OPEN-PLAN IS BETTER FOR US

COCKTAIL HOUR ‘The bar cart is a little bit of fun! This is a great place to relax and gaze out of the window’

‘Open-plan is

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PAGE 94

COME ON IN!

90 | ABOUT ME I’m Poppy Marples, 27, and I work in the education department of a theatre as a youth and outreach officer. I live with my partner, Dan Paige, 26, a surveyor, in a two-bed Victorian flat in Hove, West Sussex. We moved here in July 2018.

THE CHALLENGE The kitchen was small and poky, and was housed in a tiny room off a large entrance hall. We decided to move the kitchen into the living room to create an open-plan space.

MY WISH LIST A dark blue kitchen! Something sociable, stylish and in keeping with the rest of the flat. I also really wanted a butler sink and a nice big breakfast bar.

MARCH 2020 IDEA TO STEAL ‘Match the wall paint to a contrasting grout to help tie your scheme togetherÕ

TOTAL £6,900

KITCHEN MAKEOVER

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BETTER FOR US’

COLOUR BURST ‘I was set on this blue shade for the units – it adds vibrancy and style to the large room’

By moving her kitchen into the living room, Poppy was able to create a stylish, open-plan, multi-use space

Having enjoyed doing up our previous home, we were on the lookout for our next project when we found this Victorian one-bedroom, first-floor flat,’ says Poppy. ‘It was dated and unloved, but we relish a challenge and the flat was such a good price –we knew we could put our own stamp on it and make it work for us. Soon after we moved in, we decided to completely rework the layout. There was a bedroom, bathroom, small kitchen and massive living room, so to maximise the space, we turned the kitchen into a second bedroom and built a brand-new kitchen in the living room.

Choosing the kitchen We started by checking that it would be possible to move the gas and water connections from their existing locations into the living room. Once we’d had this confirmed, we worked with Howdens to come up with the perfect kitchen layout and design. I had lots of ideas and knew what I wanted, but I was careful to take my time, do my research and think about the space we had to work with. For example, ideally I wanted a sink under the window to enjoy the view, but it’s a huge sash window, which is too low for the worktop. So we compromised and adapted the layout. I’d set my heart on a dark blue kitchen and fell in love with the Shaker style of this Fairford design.

Watching the pennies As our budget wouldn’t stretch to marble or quartz worktops, we settled for solid rustic oak, which my partner Dan chose. We had it sanded, stained and oiled to better complement the blue units. We did most of the work on the rest of the flat ourselves, but decided to get a local carpenter in to fit the kitchen and

Do it! CHOOSE YOUR FLOORING

Search for a material that works with your overall look – this could mean mirroring the worktop or creating a dramatic contrast.

Always take a sample home and look at it in different lights. Set a budget and make sure it includes fitting costs, underlays, fixatives and grouts.

Consider durability and maintenance. Porous stone and hardwood will need regular treating or resealing, whereas slate, ceramic, vinyl and laminate are all fairly low-maintenance.

Use plain (often cheaper) tiles to create interesting patterns – lay them in a herringbone or brick formation, or try hexagonal tiles.

SOCIAL SPACE ‘The large breakfast bar works as both a prep area and a place to gather when friends or family come round for dinner’

IDEA TO STEAL ‘Add patterned flooring to complement a solid kitchen unit colourÕ

TOP PRIORITY ‘The butler sink was high on my wish list –it goes so well with the Shaker-style units’

works Why it

STYLE AT HOME SAYSÉ

‘Poppy has zoned off the kitchen area, while keeping the overall space cohesive in style’

KITCHEN MAKEOVER

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asked a friend to do the tiling. For the floor, I wanted something patterned and light to contrast with the dark units. We ordered a few samples and this design from Walls and Floors came out on top. I had to rein in the spending, so for the splashback we ordered simple white matt metro tiles from Wickes, which we paired with dark grey grouting. Theming the living area With the kitchen complete, I turned my attention to the rest of the living space. We found the old Victorian fireplace hidden behind a fake wall, which set the style for the rest of the room. We restored it and painted the mantel a grey shade for extra impact, and then painted the woodwork the same colour for a modern touch. Walls were painted a soft white to complement the blue kitchen units and, for a bit of fun, I decided to paint the back of each door pink, to add a bit of personality to the room. We picked parquet flooring for the living area, which Dan fitted himself over three days, to help zone where the kitchen ends and the living area begins. Styling it up For the finishing touches, I sourced accessories from lots of places. I found some bits second-hand on Facebook marketplace and others from small independent companies. Homesense and H&M Home are also favourites of mine. I introduced lots of houseplants, a few cool cushions and a shaggy rug to reflect my love of boho style. I love the new room and we’re both delighted that the gamble of moving the kitchen has paid off.’ ‘ RESTORE ORIGINAL FE ATU RES WH ER E POSSIB L E;THEY ’ RE ATTRACTIVE AND LINK THE SPACE TO ITS ROOTS ’ ON THE LEDGE ‘We painted the newly refurbished fire surround the same colour as the picture rail for a sense of continuity’

LOUNGE AROUND ‘I’ve styled the living area so it both feels like its own space, but also flows with the kitchen’

Where to buy Poppy’s style

Join in and share your home revamps with Style at Home on Instagram @styleathomemag FEATURE AND STYLING ZOE BISHOP PHOTOGRAPHS LIZZIE ORME Fairford Navy kitchen , £5,800 including appliances; unfinished rustic oak solid wood worktop , £600; Lamona Belfast sink , £210, all Howdens. Walls in Cornforth White estate emulsion, £46.50 for 2.5ltr; fire surround and picture rail in Plummett estate emulsion, £46.50 for 2.5ltr; doors in Sulking Room Pink estate eggshell, £62 for 2.5ltr, all Farrow & Ball. Ledbury Slate Grey pattern floor tiles , £34.95sq m, Walls and Floors. Metro White ceramic tiles , £11.99sq m, Wickes. Oak wood parquet flooring , from £35.24sq m, Luxury Flooring and Furnishings. Torc antique brass effect kitchen twin-lever mixer tap , £42, B&Q. Victoria metal bar stools , £89 each, Cult Furniture. Daxon two-seater sofa , £839, Barker and Stonehouse. Afaw Berber-style rug , from £59.40, La Redoute. Try Leverette coffee table , £109.99; ceiling lights , £50 each, both Wayfair. Concrete fruit bowl , £45, Beco Bay