Lulu Guinness
Crafting innovative kitchens, creating a living art installation for your home
Studio MacLean has created a bespoke harlequin kitchen design for queen of pattern LULU GUINNESS.
When we relocated from London to the Cotswolds in 2021, one of our neighbours turned out to be Lulu Guinness. Years back, Jenny worked on Lulu’s fashion team creating signature prints, bags & accessories, so the timing was just right for us to be back in each others’ orbits. Lulu’s COTSWOLD HOUSE, part of a Grade II-listed, converted Victorian girls’ school, was in a need of a new, bigger kitchen, and something bold & bespoke by Studio MacLean fit the bill.
At our suggestion, the kitchen occupies a prime new location: a former parlour with its original bay window overlooking the garden. The fluted island is HANDMADE OAK fitted all around with cupboards & dovetailed, soft-closing drawers, including hidden storage in the curved sections. The counters & block-shaped island base are solid composite marble imported from Italy.
We looked at 17th-century European painted furniture as a reference & went with the HARLIQUIN design in a rich green. Our idea was to cover the main units in the print, but to break them up with a solid island & solid textural worktop & backsplash. So, although it is patterned, solid elements balance the whole effect.
Green was important to Lulu & it feels right for the building & its surroundings. There are three shades in the harlequin design, which are printed to the let the oak grain show through. TONAL GREENS add depth & are easier on the eye than a single colour & the green paint on the island was custom mixed to match the tones of the harlequin print.
As for durability, a proprietary finish is something we also developed & is well tried & tested. This is added to the panels to ensure they’re able to withstand food splatters, scrubbing & other kitchen wear and tear.
