DESIGNER IRENE GUNTER OUTLINES HOW TO BUILD UP TIERS OF INTRICACY AND INTRIGUE
Designing a kitchen with multiple layers of interest can be a daunting prospect – people don’t know where to start, and they often stop too soon! Most of my projects begin with a lot of Pinterest image stashing, which is an old-school but effective way to work out the direction I want the design to go in. I also love a mood board, filled with swatches and samples. You only really know if colours and materials will work when you physically put them together. It’s also important to be led by the architecture. For this kitchen in my Wimbledon family home, we lowered the floors to get the cabinets under the window ledges, creating a grander sense of height in the process. This in turn naturally led me towards a more classical look for the design. If the house had been newer and the ceiling lower, it would have gone in a very different direction. First, pick the main cabinet colours, as they often lead the rest of the material choices. I use my home to test ideas I don’t think clients will run with and this was one of those occasions. I had the odd nervous moment, but I’m pleased with how it’s turned out. The mix of Paint & Paper Library’s BTWN Dog & Wolf, Porcelain I and Porcelain III looks considered and sophisticated. For texture, I love ribbed and fluted surfaces. The ribbing on the top cupboards is a mini version of the Kaufmann Keramik So
