I was contacted by a couple who was struggling with their kitchen, feeling really uninspired by the current decoration and layout. They needed more space and an injection of their own character to make it a place which is functional for their family and lifestyle and an enjoyable space to relax. The budget for the refresh was set fairly low as they plan to sell their home in a couple of years time, therefore any major changes such as flooring and kitchen cabinetry was a ‘no-go'. The wish list included a media wall to house the enormous TV with the addition of an electric fire. They also wanted more storage and additional seating for busier times such as Christmas and large family dinners. In terms of style ‘green’ was the direction given and a new green velvet sofa. From the before images below you can see that the living zone space is quite tight and also has a staircase overhead reducing head height, there is also the addition of a rather awkward alcove causing an imbalance to the seating zone and generally a dead zone.
Before: Living zone within kitchen
Before: Kitchen
As you can see from the before images the space is fairly tight. I set off designing the media wall which included a contemporary electric fire and decorative shelving with warm LED strips and fluted wood panelling. From the media wall we continued in to the alcove with built in bench seating under which is plenty of storage. To create a cosy nook the warm wood panelling was added inside the alcove with a decorative wall light to create a soft glow and destination. A compact green velvet sofa was added alongside a circular coffee table and Berber rug to soften the grey floor tiles.
After: Creation of a cosy nook including bench seating with storage underneath.
After: A media wall was created with integrated electric file and decorative shelving
The green wall paint selected was taken through to the kitchen which made the white kitchen cabinets look fresher and the whole room more inviting. The woodland wallpaper was then taken up the stairs and new lighting added. Additional items included an Oak herringbone table with new dining chairs. My clients were really thrilled with the end result as the solutions created has transformed the room and the way they use it.
After: Woodland wallpaper taken up the stairs and new lighting added.