Decorating & Design
This Fairytale English Kitchen Is Both Contemporary And Whimsical
Updated on December 22, 2021

Frieda Gormley and Javvy Royle are the founders of quirky British interiors company House of Hackney. The husband-and-wife team moved to Castle Trematon in Cornwall, which has exotic heated gardens full of banana trees and Indian pools, fruit orchards and Victorian greenhouses that are beautifully wild. They enlisted the help of British firm deVOL to help create a suitably whimsical kitchen that really captured our imagination.

It’s not often a kitchen is described as “fantastical,” but when it’s set in a real castle, you can be forgiven for going over the top. And let’s be real, this kitchen combines romance, grandeur and a beautiful sense of whimsy.

In addition to designing projects in New York and England, Frieda and Javvy offer a line of colorful accessories such as pillows, wallpaper, fabrics and rugs on their website.

They partnered with deVOL to create this stunning kitchen, which features an Italian cooker with bespoke copper hood as the centerpiece. The dark original parquet floor is accented by moody handmade Zellige tiles on the backsplash.

The new deVOL Dairy Table is a handmade piece with deep drawers and a marble worktop. The inspiration for the table was taken from Lanhydrock House, a Victorian estate just a few miles down the road from Trematon. Striped drapes and matching lampshades inject a soft romance.

To break up the rich tiles and wallpaper, orderly stacked uppers offer a calming visual counterpoint and plenty of storage.

The scenic wallpaper by House of Hackney is inspired by French tapestry, and creates a classic, traditional mood in this entry.

Layering patterns establishes a historic feeling in this butler’s pantry nook.
Courtesy deVOL
House of Hackney