TIMELESS QUALITY
A kitchen-diner perfect for family life
After a decade in their Edwardian terrace in south London, Kate Izzard and her husband Frank, who works in financial services, wanted a new kitchen and dining area where they could keep an eye on two-year-old son Tom
Why did you opt to extend and modernise your kitchen?
The room was small, cramped and extremely dated and lacked a decent outlook onto the garden. Also, with our growing toddler, Tom, we instinctively felt the need to expand. The alternative was to move house but we’re really attached to the area we’re in, and this street in particular.
What was the first step in the process?
We invited Nick Haseltine of HP Architects to help us with the design and he recommended that we create ways to bring in lots of natural light and have high ceilings – including generous door heights, as Frank’s quite tall. He presented us with various options before we decided on the layout we thought worked best for us.
Where did you go to find a builder?
I’d been planning this extension for quite a while and after looking on lots of related websites and forums we found Magic Projects, which had a good reputation. The owner Maciek came round and he was very knowledgeable, personable and inspired great confidence.
How did you go about choosing your kitchen cabinetry?
A friend recommended Neptune because of its quality – our kitchen is solid wood – and range of styles. We contacted a local Neptune stockist, Woods of London, and visited its Blackheath showroom to check out the displays. We were introduced to its designer, Alicia, who was very helpful in explaining all the options.
How easy was it to decide on the right layout?
Alicia took our kitchen measurements, then presented us with a range of computer-generated layout options to go through. She even helped us choose the most suitable kitchen appliances.
Did you have any other requirements?
Like most people, I felt we needed lots of storage space, and there’s definitely no shortage of drawers and cupboards; though, to be honest, you can never have enough! We knew we wanted an island, as that would give us extra worksurface, but at the same time, we were keen to have lots of space to move around the island, too. That’s why Alicia’s idea of being able to tuck the bar stools under the worktop was such a good one.
What was your inspiration for the colour scheme?
Keeping the palette subtle and tasteful to reflect the design of the kitchen furniture was our main aim. The overall look also had to reflect the period and character of the property, as well as being calming and natural.
Does your new kitchen achieve all you wanted it to?
The idea was to create an area that could be both an entertaining space and also perfect for everyday living. We said all along that
having a dining table in here was a must and we also wanted as much natural light as possible, hence the skylights. The previous kitchen was so tiny, it was purely a functional room, whereas this is now the family space we’d been dreaming of.
Did everything go smoothly?
Yes, it all went pretty much to plan, thanks mainly to the fact that the room is a fairly straightforward shape. For me, the hard part was the sheer volume of decision making required. With the flooring alone, there were so many choices in types of wood, shades and thicknesses, for example. Multiply that with all the different aspects and it’s overwhelming, but fortunately we had Maciek and Alicia working together to help us hone the final design.
Do you have any good advice for those thinking of embarking on a similar project?
It’s important to work with a strong team of people who are experienced in their respective fields. The architect, builders and the kitchen company all instilled us with confidence, which was vital as there are so many areas where you know you’re going to have to place your trust in the experts, especially if you don’t have experience at visualising things for yourself. All this helped, along with excellent planning upfront and avoiding rash decisions.
Have there been any unexpected benefits?
Although Tom has his own playroom, he loves this new space, which is great because it means he can be down here and
I can easily keep an eye on him when I’m preparing meals and clearing up. I love cooking and Frank enjoys gardening, so we can both be doing our own thing while still being within earshot of the other. It really is the perfect family space.