Building the hearth

Most kitchens are hidden at the back. We wanted the opposite — the hearth at the centre, the pass open, the fire visible from most of the room. Warmth you can see is a different kind of hospitality.

The build took longer than it should have. A wood hearth needs proper extraction, the right brick, and a mason who understands that heat moves in its own ways. We got it wrong twice before it drew the way we wanted.

Now it's the first thing you notice and the last thing you forget.