Kaitlyn Bruce

To start with I designed in the breakfast bar area, as I wanted this to be the focal point of the space. This created an element of luxury by zoning the space, providing an entertaining area where there is countertop to prep drinks and nibbles, along with cabinetry on the adjacent wall to store drink and glassware, keeping everything needed close to hand.

It was important for the customer to have a large Neff gas hob as he does a lot of cooking and likes how he can control the gas for his cooking style. Positioned close by were the two Siemens ovens as well as the sink on the adjacent wall, perfectly situated to create the working triangle, allowing everything to be nearby for the user.

I selected shaker door fronts in a smooth painted finish to bring the subtle traditional edge the customer was seeking out. A rich navy worked perfectly to bring class and drama to the space, however, I felt that having the full kitchen in this colour would be too overbearing, therefore I decided to introduce a soft grey tone for the wall and tall cabinets to create a good contrast without being too stark of a colour change. Furthermore, a contrasting, yet complimentary rich yellow was used to frame the breakfast bar, creating emphasis on this area. This feature gives the room such character, with the bold sense of energy the customer was striving for.

Satin nickel T-bar handles work well with the shaker door fronts, bringing in the grey tones from the quartz countertop in the colour Arezzo. Careful not to have too many conflicting material finishes, I carried the worktop material onto the wall as splashback, creating a seamless look while ensuring the pattern broke up the block colours. As the wall cabinets are a soft light grey, we opted for a navy paint on the walls to balance the colour scheme of the room. The deep tones beautifully frame the cabinetry and complete the look in a strong way. 

The bar area was elevated by the inclusion of glass doors, oak interior finish and downlights to create a great entertainment area. The oak finish was a nice subtle way of incorporating a texture into the space and compliments the tones of the new flooring well, tying everything together. The lighting placement throughout aims to draw the eye to the unique elements within the space, from the downlights above the cooking area, to the wall cabinet lighting in the glass display units and the pendant detail above the peninsular showcases all the key areas whilst giving the room an ambient feel, especially in the evening time.

As Mr Pilkington was a keen chef and the couple love to entertain they were delighted with the end result which was a fine balance between functional everyday kitchen layout as well as a ‘wow factor’ open plan kitchen/dining space which is something they had always wanted, a space to entertain friends and family for years to come. 

This was a complete transformation from the previous kitchen, allowing them the perfect space which they can make the most of in their retirement. 

Project cost: £24,300.00

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