Diane Berry

The Dearden’s have one five year old son and they are in their early forties, their business is air conditioning and have managed to develop a couple of properties over the years to have a clear understanding of what their wish list was.

They wanted a hidden breakfast area where the mess the small appliances could be hidden coffee machine toaster etc.  It was also important to showcase a bespoke wine store that would be cooled with their air con system and be able to show future potential clients how this can be achieved at similar cost to a luxury wine fridge.

They had seen our mirror spinning storage units and they were high on their wish list (even if it broke the bank – their words) The rest was to be all above storage, functionality and practical finishes.

My design was to use the outside of the room totally for storage and appliances, ensuring everything had a place. The island would then be for the hob and sink so they can face their guests and more importantly keep an eye on their little boy. The breakfast unit with the hidden worktop was essential to make this scheme work as they needed places out of sight for the Nespresso and toaster, we even did a half size tall unit with a worktop inside for the microwave this helped with hiding other things like phone chargers etc. keeping the island nice and tidy. I have included a photo with all doors open so you can clearly see that the outer walls have a place for everything.

They also wanted a breakfast bar and thought a row of stools facing the back wall, my suggestion was to create a much more social breakfast bar where they could all sit around enjoying meals and drinks in a truly social way as their room was the ideal size to accommodate this and it helps take your eye away from the sink and hob, creating a mood of celebrating their drinks area and helping them sell the concept to potential clients, more of a bar at night than a typical kitchen.

I had a budget to try and hit and the fact they had the must have of the Eggersmann works units (spinning bronze mirror storage wall) I had to use some clever tricks with the materials, so the back wall is a fine-grained texture melamine dark wood and the island is a melamine concrete effect. Both are cost effective finishes and helped me hit the budget, but both are ideal for a kitchen as they hide finger prints and drips so super practical.

They wanted a soft moody look at night so I created a recess around the back wall tall units with concealed LED lighting and recommended some Buster and Punch pendants, so night-time has a soft glow and real calming environment ideal when you run a busy company and then have an energetic five year old running around.

Cost of project: £48,712.78

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