Stratford-upon-Avon Living Jan - Feb 2024
We are kicking off 2024 with a bang - with a gorgeous kitchen renovation to inspire, lots of Veganuary-friendly recipes, education and later life advice. Plus, we have nearly £3000 of prizes to be won!
We are kicking off 2024 with a bang - with a gorgeous kitchen renovation to inspire, lots of Veganuary-friendly recipes, education and later life advice. Plus, we have nearly £3000 of prizes to be won!
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Renovate &<br />
ELEVATE<br />
We take a deeper look into a beautiful renovation to find out what<br />
makes a good kitchen great - with thoughts from the owner, Kate<br />
CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT THE<br />
DESIGN PROCESS?<br />
Absolutely - we all know there are a lot of<br />
options out there for kitchens, but I knew I<br />
wanted an in-frame, painted design with a light<br />
wood grain. I came across Smile Kitchens and<br />
instantly loved the elevated styling they offer -<br />
the Hampton range caught my eye particularly.<br />
It had all the timeless styling that I was looking<br />
for, and a lovely combination of colours.<br />
I was initially a little concerned by the lack of<br />
a showroom, but I needn’t have been. After a<br />
discovery consultation where I listed my must<br />
haves, my designer Corinne got to work on<br />
rendering that with my space dimensions. In<br />
the meantime, I was sent large door and knob<br />
samples so I could have them to hand when<br />
my design was ready to view. To really give me<br />
a feel for how the kitchen would look, it was<br />
rendered onto a video, giving me a 360 view of<br />
the space. I make a few tweaks and Corinne<br />
came back each time, just perfecting the vision I<br />
had for this important space.<br />
This is a big room (approximately 4.5 x 5.5m)<br />
and it has openings or glazing on all sides - this<br />
meant that planning a more conventional kitchen<br />
with lots of base and wall units was a challenge.<br />
The interruption on each of the walls meant that<br />
the cupboard configurations had to be carefully<br />
considered - and Corinne got this spot on. We<br />
opted for lots of tall cabinets, including a built in<br />
larder and a pantry with bi-fold doors - perfect as<br />
a breakfast station. These cupboards hide all the<br />
“I think the triangular work space<br />
concept is a little outdated for how<br />
we use kitchens now. Of course it<br />
makes sense to keep everything<br />
accessible and easy to move around,<br />
but for me, it was also important<br />
that the space felt social and made<br />
the most of the setting.”<br />
big appliances, meaning the worktops can stay<br />
clutter-free, and help to keep you organised with<br />
lots of internal shelves.<br />
LET’S TALK FLOORING...<br />
Tiles are a great option for flooring, but because<br />
of the painted kitchen finish and the quartz<br />
worktops, I wanted to warm up the space with<br />
timber. Obviously, kitchen floors need to be<br />
robust - able to withstand spills, items being<br />
dropped and the general traffic of daily life. I<br />
was concerned a timber or engineered floor<br />
would dint, so instead opted for LVT from<br />
the experts at Karndean. I spent a lot of time<br />
comparing samples before settling on Canadian<br />
Nude Oak - it was light enough without reading<br />
too grey or white.<br />
The best bit about this floor was the ease of<br />
installation - my partner and I were able to cover<br />
a huge area over the course an evening. The<br />
rigid core planks click together easily and have<br />
a reassuring solidity.<br />
FUNCTIONALITY IS KING IN A<br />
KITCHEN - HOW DO YOU MAKE<br />
SURE THE SPACE WORKS?<br />
I thought long and hard about how I’d use the<br />
space. I think the triangular work space concept<br />
is a little outdated for how we use kitchens now.<br />
Of course it makes sense to keep everything<br />
accessible and easy to move around, but for me,<br />
it was also important that the space felt social<br />
and made the most of the setting. The kitchen<br />
sink enjoys the best views - looking even better<br />
with the lovely CRL quartz running over the sill.<br />
I wanted the island to be social - I didn’t include<br />
a sink on there because I didn’t want the<br />
washing up to be the focus. Instead the hob<br />
faces out into the room. Finally, the fridge is<br />
right by the island, so you can load shopping in<br />
easily, or food out ready to be prepped.<br />
Then for me it was about choosing the right<br />
appliances. These are the bits that make all the<br />
difference! I’ve lusted after a fridge with double<br />
doors for years, and this amazing Haier model<br />
is a technological gem. It automatically detects<br />
Hotpoint Built<br />
In Double Oven;<br />
Hampton Kitchen<br />
in Pearl<br />
20 | www.minervamagazines.co.uk