Duck End Barns
by Nicholas Anthony

Nicholas Anthony has completed a striking kitchen project at Duck End Barns, a Passivhaus Premium home in the Cambridgeshire village of Dry Drayton, delivering a space that combines architectural precision, sustainability and everyday functionality.

Designed as part of a pioneering residence that consumes less energy than it produces, the kitchen sits at the heart of a home built around advanced environmental principles. With highly insulated construction, triple glazed windows, mechanical ventilation with heat recovery and an integrated renewable energy strategy, the property provided a unique context for Nicholas Anthony to create a kitchen that reflected both innovation and longevity.

Material selection was guided by durability, clarity and architectural harmony. Nicholas Anthony combined black oak cabinetry with bronzed copper toned door fronts that reference the home’s structural steel elements. A dramatic four metre island, finished in ultra hard wearing sintered stone, appears to float within the room thanks to concealed steel supports and serves as the visual centrepiece of the design.

Further details, including integrated downdraft extraction, a concealed breakfast area and a waist height dishwasher, demonstrate Nicholas Anthony’s commitment to usability without compromising aesthetics. The result is a sophisticated kitchen where complexity is carefully hidden from view, creating a space that feels effortless, refined and perfectly aligned with the sustainable ambitions of the wider home.