West Dorset Living Dec 2023 - Jan 2024

More documents

Recommendations

Info

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 These cupboards hide all the “I think the triangular work space concept is a little outdated for how we use kitchens now.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 20 | www.minervamagazines.co.uk
Clearwater Kettle Tap; CRL Stone Quartz worktops in Verona Photography by Lucy Hartley-Saunders Origin Bifold Doors; Hampton Kitchen in Onyx Heritage Bronze Sockets and Switches from Corston Architectural www.minervamagazines.co.uk | 21
Page 3 and 4: C O N T E N T S A NOTE from the edi
Page 5 and 6: Illuminate Winter Lights at Abbotsb
Page 7 and 8: NEW COTTON PYJAMA AND KIMONO RANGE
Page 9 and 10: Disney’s Wish Star Plush by Simba
Page 12 and 13: The Value of Independent Early Year
Page 14 and 15: STYLISH Stays Katie Thomson heads f
Page 16 and 17: FREE EVENT Holiday Let Insights wit
Page 18 and 19: Cooking for CHRISTMAS We have some
Page 22 and 23: when you’ve gone shopping, and ad
Page 24 and 25: est. 2003 Will Your Fence Survive T
Page 26 and 27: CARE CONSIDERATIONS: OPTIONS FOR CA
Page 29 and 30: Celebrating Spring at Friary C This
Page 31 and 32: Selwood House Care Home Our brand-n

West Dorset Living Dec 2023 - Jan 2024

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

Delete template?

Save as template?