Click on gallery images to perspective incomparable picture
Ian Johnstone has remodelled his kitchen to be a stylish focal indicate of his open-plan conservatory extension.
The problem
‘When we built this residence 25 years ago we designed all a interiors myself. I’d been unequivocally happy with it over a years, though it was time for a change – we wanted some-more room in a kitchen, so we went for a finish redesign.’
What we did
‘I motionless to extend my vital space by adding a conservatory and demolishing a garage to emanate a atmospheric dining room. It was going to be a vast project, so we altered out for a year to equivocate as many intrusion as possible. we had to work to utterly a despotic budget, though as we had late we was means to take on a lot of a work myself, project-managing a build and bringing in subcontractors, such as a plumber and an electrician, as and when we indispensable them.
‘I had always dreamed of carrying an open-plan vital space, so adding an prolongation was a ideal resolution as it would meant we could redesign a kitchen. My aim was to emanate a feeling of space and a healthy upsurge between a conservatory, dining room and kitchen, so we called in an engineer to pull adult plans. The engineer authorised for a peninsular section in a kitchen, though we saw that as an barrier to open-plan vital and altered it to a breakfast bar.
‘As I’ve worked in a construction attention all my life, we knew accurately how we wanted things done. The initial pursuit was to explode a garage, puncture a footings for a new conservatory, lay a petrify foundations and do a drainage work. we afterwards had a roof and walls replastered and employed someone to re-slate a roof, that was in a unfortunate state.
‘As we wanted to emanate some-more light in a vital area, we opted for a conservatory prolongation and put in floor-to-ceiling potion in a dining room, so there’s a wraparound effect.
‘The kitchen is in a center of a layout. As it doesn’t have any specific windows and a residence is a single-storey building, we motionless to have dual object pipes installed. The tube goes adult by a loft to a roof and reflects light down into a whole space. It works brilliantly and even reserve light during night, as there are spotlights propitious in any tube.
‘I wanted a kitchen to be a focal indicate in a open-plan area, so we indispensable an eye-catching design. I’d seen a burgundy, high-gloss kitchen with immaculate steel accessories and grey building tiles in a showroom, that we suspicion was perfect, so we contacted a internal company, Contrast Kitchens, and asked if they had anything similar.
‘Their kitchen engineer showed me a sample, that was only what we wanted. The kitchen units have multi-wood doors with immaculate steel plinths and white work surfaces with speckles that glitter, creation a shining contrariety to a dim burgundy units. I’ve also had a special appendage built into a breakfast bar – called a ‘periscope’, it has energy points for a food mixer and other appliances and slides orderly underneath a work aspect when it’s not being used.
‘As I’d selected a clever colour for a units, we suspicion a dark blue would demeanour good on a walls – though it didn’t unequivocally work as a blue was some-more like a mauve, that we can suppose didn’t go good with burgundy units. So we finished adult selecting a neutral white intrigue instead, regulating Dulux Trade Diamond Matt Pure Brilliant White on a roof with Softsheen Blossom White on a walls, also Dulux.
‘I afterwards incited to a finishing touches, such as a vast plasma radio on a conflicting wall to a breakfast bar – it’s good for examination a morning news while I’m eating breakfast. It was a extras that took me to a top boundary of my budget, though it was critical to me to grasp a right look. we was aiming to emanate a thespian vital space with highspecification equipment and furniture, so that came during a cost.
‘I spend many of my time in this space now and we adore it. My kitchen/ prolongation plan cost utterly a lot and took 10 months to complete, though it’s fanciful and has combined to a value of my home, so it was value it.’
WORDS KAREN GOOCH PHOTOGRAPHS NIKKI CRISP
Featured in a Mar 2011 emanate of Real Homes
Incoming search terms:
Related posts
- A garden that thrives in the shade
- Creating an en suite in the attic
- Rattan Garden Furniture Described and Defined
- Tips For Buying Garden Furniture
- Which Garden Furniture is Best?
- A modern family kitchen
- Extending for more space
- Quick Living Room Makeover (betterhomesgardens)
- A Guide To Outdoor Lighting From House To Home
- Three Things to Look For When Pursuing Garden Lighting For
- Outdoor Solar Lights - Some of the Many Possible Uses
- A garden for all seasons
- A classically modern en suite
