‘it’s a space designed for family life’

CONTEMPORARY RECONFIGURATION

TWO-TONE APPEAL The couple chose a classic, wooden in-frame-style kitchen for its timeless appeal and durability, opting for a soft green paint for the cabinetry and a chalky white for the island to subtly contrast. This is complemented by brass hardware and pops of colour from Claire’s vintage ceramics, and herringbone-style flooring underfoot, which works with the period of the house

WHAT DIDN’T YOU LIKE ABOUT YOUR ORIGINAL KITCHEN?

The old layout just didn’t work. The cooker faced away from the seating area, which meant I had my back to people while I was cooking, and with only a fireplace, set of French doors and radiator positioned on the other side of the room, there was a lot of unused space. All the cabinetry was on one side, and although it was good quality, it was dark with stainless-steel fittings, which didn’t reflect our personal style.

HOW DID YOU GO ABOUT DESIGNING THE NEW LAYOUT?

We meticulously planned it, making sure all the elements we wanted would work in the space. Our kitchen company, Symphony Kitchens, helped with the technical details and were able to draw up designs based on our ideas. These were tweaked and adjusted until we were completely happy with everything.

WAS THERE ANY STRUCTURAL WORK REQUIRED?

We relocated the entrance to the kitchen from the hallway and created an extra-wide doorway, to give us a clear line of vision from the front door right to the back of the house. We then moved the French doors and windows to opposite sides of the space. The shape of the room was uneven, so we also blocked off a section, which is now our cloakroom, to create a more rectangular space to work with.

WHAT WAS ON YOUR LIST OF MUST-HAVES?

A large peninsular unit, a seating area overlooking the garden, and a breakfast cupboard where I could hide away some of the countertop equipment were at the top of the list, and we built the rest of the kitchen around these. We had a large island in our last kitchen renovation, and knew how incredibly useful it was.

HOW DID YOU DECIDE ON THE COLOUR SCHEME?

I’d always wanted a green kitchen, and although I’d have loved a rich, deep green, it would have been too dark for the room. Looking at softer shades, I eventually settled on an elegant heritage green from Laura Ashley for the wall cabinetry and a chalky white for the island and peninsula, with white Dekton worktops. This helped lighten the spa