COUNTRY KITCHEN FOCUS
Timeless bespoke cabinetry, fuss-free finishes and clever diy solutions
WITH A BOLD APPROACH, CHARLIE MCLAUGHLIN HAS MADE HER MARK ON HER NEW FAMILY KITCHEN, MIXING TIMELESS BESPOKE CABINETRY AND FUSS-FREE FINISHES WITH SOME CLEVER DIY SOLUTIONS
It ’s said that the best house parties always end up in the kitchen – and that was the aim for Charlie and Gary Mclaughlin. ‘I remember the agent cooing over the swimming pool,’ Charlie says, ‘but all I could think was what a wonderful space it would make for a massive kitchen diner with room for family and friends.’
Charlie completed a lot of the structural work herself. ‘We didn’t have a big budget so if there was anything I could do to save money, I did,’ she says. Fortunately she is pretty handy with a hammer and ended up stripping out the mezzanine floor above the pool, fitting insulation and plasterboard to the 5m-high pitched ceiling, sanding back beams and even fitting the Karndean vinyl floor.
All her hard graft allowed the bulk of their budget to be invested in a beautiful bespoke kitchen by The Main Company. ‘We loved the quality and unusual timbers they use,’ says Charlie. ‘They’re also good value, for a bespoke service. Discovering that they are from Yorkshire, like me, sealed the deal!’
As a self-confessed hygiene obsessive – a handy trait given her line of work – Charlie’s main priority was that every element of her new kitchen was easy to clean. ‘Flour gets everywhere when you are catering and even simple Shaker doors get dirt in the corners, so slab doors were essential. I also wanted smooth handles, with nowhere for crumbs to hide, and we took the Silestone up the walls for an easy-clean solution.’
The layout was planned with similar attention to detail. Charlie and her mum spent days plotting out the ideal distance between the island, sink, cooker and storage. ‘I grew up on a farm, where food and cooking is a major part of daily life. Mum’s experiences of feeding large groups proved invaluable,’ says Charlie.
The overall decoration and finishing touches were Charlie’s chance to experiment. Although finely tuned for prepping large amounts of food, Charlie kept in mind it is primarily a family kitchen. ‘I didn’t want it too matchy-matchy or clinical,’ she says. ‘There’s an element of industrial, and I love that I can mix things up later – anything goes with a simple slab-door kitchen.’