MY EXPERIENCE
I always thought I’d need an extension to solve the problem of my galley kitchen and separate dining room, but talking to an interior designer, Cathy Dean, completely opened up my eyes to what we could do with the space we already had.
Instead of extending into the small yard, she said we were better off spending our money reconfiguring the ground floor. By knocking down the wall between the kitchen and dining room, blocking up the opening from the dining room into the living room and creating a new hallway with sliding pocket doors, we gained space for both a built-in dining area and home office.
Cathy showed me some moodboards and I loved the one featuring a simple palette of dark blue and copper, even though it was nothing like the light, boho look I had imagined. The geometric floor tiles were gorgeous and really got me excited.
To save money I used IKEA carcasses and got a carpenter to make bespoke door fronts, which are similar to the Superfront ones I had seen. I wanted a minimalist feel with lots of storage but didn’t want it hemmed in by lots of wall cupboards. The bench seating with two tall cupboards on either side is so handy and the storage underneath is my halfway cupboard for things destined for the charity shop.
Using an interior designer was the best decision I made. I was pleasantly surprised by the cost too. I would never have thought of this well-considered design scheme by myself and I can see where every penny has been spent.