All things bright
With units built in plywood and painted in a mix of colours, this open-plan kitchen is unique. Clizia Motterle, 29, and her partner Ben Stalbow, 31, have lived in their 1950s mid-terraced three-bedroom house in Bath for three years. In 2013 they began
Cheerful colours update this quirky kitchen
The old kitchen needed an update
Yes, we inherited a 1970s kitchen with dark brown units that gave the room a gloomy, cave-like feel. It was on its last legs and desperately needed to be modernised. And the adjacent dining room, reached through an arched opening, was hardly ever used.
What was your plan?
We wanted it to be sleek, modern and easy to clean because I love to cook. I’m quite messy, so it was important not to have any fussy nooks or crannies where dirt could hide. I found images of a Japanese kitchen on Pinterest in three different colours and I thought – wow! The idea of a multi-coloured design really appealed to me.
How did you find your kitchen designer?
Wooden cabinets were our first choice but they were too expensive. Plywood was a cheaper option and Sustainable Kitchens was happy to use it to build ours, even though they hadn’t done it before. It’s a strong material and we have a 20-year guarantee, which is amazing.
Did you have a budget in mind?
Initially we were looking to spend about £15,000 and we kept it tight by re-using existing appliances and designing the layout around our range cooker. We opted for stainless-steel worktops and reduced costs by employing a steel fabricator who made them to order.
Selecting the colours must have been tricky?
The idea of a multi-coloured kitchen started off as a bit of a joke. But the more we talked about it, the more everyone got on board with it. Ben and I began playing around with paint samples on door-sized pieces of cardboard so we could move them around.
Any tips on how to pull off a multi-coloured scheme?
It helps to have white walls and ceilings to give a plain background that won’t compete with the vivid colours. We also saw how it would look on a CAD drawing on the computer and were able to change the positions on screen, which really helped us visualise the result.
Did you buy any new appliances?
At the last moment we decided to include a waste disposal unit. We’re delighted with the way it works. It’s so satisfying to see everything chopped up and washed away down the drain.
Was it a straightforward process?
In all the project took eight weeks. Using plywood allowed us to push boundaries in terms of design and scale and gave us a serious cook’s kitchen. And the colour scheme adds a sense of fun.