REAL KITCHEN

‘Rather than covering the steelwork, we left the shape of it there to leave the ceiling height as tall as we could,’ says Vanessa.

Pendant light, Rockett St George. Table, Loaf. Bench, Graham & Green. Chairs, Cult Furniture

1S t e p o n e S t e p T W O2 S t e p T H R E E 3 A radical change

‘This house was owned previously by two 85-year-old brothers, who’d lived here all their lives,’ says Vanessa. ‘When we moved in, the kitchen was poky, with a small pantry and an outside coal bunker. Our main aim was to make the space more family friendly; we wanted a sociable kitchen-diner. We live in a very green area and we wanted to take advantage of that by bringing it in through the back of the property.

‘As there weren’t any particularly interesting features at the rear of the house, we thought it’d be nice to do something completely radical with an extension. Architect Paula Butterfield is local to us; we loved her designs, so we hired her to work with us.’

Professional input

‘I’ve always liked wood clapperboardstyle extensions and thought it would work well as a mixed-media look along with traditional brickwork and metal door frames. We also knew we wanted Crittall windows and doors in the space. We rented while the work was done – I’ve experienced the dust and dirt that comes with a renovation in the past, so I knew to stay away!

‘Paula’s input in terms of layout was invaluable. We wanted an island, but a chimney stack in the corner took a decent chunk off the back of the wall and made it difficult to run units along. Paula moved the door on the back wall and took the chimney stack out to create the layout we wanted.’

long-lasting style

‘Back in 2016, the industrial look was just coming through. It was all about dark kitchen units, glass, rattan and metro tiles. It had quite a fresh new feel, and we ended up going down that route for the kitchen. It contrasts with the rest of the house. If I was braver at the time, I might have exposed the beams, but I thought it might be too industrial for an Edwardian home.

‘The style has had longevity, to be honest. Friends who are remodelling their kitchens now will come and say, “Oh, we’re looking at flooring like that” or point out the units. In a way, it’s a bit of a blank canvas – the fixtures and fittings have changed, with more brass and gold than there was at the time.’

The bold patterned wallpaper was a late addition to the kitchen, but it adds colour and character to the space – and reflects Vanessa’s design background.

Wallpaper, Lucy Tiffney. Armchair, John Lewis & Partners

S t e p F O U R 4

Design decisions

‘For the garden, we went for as many tropical plants as we could get away with in Manchester. The wallpaper, which we chose later, ties in with it. Working in design and fashion, you constantly see trends change. I’d seen and liked this paper for a while, though, and I figured that as I hadn’t got sick of it yet, it was a good sign!

‘There’s always been a bit of a battle of the wills – with Paul being a finance business partner, I’d often have my designer budget reined in by the purse strings. If we could, I’d have created as big a utility room as possible. The one we have is adequate, but I sometimes wish it was three times bigger to fit everything in.’

my kitchen IN 5

5S t e p F I V E

1

Your ideal Sunday morning would be spent… ‘Reading the papers in bed, going to watch my son play rugby or cricket, then calling in for a full English on the way home.’ Round cane magazine rack, £65, Five & Dime

2

The must-have kitchen gadget you couldn’t do without? ‘A corkscrew or Alexa!’ Echo in Glacier White, £89.99, Amazon

3

Dream dinner guest? ‘David Attenborough – he’s always been my hero.’ 4

What’s on your kitchen playlist? ‘Loneliness by Birdy Filous, Midas by Maribou State, All You Ever Wanted by Rag’n Bone Man, Higher Power by Coldplay – a mixture!’

5

What recipe do You know by heart? ‘Spaghetti with Marmite, courtesy of Nigella Lawson. It’s the one thing my son will always eat!’ Kitchen by Nigella Lawson (£30, Chatto & Windus)

Outdoor connection

‘My favourite part of the space is definitely the doors. When we came to designing the garden afterwards, I was really glad we’d raised the deck level to be flush with the floor – I love the way it flows seamlessly between the spaces. It’s lovely sitting at the table with the doors wide open. The sun hits the floor and creates all sorts of reflections and shadows.

‘This is such a sociable space; the connection to the garden makes it feel like an extension to the kitchen. It suits the way we live now to a tee. In the winter, we’ll hibernate at the front of the house – but come summer, the garden becomes our lounge and we live in the kitchen-diner.’

Costs & contacts

Build work £40,000 Fixtures and fittings £17,000 Furniture and décor £10,000 Professional fees £3,000

Architect Butterfield Architecture, 07779 302856, butterfieldarchitecture.co.uk Landscaping Andy Lewis Landscapes, @andylewislandscapes Kitchen DIY Kitchens, diy-kitchens.com

A DV E R T O R I A L

Get into shape and colour

Crittall says think outside the box with statement steel windows, doors and screens

Curves and rounded shapes are back, and authenticity and hand-crafted products are the buzz words. So, if you want to make a real style statement, consider on-trend steel-framed windows and doors with arches and sweeping curves rather than the ubiquitous rectangular shape.

Maximise views if you have them with a panoramic window. Floor-toceiling and wide-view window options and ‘60s-style picture windows are all brilliant ways to bring the outside in.

Internally, consider a dramatic steel screen set with different-sized square or rectangular glass panes in colourful reds, greens and blues, and clear, opaque or textured finishes. It’ll make a wonderful talking point, and help to break up an open-plan space.

Russell Ager, managing director at Crittall Windows, pioneers of steel frame window manufacture for 170 years, says: ‘With the modern take on the retro look now very much in vogue, steel windows are enjoying a big resurgence in popularity in homes, including luxury minimalist warehouse apartments. Adding that savvy splash of colour will ensure an even bigger wow factor.’

With slim, timeless frames and sightlines, the graceful elegance offered by steel windows present a light, delicate feel inside and out, and a welcome sense of airiness. For that minimalist look in a modern property or renovation, there are attractive grey, white and black options. You could even ring the changes with a bold or a darker colour on the outside and a neutral/white finish on the inside to blend in with the interior décor.

‘Authentic Crittall products are never matched,’ says Russell. ‘Tailormade to meet almost any individual requirement – shape or colour – our steel windows, doors and Innervision screens are designed and fabricated to last a lifetime.’

Go to crittallwindows.co.uk for more details, or call 01376 530800.