Undeterred by a dated kitchen, Alice Walsh created an open-plan space that’s a joy to spend time in
Feature Laurie Davidson Photos David Giles
Christmas is a special time for us and we love having family and friends over, so creating a space to entertain in was important when we bought this house. It took a while as it was in a terrible state, with live wires hanging down and polystyrene tiles stuck to the downstairs ceilings. It looked like nothing had been touched since the Seventies!
Despite that, I could see past the rotten carpets and tired décor and had a vision of transforming the house. Before we moved in, we applied for planning permission to create a big downstairs extension, which was approved and took around four months to complete, giving us a large kitchen, dining and living space. We added bi-fold doors along the back of the room so that in the summer, the room can be fully opened up to the outside, while in the winter we can enjoy views out to the garden.
I had my heart set on a navy blue kitchen with gold handles and marble worktops and we looked at nearly every high street kitchen brand before finding one from Magnet that worked perfectly. We worked with a Magnet designer to plan the space and then bought our sink and appliances separately. My dad painted the room and we chose a white shade to keep the space light. We had to work within a tight budget, so I couldn’t get the real marble worktop I wanted, but it’s on our list to update them further down the line.
At Christmas, I put up my beloved Cox & Cox tree as the centrepiece of the room and decorate it with lots of fairy lights. I’m so proud we’ve created a home that we love, but also one that our friends and family enjoy spending time in, too.
My problem kitchen
This room was a galley layout to begin with, along the side where the dining table is. It was very old – as was the whole interior of the house �
