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Real homes
Real homes
Making waves
Island units don’t have to be square. As this stylish kitchen demonstrates, sleek curves can prove to be a far more ergonomic use of space
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Real homes
Real homes
“...there is now a natural flow around the large room, and the clearly defined areas for seating and food preparation are a much more effective use of space...”
When property developer Andy and his wife Paula decided to renovate their Edwardian home in Kent, one of their main priorities was to make some sweeping changes to the kitchen. “It’s a south-facing room, and it led out into our conservatory,” Paula explains. “Before, we had to leave our Aga on constantly as we relied on it for all our cooking, so the kitchen was unbearably hot during the summer months.” The five bedroom detached Edwardian house was built in 1908, and fortunately there was plenty of room to build a large extension at the back. This expansion meant that the kitchen could be an airy living and dining space as well as a food preparation area. Having admired a Mark Wilkinson kitchen in a friend’s house, they visited the company’s Tunbridge Wells showroom and met designer Chris Sega, who they asked to plan their room – a decision they are delighted to have made. “We had a straightforward brief really,” Paula explains. “We wanted clean lines and a simple light, airy design with lots of storage space. We also needed to incorporate our Aga as well as making room for additional cooking facilities, in order to be able to turn the Aga off during the summer months.”
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Real homes
The couple had already put some thought into the look they were keen to achieve, “In terms of style we wanted something along the Shaker lines – elegant and well-crafted. It was important to us that it would be plain and simple and something that would not date quickly,” explains Paula. “Our kitchen style is just that.” In fact, the new layout is all that the couple hoped for and more. The classic off-white cabinetry is the ideal backdrop to the stunning central island unit, which is as practical as it is smart. “It’s my favourite part of the design,” Paula affirms. “When we were discussing our initial ideas for the layout, Chris kept saying, ‘I think that the island will be too large and that you’d be spending your whole time walking around it to get anywhere.” He cleverly designed a split through the middle adding serpentine curves to take the squareness away. It works perfectly and looks fabulous too!” Chris’ insightful design touch means that there is now a natural flow around the large room, and the clearly-defined areas for seating and food preparation are a much more effective use of space than one bulky square island could possibly have achieved.
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ADVICE FROM THE DESIGNER
“To get the best results, choose a designer who likes to become involved in the whole project and takes the time to understand your needs and can reflect those tastes in every aspect of the design, from the colours to the flooring and the curtains.” Chris Sega, Mark Wilkinson Furniture
“We could not have achieved so much in such a huge space on our own without any help,” Paula admits. “We were delighted with Chris’ ideas, and the suggestions he made as we went along in the initial stages. We just listed what we wanted and he incorporated our entire wish list and also gave us more too.” The room now boasts a separate hob and oven, a steam oven, an American-style fridge freezer and waste disposal units in the sinks. There are integrated wine and beer coolers, and all the recycling bins are easily accessible but masterfully concealed. Another challenge that Chris took in his stride was finding a way to incorporate an extraction unit. “The hob in the central island was positioned directly under a lantern rooflight so extraction facilities couldn’t be hung above the hob,” Paula reveals. “Instead, Chris suggested a Wolf system which is ducted down the back of the hob under the floor and out of the side wall of the kitchen – it’s spot on.” Andy and Paula are so enamoured of their final design that they wouldn’t change a thing. “We are absolutely over the moon, and everything works exactly as we wanted it to,” Paula concludes.
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Details Kitchen Furniture Design by Mark Wilkinson OBE, Room Design by Chris Sega 01380 850 007 www.mwf.com Miele DA2270 extractor, H5861BP SS Cleansteel ovens x2, DG5080 SS Cleansteel steam oven, Cleansteel microwave K121UI1 larder fridge, M8261-2 G1282SCVI dishwasher 0845 365 6600 www.miele.co.uk Wolf Downdraft ICBDD361extractor, ICBCT36E/S hob 020 8418 3800 www.westye.co.uk Maytag MSS20TBB14 fridge 0844 499 0101 www.maytag.co.uk Sub Zero ICB427RG Wine cooler 020 8418 3800 www.westye.com
Perrin & Rowe 4460PFWPC taps in Pewter and Porcelain 01708 526 361 www.perrinandrowe.co.uk Jerusalem limestone flooring 01732 770 222 www.naosfloors.com Iridescent glass mosaic wall tiles in ‘Painted Desert’ 0845 366 0400 www.firedearth.com Walls painted with Dulux ‘Egyptian Cotton’ and feature wall in‘Mulberry Burst’ 08444 817 817 www.dulux.co.uk Dining table and chairs 01227 766 655 www.lenleys.co.uk
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