‘WE WANTED MORE SPACE AND LIGHT’
Inspired design has brought a relaxed family vibe to this luxury kitchen
Jo Rose, an accountant, her husband Daniel and their two sons live in a five-bedroom detached Edwardian house in north London. Once dark and narrow, their kitchen is now a bright family-friendly space
Tell us about the old kitchen...
It was at the front of the house, so north facing, and the whole look was dated and gloomy with a dark brown floor. The area was narrow, too, with a small island and an uneven ceiling with wooden beams. What did you want to achieve?
A space that would be inviting and usable for us as a family, and to bring in more light. People use their kitchens in very different ways now – we needed somewhere to eat and entertain, and a place that would better connect with the rest of the house. We were also after a more contemporary look, but one that would sit well in an Edwardian house, and went to a lot of effort to get it right.
Where did you get your inspiration from?
Mostly home interest magazines, Pinterest and different showrooms. We then came across a local one called Scavolini.
How did you kick off the project?
To begin with, we called in a structural engineer to find out what could be done and if there were any restrictions. They suggested taking out the retaining wall along with a huge chimney between the garage and kitchen to make one big, open-plan space.
And what was the next step?
We found a local builder and they took the wall and chimney out between the rooms and gutted the kitchen. The front window was
taken out and the aperture was made bigger to bring in more light. A large skylight was added for the same reason. The beams were removed and the original ceiling was taken down too.
Was redesigning the space a straightforward process?
Once we’d decided on Scavolini, they came up with the design. The main part of the kitchen is pretty much in the same space as the old one but the island is longer and wider and includes a breakfast bar. For the units, we decided on a Shaker style, which is contemporary but in a classic way, and chose a mix of colours to break it up and make it look more interesting. The cream units brighten the scheme, and we chose a product called Neolith for the worktops and splashbacks, which looks like marble but is actually quartz, so there’s minimal maintenance. We went for all new appliances and had a tap fitted that does everything – hot, cold and filtered water.
Describe the new layout…
Based on the side of the kitchen where the garage once was is the dining area, with a grey table and chairs that tie in with the kitchen and utility room. On the other side of the room, we had a tall unit put in with a pull-up door, which we use as a breakfast station. The tea, coffee and toaster are in there, and we can pull the door down to hide any mess left after the morning rush.
Do you have a favourite part of the new kitchen?
Firstly, the huge amount of natural light we get in the room, which is something I really wanted to achieve for the new look, along with the feeling of space and the way the kitchen flows into the rest of the house. There’s room for everyone and the kitchen really comes into its own when we have friends and family over. Also, all of the wall units have LED lighting inside, so in the evening we switch them on and don’t need to have the main light on; it makes the glasses inside the cupboards glow.
Is there anything you would change? Nothing. Now all we need to do is put up some pictures to finish it off.