West Dorset Living Dec 2023 - Jan 2024

Renovate &
ELEVATE
We take a deeper look into a beautiful renovation to find out what
makes a good kitchen great - with thoughts from the owner, Kate
CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT THE
DESIGN PROCESS?
Absolutely - we all know there are a lot of
options out there for kitchens, but I knew I
wanted an in-frame, painted design with a light
wood grain. I came across Smile Kitchens and
instantly loved the elevated styling they offer -
the Hampton range caught my eye particularly.
It had all the timeless styling that I was looking
for, and a lovely combination of colours.
I was initially a little concerned by the lack of
a showroom, but I needn’t have been. After a
discovery consultation where I listed my must
haves, my designer Corinne got to work on
rendering that with my space dimensions. In
the meantime, I was sent large door and knob
samples so I could have them to hand when
my design was ready to view. To really give me
a feel for how the kitchen would look, it was
rendered onto a video, giving me a 360 view of
the space. I make a few tweaks and Corinne
came back each time, just perfecting the vision I
had for this important space.
This is a big room (approximately 4.5 x 5.5m)
and it has openings or glazing on all sides - this
meant that planning a more conventional kitchen
with lots of base and wall units was a challenge.
The interruption on each of the walls meant that
the cupboard configurations had to be carefully
considered - and Corinne got this spot on. We
opted for lots of tall cabinets, including a built in
larder and a pantry with bi-fold doors - perfect as
a breakfast station. These cupboards hide all the
“I think the triangular work space
concept is a little outdated for how
we use kitchens now. Of course it
makes sense to keep everything
accessible and easy to move around,
but for me, it was also important
that the space felt social and made
the most of the setting.”
big appliances, meaning the worktops can stay
clutter-free, and help to keep you organised with
lots of internal shelves.
LET’S TALK FLOORING...
Tiles are a great option for flooring, but because
of the painted kitchen finish and the quartz
worktops, I wanted to warm up the space with
timber. Obviously, kitchen floors need to be
robust - able to withstand spills, items being
dropped and the general traffic of daily life. I
was concerned a timber or engineered floor
would dint, so instead opted for LVT from
the experts at Karndean. I spent a lot of time
comparing samples before settling on Canadian
Nude Oak - it was light enough without reading
too grey or white.
The best bit about this floor was the ease of
installation - my partner and I were able to cover
a huge area over the course an evening. The
rigid core planks click together easily and have
a reassuring solidity.
FUNCTIONALITY IS KING IN A
KITCHEN - HOW DO YOU MAKE
SURE THE SPACE WORKS?
I thought long and hard about how I’d use the
space. I think the triangular work space concept
is a little outdated for how we use kitchens now.
Of course it makes sense to keep everything
accessible and easy to move around, but for me,
it was also important that the space felt social
and made the most of the setting. The kitchen
sink enjoys the best views - looking even better
with the lovely CRL quartz running over the sill.
I wanted the island to be social - I didn’t include
a sink on there because I didn’t want the
washing up to be the focus. Instead the hob
faces out into the room. Finally, the fridge is
right by the island, so you can load shopping in
easily, or food out ready to be prepped.
Then for me it was about choosing the right
appliances. These are the bits that make all the
difference! I’ve lusted after a fridge with double
doors for years, and this amazing Haier model
is a technological gem. It automatically detects
Hotpoint Built
In Double Oven;
Hampton Kitchen
in Pearl
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