Life is sweet

Real Homes

56 Life sweet is

We chat to Great British Bake Off finalist Alice Fevronia about her new, super-stylish kitchen and how being on TV changed her life.

Real Homes

57

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“I have a large island in the middle which gives me so much workspace, perfect for when I’m doing lots of baking. It even has a hidden wine fridge!”

58 It’s been three years since you were a finalist in Great British Bake Off – what have you been up to since and how has the programme changed your life? It’s been a crazy few years, as straight after the madness of Bake Off came a wave of new opportunities. I left my job in teaching and now bake full time, creating content, writing recipes and working with incredible brands. The pandemic threw a spanner in the works, as it did for everyone, but this year I finally feel like I’ve got into the swing of things, and I absolutely love what I do. I’ve also just launched a new platform called On The Cake Stand, where people can support small businesses and find amazing independent bakers in their local area!

Please tell us a little about your home. I live in an Edwardian maisonette in London with my partner, James. We’ve been here for just over a year and really love it. Luckily, it didn’t need too much doing to it, but we’ve been working on it slowly and it’s very nearly at the stage where it feels like it’s finished. What are your favourite parts of your home and why? Without a doubt, it is the kitchen. It’s the only room in the house which truly feels like our space as we had it completely re-done and everything in there was chosen specifically for us (and mainly for my baking)! I spend all my time in there; it’s where I bake my recipes, do all my work and entertaining. It’s just a really lovely, bright space.

What did the kitchen project involve and what are the main features? I worked with Caple on the new kitchen and it is my absolute pride and joy. It has just made baking and cooking so much more enjoyable. Caple were amazing, and when it came to the designs, they listened to my ideas and came up with the most amazing layout. I have a large island in the middle which gives me so much workspace, perfect for when I’m doing lots of baking. My favourite features have to be the sink area with the ceramic sink and brass tap, and of course my oven. It has so many settings for everything, from proving bread to pizza making and has a pyrolytic cleaning function.

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“I did a lot of research online and made a mood board of all the different styles and shades that I was drawn to. Caple were great at making it all come together.”

60 What made you choose this kitchen? My flat still has some of its original features, so I wanted a fairly traditional kitchen with a modern edge. The Halebury cabinets from Caple were the perfect option, and I went for a two-tone look with a darker green on the island. The room gets quite a lot of light which is great, but as I do a lot of filming in there, I wanted to keep the colours light. Despite the island, the room actually feels bigger than it did before when the cabinets were a dark navy blue.

What’s your kitchen showstopper and what couldn’t you live without on a daily basis? The island is definitely the focal point of the room. It even has a hidden wine fridge at the end! Aside from my oven, I think the thing I couldn’t live without has to be my dishwasher which goes on about three times a day! I’m not sure what I would do without it! I love my new fridge too as it has so much more space and, as well as the usual groceries, there’s always at least one cake or bake that I need to store in there. I made a wedding cake recently and I don’t know what I would have done without my Caple fridge! What are your favourite things to bake at home? Cakes have always been my go-to. You can walk into a room with even a simple cake and people’s eyes light up. They’re so much fun to decorate and the possibilities of the flavours and designs you can create are endless. I’m always on cake duty when there is a birthday in the family, and I absolutely love it. Although since appearing on Bake Off, I do often feel the pressure to turn up with cake!

Any tips for anyone who is thinking about installing a new kitchen? I would say don’t rush into it. I spent a good few months when we first moved in just working out what I didn’t like about the old kitchen and how changing it could make it better. I also didn’t realise there were so many options. I did a lot of research online and made a mood board of all the different styles and shades that I was drawn to. Caple were great at making it all come together.

Caple kitchen furniture, sink, tap, appliances and MBP worktops were gifted to Alice for this makeover.. For stockist information, go to www.caple.co.uk