Style advice Three simple tricks to try in your own home
FREE UP WALL SPACE By keeping wall cupboards to a minimum, Francesca was able to reclaim a real sense of space in the kitchen. ‘Our rustic-look peg rail gives us a handy place for utensils that we use every day,’ she says. If you need wall cupboards for extra storage, consider having floor-to-ceiling designs on just one side, like Francesca. That way you’ll minimise the space you take up elsewhere in the kitchen.
‘The hardest part was knowing what order to do things in and of course, assembling flatpack with your partner isn’t always fun!’
ADD PERSONALITY WITH ART People often buy wall art for display in the living room, bedroom or hallway, but follow Francesca’s lead and hang it in the kitchen too. Francesca has featured just a few monochrome prints to complement the neutral scheme in the space but why not add a much-loved handwritten recipe, family photos or a chalkboard wall that you can decorate with a display of doodles, to-do lists and messages. If you don’t want to decorate walls, prop up prints on worktops, on top of cupboards or stick them to the front of the fridge.
AT FIRST LIGHT Plan your lighting scheme early so your electrician can track the walls for the power points you need. ‘Our mix of lighting – we’ve got downlights, wall lights and pendants – means we can have task lighting or create a more relaxed mood, like when we’re having dinner,’ says Francesca. Light fittings are also a great way to create a look whether you’re after something traditional or more contemporary; for a cosy feel, you can’t go wrong with candles. 92 yourhomestyle.uk
‘The island has no appliances or a sink and the overhang on both sides means we can comfortably sit people around it for dinner,’ says Francesca. The couple would have liked a marble worktop, but the laminate was much less expensive and it’s easier to look after
