Grand Designs stars Zara and Giuliano moved from Reading to the Lincolnshire countryside to build their dream home, inspired by the charm of a traditional Malthouse. At the heart of their sprawling property, lies a striking kitchen featuring Caesarstone 5820 Darcrest worktops, which extend into a waterfall-edge island and a slab splashback, adding both elegance and durability to the space.
After finishing their ambitious renovation, we’ve asked the couple to discuss their remarkable design journey – sharing why Caesarstone surfaces make the perfect foundation for their favourite room in the house and offering top tips for aspiring do-it-yourselfers.
Since completing your kitchen, how have you been using the space?
ZARA: We spend a lot of time in the kitchen – probably 90%. So, it’s not just for cooking! Since completing the home, we have been able to have our friends and family over to entertain, which is something that we were never able to do comfortably in our previous house. We love having the space to cook whilst entertaining, especially with our hob situated on the main island, facing the breakfast bar, and looking out into the room. It’s a highly sociable layout.
GIULIANO: It’s a very comfortable space, designed to be an open plan kitchen-diner. This means neither of us are hidden away cooking whilst everyone else is enjoying themselves in the dining room. The layout allows everyone to connect (even whilst slaving over a stove!), which is a wonderful thing.
Tell us about the overall look and feel of the kitchen, and why you opted for this aesthetic?
ZARA: When it came to designing the kitchen, we thought about the atmosphere in some of our favourite restaurants. Almost all of them had a dark and romantic candlelit ambiance. There were no extreme white lights or surfaces as they are designed to create a very relaxing and soothing effect – to facilitate comfortable conversation. That’s where the inspiration for our dark and moody kitchen came from. We wanted to emulate that beautiful look and feel.
GIULIANO: There’s plenty of natural light in the space so we were confident we could successfully offset that with darker colours, without overwhelming the space. We also incorporated some of our family heritage (Singapore and Kenya) into the kitchen, bringing in zen greenery to soften the room and dark wood accents, inspired by African artifacts.
Cohesive with the rest of our home, the kitchen is filled with warming, earthy colours and textures. For example, the feature brick wall connects to the history of the building and adds a beautiful tactility to the room. It gives a comforting and relaxed feel to the space, which is necessary, as we spend so much time there.
Tell us about your chosen Caesarstone surface and why this particular design complements the finished space?
ZARA: We chose 5820 Darcrest kitchen surfaces which feature a mysteriously dark earthy base, enriched by a veil of organic ochres and brownish greens running throughout. It has a honed finish which gives a beautiful non-reflective sheen.
During the design phase, we found that this moody, dark design complemented and enhanced our material palette – helping to tie it all together. Caesarstone forms the waterfall island, the splashback, and all the worktops, playing such a significant role in the overall look and feel of the space.
GIULIANO: We use the surface every day to cook, as it’s a high-traffic, working kitchen first and foremost. We love that Caesarstone is so durable. Having a surface that’s resistant to scratches, stains, and heat is integral to our lifestyle and was a critical factor in our decision-making. The honed finish not only pairs beautifully with the other materials throughout the space, but it prevents fingerprints, streaks and smudge marks – which is a dream.
People are often intimidated by and apprehensive when it comes to choosing a dark worktop. What is your advice for those considering a darker surface for their kitchen?
ZARA: We found that there were certainly much fewer dark surfaces available on the market – bright, white veined surfaces tend to be the norm. If you find yourself drawn to darker kitchens and worktops, do some research online. Look at magazines and social media, and pull together some Pinterest mood boards to get a feel for the look you want to achieve. There are varying levels of ‘dark’ and so it’s a good idea to determine how bold you want to be. Caesarstone really stands out in this area, offering a range of sophisticated dark surfaces to suit different tastes and spaces.
GIULIANO: Consider the lighting within your space. With darker rooms and surfaces, light doesn’t reflect as easily. It’s prudent to think about both natural and artificial lighting options to prevent a dreary, enclosed look. It might be that you must increase the openings of windows and doors, to allow more sunlight into the room.
Additionally, it’s very easy to follow trends. In our opinion, this isn’t the most sensible approach. If dark kitchens are your thing, then that’s great. But if not, that’s also great! It’s important to design your home, and your kitchen in particular, in a way that brings you joy – regardless of what’s in fashion. Design it for yourself, not to impress or please others. That way, it’ll never go out of style.
How has your experience with your Caesarstone worktop been since its installation?
ZARA: The experience with our Caesarstone worktop has been an absolute pleasure. It’s created a striking, elegant look with easy maintenance. The surfaces are really easy to keep clean and remain looking brand new with a simple wipe down after messy cooking.
Your house is based on a 19th century malthouse. How did you balance creating a modern, liveable home whilst also honouring the history of the site?
GIULIANO: Our goal was to create a luxurious and comfortable home with a modern yet warm feel. We didn’t try to make the building something it isn’t. After all, it’s a newly constructed house. However, we did pay homage to malthouse-style architecture.
For example, all the bricks we used were handmade in a traditional manner, then tumbled to ‘age’ them. In the kitchen, we created a brick feature wall – adding a sense of continuity between the interior and exterior. Malthouses would have typically had brick walls internally and including this as a design feature in the modern kitchen worked beautifully.
ZARA: We also obtained a copy of a historical site map from 1889 which we framed and put in the entrance hallway. Celebrating this as art is a nod to the building's history and heritage, which we felt was very important.
Looking back on the entire renovation, what would you say was the most rewarding and exciting part of the process, and what proved to be the biggest challenge?
ZARA: As we reflect, the most rewarding and exciting part of the project was how much we learnt. Through the challenges, we picked up a ton of new skills along the way. We really threw ourselves in at the deep end, often learning as we went, and making plenty of mistakes along the way. It was great fun to do that together.
GIULIANO: Construction is so different from what we both do on a day-to-day basis. The biggest challenge was not only the physicality of the project, and how tiring it was, but also the technicality. We had to think critically about solving problems in the correct manner – with no prior building experience or expertise to refer to.
After completing your dream home, what key advice would you give to others looking to do the same?
ZARA: Just go for it! Getting over the idea of potential failure and being afraid to start is the first step. Next, plan, plan, plan… and then plan some more before you even think about getting started. And even then, expect things to still go wrong! Don’t get too disheartened when they do, it’s inevitable, and part of the journey – you’ll learn a lot along the way.
GIULIANO: Try to stay true to your creative vision. Always keep in mind your end goal and fixate on that when things get tough. The hard work and sacrifice will all be worth it in the end when your dream home comes to fruition.
You can see more of Giuliano and Zara’s dream home on @thefoxesmaltings on Instagram.
