavia Dickinson
Table - Oak Dining Table Basque Spanish Renaissance Revival Refectory Midcentury, Vinterior
Flooring - Aged Textured Vintage Oak. Broadleaf
Pot Filler - Pot Filler with Crosstop Handles, Perrin & Rowe (Octavia chose Aged Brass, but we couldn't find a picture of it in aged brass; please use your imagination)
Aga - Electric With Warming Plate (Cream)
Joinery - Painted in Tess Newall's Design
Fireplace - Large English Portland Stone Fireplace, Lassco
Sconces - Pair of Early 20th Century Brass Sconces, Tat London
Sink - Double Shaker Sink, deVOL
Taps - Deck-Mounted Ionian with Lever Handles, Perrin & Rowe (Again, Aged Brass)
Chair - The Grange Chair, Soane - Upholstered in - Oscar, Gingham by Octavia Dickinson
Lamp - Hyde Candlestick Table Lamp, Vaughan
Lampshade - Concertina Lampshade, Octavia Dickinson
Pantry Rack - Pantry Rack, Jamb
Wallpaper - Wild Tulip Wallpaper – Original, Soane