3 CLEVER DESIGN SOLUTIONS
1 DIY COOKER HOOD
Having failed to find an extractor fan design she liked, Claire asked her husband Darren to create a faux chimney-style hood using plasterboard-faced boxing. An inexpensive integrated cooker hood has been fitted underneath, with a trim of coving providing a bespoke look. Painting it in the same shade as the walls prevents it from dominating the room.
2 FEATURE FIREPLACE
With underfloor heating and loads of insulation in place, Claire and Darren didn’t need a woodburner. Instead, they decided to turn the original fireplace into a design feature. ‘I just love the rustic, Scandi look of this fireplace and it was so easy to achieve – in fact, I just picked up the kindling from our local garage.
It’s really nothing special but it works beautifully,’ says Claire. The timber has dried significantly since it was first installed – Claire rammed it in tightly for a neat fit, so she’ll be topping it up the next time she gets fuel.
3 RUSTIC FLOORING A key ingredient in Claire’s plan to create a luxury look for less was natural flagstone flooring. She knew the relaxed feel would elevate her simple Shaker units. After looking at hundreds of tiles, she chose this Keynes mixed limestone from Beswick Stone. ‘I love the grey and warm honey tones – they really come to life when the sun is shining,’ says Claire. ‘The Opus-style pattern makes it easier to achieve a nice, laid-back mix of colours. If they were all the same size and shape, the different tones would have been more stark and obvious.’