a Cake-maker’s Heaven
Jane and david wallace knocked through between two rooms to create a kitchen-diner that’s perfect for baking
‘As an avid fan of The Great British Bake
Off, I knew exactly which oven I wanted when David and I came to design our dream kitchen,’ Jane says. ‘I’d never seen oven doors that slide underneath before, but as soon as I saw them on the show I knew they had to be part of our design. I love baking, so it was important to me that the kitchen layout works really well on a practical level. David jokes that I’m always making cakes but he never gets to eat them because I take them into work!
‘This house had been a rental property and then stood empty for three months before we bought it, so it really needed some TLC. When we moved in, the kitchen was long
and narrow and there was a separate dining room next door. We could see the potential to knock through between them to create one open-plan space.
‘Along with the oven, my main demands were plenty of storage and space. We went armed with our list of ideas to a local kitchen expert, who combined them with her own suggestions and turned them into 3D renders to help us visualise the finished space. She suggested a horizontal picture window to break up the run of units and encouraged us to include a pop-up extractor hood, as well as a hot water tap so we could do away with our kettle. We also incorporated a larderstyle wall of storage, which hides the microwave, toaster and baking tools.
‘I love the pared-back Scandi style and felt that the white units and simple wood floor would help to bounce the light around. We set up a makeshift kitchen in the living room while the work was taking place. The builders demolished the dividing wall between our kitchen and dining room, then installed new aluminium windows and sliding doors leading out onto our first-floor balcony.
‘It’s a pleasure to cook and bake in here because everything functions so well and is located in the right place. The layout is so sociable too. I can’t imagine us ever going back to having a separate dining room; it’s completely transformed the way we live.’ Cost and Contacts Project cost £32,000
designer Diane Berry Kitchens,
0161 798 5335, dianeberrykitchens.co.uk
Builder Ken rostron Builders, 0161 764 7720 windows Clearview, 0808 149 7689, clearviewhome.co.uk