ON THE COVER BATHROOM MAKEOVER This stylish

Am mak azing eovers ‘I’m very tempted to sit in my new kitchen all day’

A once tired and gloomy room is now a sophisticated and practical space

WORDS CAROLYN BAILEY | PHOTOGRAPHY MALCOLM MENZIES

STORAGE

Tall cupboards with plenty of shelving feature along one side of the room

Virginie Röell-Lacaille in south London. She organisation that promotes recycling

‘The layout was impractical, with the sink on one side and hob on the other. There was a small under-counter fridge and very little storage, while an ancient boiler and the washing machine took up a lot

WORKTOP

UK-made Foresso has a striking

Why did you want to do the work? upgrade. While I loved its high ceilings and feeling of space, everything needed replacing: boiler, radiators, kitchen layout was impractical, the appliances were falling apart, the cabinetry looked very tired

What was your inspiration? I already had an oval marble dining table and Ernest Race red and yellow chairs that I wanted to be a focus, and had chosen Foresso worktops for their bold look and environmental credentials. As a balance, I felt I needed to introduce some calm colours, so chose Pluck cabinetry in a delicate Brockwell Moss colourway with Sweet

Were there any particular challenges? Keeping the budget and timing under control was as a square room with a big window, the kitchen didn’t allow for the ideal ‘triangle’ layout, as the units had to be organised on either side of the room with my table in the middle. What made the whole thing work was dedicating one side of the room to storage, in the form of tall cupboards, and keeping the preparation area on the other side, with extra-wide low units.

Any absolute must-haves? required dismantling the front door), a breakfast nook for the kettle, coffee maker and toaster, and a proper larder for food storage. I also wanted to get the boiler and washing machine out of the kitchen, which meant we had to create a laundry and cylinder in a false ceiling above the stairs.

What do you like most about the room now? It’s very practical, but beautiful and comfortable aspect: I can sit at the table and have breakfast in the morning light, and enjoy the sunset across the double room at the end of the day. HB

MY SOURCEBOOK Units, pluck.co.uk. Worktops and splashback, foresso.co.uk. Appliances, thedac.co.uk. Walls and woodwork in James White matt emulsion; cornice and woodwork in All White eggshell; all farrow-ball.com. Flooring, . Gordon wall lights, . Terence Woodgate Sum pendant, twentytwentyone.com

WHAT I’VE LEARNED ‘Pin down the exact location of open avoid costly changes later. And directly sourcing as many items as possible saves time and money’

SPLASHBACK

Running the splashback all the way up to the shelving and cupboards creates a cohesive and tidy feel

SEATING

The brightly coloured red and yellow chairs provide a striking focal point

UNITS

A calm colour on the cabinetry balances out the bold pattern of the splashback and worksurface

WHAT I SPENT

KITCHEN UNITS £17,210 INSTALLATION £2,240 WORKTOP, SPLASHBACK AND SHELF, PLUS INSTALLATION £4,620 APPLIANCES £4,000 PAINT £125 FLOORING £3,000 LIGHTING £800 TOTAL £31,995