Designing our open-plan kitchen
Katie considers the layout, size, materials and budget…
With our open-plan kitchen/dining/living area fitted with the engineered oak flooring, we started to look at big decisions such as kitchen layout, and gradually worked our way through the huge list, before getting to the smaller details such as which handles to use.
We drafted a couple of different plans with our kitchen supplier (Howdens), and initially preferred a sketch for an L-shaped kitchen and a smaller central island. However, we soon realised we wanted a simpler design.we decided we would install kitchen units along just one wall, neatly fitted between the external wall and part of an old wall left behind when we knocked through into the extension. this will mean that, visually, when seated in the living area, only the kitchen island will be on display; this design will help to zone the areas, making them feel separate despite this being an entirely open-plan space.
We deliberated over the size, shape and final position of the kitchen island — should it face the dining/living area, or should it face the garden? What size should it be? One factor that helped with the latter was talking to the company supplying and fitting the quartz worktops: they calculated how to get the most efficient use out of two pieces of quartz, which are supplied in huge 3m x 3m slabs. with the kitchen and utility rooms now both simplified into one-wall designs, we would have enough quartz to fit the kitchen and utility worktops plus up-stands using one piece. this meant we were able to go for a much larger kitchen island (2.5 x 1.2m) using the second piece.
The biggest ‘headache’ of all…
The next big decision was choosing a colour for the cabinetry. this turned out to be the biggest headache of all! We went back and forth between a neutral, lighter shade of cashmere – which suited the property’s country farmhouse origins – to a dark and moody navy, which complemented the darkstained wood flooring and added a contemporary twist to the traditional Shaker-style doors.
After a ridiculous amount of deliberation, we were eventually brave enough to go with the bold dark navy for both the kitchen and the island. We chose cashmere for the utility, which worked well with the travertine floor I had laid previously in this space. This, combined with the white quartz worktop, bright brass handles and taps, and chunky Belfast sinks, should provide a pleasant contrast between dark and light tones, and help strike a balance between period and contemporary.
Sticking to our budget
We saved money by being able to use the same piece of worktop for both the kitchen and utility rooms, so it was worth being that extra bit organised and purchasing the kitchen and utility at the same time. I found that the most effective way to save money on the kitchen itself, however, is by purchasing all of the appliances from an independent supplier. This is simply because all kitchen suppliers are in huge competition with each other, and can discount their own kitchens as much as possible in order to win your custom, but when it comes to smaller items that they don’t produce themselves, they have less control over the price, meaning they don’t have the same powers when it comes to pricing competitively on appliances. By buying appliances independently, I saved almost £2,000.