The Brief
Having lived in their house in Etchingham for several years our clients had developed a long list of likes and dislikes about their existing kitchen. This is often a good place to start, especially if you are not significantly altering the size or shape of the kitchen area; what works and what doesn’t? Do you need more storage or more prep space… and so on?
In this case, the plan was to partially remove a large chimney breast to open the space up to the dining area. The kitchen itself then had to function in a very specific way to give our clients not only the functionality they needed but also the social space to allow for family gatherings.
Design
The design centred around a large peninsula which divided the kitchen area into two distinct parts. One area was the cooking zone, with a large gas hob, the ovens and the fridge. And the other, a far more social space, with stools, drinks centre and lots more storage.
With the basic layout designed, it was then a case of fine-tuning the details. To create storage that worked exactly as our clients wanted we came up with a scheme that included two full-height worktop dressers. One would house the crockery and the other the coffee machine and toaster. To maximise their usability we added vertical bi-folding doors, so these units could be open and the doors folded flat against a wall so as not to impact the space.
How it worked out
Firstly, the most striking thing about this kitchen is the colour. In an often monotone world of ‘play it safe’ whites, greys and blacks, what an absolute delight it was to work with such a vibrant colour scheme. The chilli-inspired red coupled with the super white quartz worktops really bring this space to life.
Beyond the colours, the design is an excellent example of a kitchen space tailored to meet the exact requirements of our clients. Like with any space, things can be done in a number of ways and often times there is no right or wrong choice, one way is not necessarily better than the next. And whilst there is no such thing as the perfect kitchen, it remains our aim each and every time, to get as close as we possibly can to designing a kitchen that is perfect just for you.
