Kitchen of the Week: The Sustainable Scottish Extension of a Great British Bake-Off Alum

Most doctors don’t have time to make dinner, let alone compete on The Great British Bake Off and publish cookbooks, but James Morton somehow does it all.

On top of these dual careers, he and his wife Fenella Barlow-Pay (who’s also a doctor!) DIY-ed much of their historic Glasgow home renovation. The couple worked with sustainability-focused architecture firm Loader Monteith to take the Edwardian terrace house off gas, build an energy-efficient kitchen/dining/playroom extension, and secure the neighborhood’s first-ever approval for roof solar panels—but they tackled a lot of the labor themselves. “Doing much of the work ourselves was hard and at times difficult to manage with two full-time jobs and two small children, but it was also rewarding, and we’ve picked up lots of new skills along the way,” says Fenella.

Let’s take a look at this baker’s heart of the home: the kitchen.

Photography by Jim Stephenson.

Above: James and Fenella wanted to prove that traditional terrace houses—which make up a quarter of the UK’s building stock—can be sustainable. Their late-19th-century home features a historic red sandstone facade like any other, but it functions like a thoroughly modern structure, with breathable wood fiber insulation they installed themselves. “We’re proud that we managed to achieve an EPC rating of A in a period home,” James says. “We really feel the benefits of the sustainability elements, as we are very cozy and warm—and our energy bills are low.” Above: In the back, the couple asked Loader Monteith to design a two-part corten steel and burnt larch extension that made use of the existing 1970s addition. “We love how the black of the larch brings out the warmth in the rusted steel,” says Fenella. “And charring the wood [which they did themselves!] gave us the aesthetic we wanted while protecting it without using paint or varnish.” Above: Large sliding doors open into the dining area, where cleverly placed glazing and built-in benches make for a bright, comfortable gathering spot. “A high level window above head heights makes sure that direct morning sunlight comes into the space,” says Loader Monteith cofounder Matt Loader. “The elevation at the end sits on the axis of the kitchen, giving you views into the heart of the garden, with screening that pops up from the planter.” Above: The other side of the room is James’s dream kitchen, expertly laid out by Loader Monteith. “Must-haves for us were a big, sociable island, two integrated ovens, and a coffee station,” he says. “We wanted the worktop to feel relatively clutter-free, which meant a boiling water tap, a designated place for coffee machines and grinders, and having the main bread-making equipment in the utility room. A proving drawer was never really on the agenda—the hot water tank cupboard is very warm!” Above: Fenella utilized 3D modeling software and a CNC machine from her father’s boat building company to design and cut the birch plywood cabinetry herself. The cupboards are finished with dark India ink that allows the wood grain to peek through. Above: Along the back wall, a copper counter and backsplash will patina over time. Above: “The island itself is a solid state material, which is good for kneading breads on,” says Matt. Above: Open storage displays cookbooks and glassware. The floors are made of microcement that James poured himself. Above: An original sandstone wall, which once belonged to the exterior, has been transformed to accommodate a double-sided wood-burning stove between the kitchen and the playroom. “There’s lots of people with climate anxiety who don’t really know what they can do about it,” says Matt. “We wanted this house to be an opportunity to signpost to anybody, from an enthusiastic DIYer and up, what might be possible with a very ubiquitous house.” Above: The couple can watch their daughters play while they’re in the kitchen. “The whole kitchen/dining/snug space works so well for us as a family,” Fenella says. Above: The strong connection to the garden facilitates lots of togetherness outside, too.