Continuing our Guest Blog Series, this time it's the turn of the brilliant Reece of @littleedwardian. Read on to find out all about Reece's new kitchen renovation and how you can also create a space like his.

 

The kitchen - the place where we eat, drink, socialise and often the heart of the home.

During the lockdown, we decided to embark on the biggest part of our house renovation….the kitchen!

The house we live in is not huge, an Edwardian end of terrace house in South East London, built in 1905. Being on a smaller scale doesn’t make it any less of a huge commitment, both financially and disrupting day to day life.

The old kitchen used to be a very small galley kitchen on the back end of the house in an old lean-to. This obviously was not fit for purpose, was hugely depressing to cook in and hurt my eye, as it was one of my least favourite colour combinations, red and black.

 

 

How To Plan Your Dream Kitchen Design

Planning

We decided that with the renovation we wanted to move the kitchen into the middle of the house. This was to open up and enjoy the back of the extension looking out to the garden. It also would have a family space, with seating and a dining area.

The design of the kitchen was extremely important to both of us. We looked at various off the shelf kitchens, but they just never seemed right. Working with the space we had was a challenge. It was small, in the centre of the house, darker and gave us limited layout choices. Ultimately this meant we wanted a bespoke kitchen.

We found a local company called ‘Handsfords’, they’re a family-owned cabinet making company. They listened to what we wanted and communicated every step of the way, from design till finish. We knew having our kitchen handmade was going to be more expensive but we thought the house fully deserved it, would bring us many happy memories and we both love food and cooking.

The design for us was pretty simple, we wanted it to look beautiful, maximise storage and include some key things. These must-haves were a dishwasher, space for a range, built-in fridge, bin store and a larder. I must say we got everything we wanted in the design.

 

How To Plan Your Dream Kitchen Design

Lighting & Colour

Lighting is the most important aspect of any design. This is often forgotten about and left till the last minute. Lighting must be considered early and an idea of what type of lighting is going to be required in the space. I knew I wanted to have the option of different types of lighting including ceiling, wall, under shelf and pendant. I used a few different companies but also tried to make them look coherent. For me, the lighting always has to be warm white light and on a dimmer. All the lighting for the kitchen and extension is on a dimmer, which allows you to create your own ambience. The light switch and sockets are from a fabulous company called Corston. They are beautifully stylish and bronze in colour.

The Colour choice of the cabinets was my biggest dilemma. I changed my mind about 5 times, as I couldn’t decide on the right colour. I knew I wanted the kitchen to be light in colour and as the kitchen was handmade it required it to be hand-painted. Hanford’s use a wood paint with a low sheen from Mylands, this paint is high quality and is very hardwearing. This made a huge difference to the quality of the look and made the finished look very high end. The colour I finally chose was ‘Chambers Gate’ for the walls, and the cabinets are ‘Amber Grey’. These are very similar in tone but complement each other very well. It was not my intention for them to be so close but I loved the look once put together.

 

Surfaces

The floor was an easy choice as I knew I wanted wooden flooring for warmth, and for a more natural look. I chose flooring from a company called Eaton square, who offers a huge range of high-quality floorings. I went for an engineered oak herringbone design. This looks perfect against the cabinetry and adds to the high-end look.

The breakfast bar was the fun part of the design, I knew I wanted it tiled and I wanted a foot bar. My idea for this was to have it look a little like a trendy bar. I like to think I achieved this in the end. The tiles I actually fitted myself and used ‘zelliage’ tiles from an amazing company called ‘Otto tiles’. I went with black for the contrast. I love this type of tile for its texture and design. They add so much interest to a space. The brass trim I got cut from metals4you and the brass foot bar was from eBay.

How To Plan Your Dream Kitchen Design

The big splash out was the stove from Lacanche. We decided to go for the induction hob for ease of cleaning. This took a lot of consideration as it was a huge investment but was a vital part of the design. The brass trim on the stove bought the whole design together. While the stove was very important, so was the extractor hood. This I knew for as long as I started planning the kitchen that it had to be included. I got in made by an incredible company called Quirky Interiors. It’s exactly how I planned it to look and makes the impact that I wanted, thinking 'wow' every time I look at it.

I knew I wanted to go bold with the worktops. I have always loved a terrazzo pattern and wanted to make a statement with the bold white marble and contrasting black chaotic pattern. This worktop against the cupboards looks incredible, everything and more I dreamed of. The contrast of the cabinetry being light and fairly simple is the perfect side by side combination, both complimenting each other’s design attributes.

 

Details

It's all about the detail. This is what really mattered to me because I think this takes the most consideration of any space. It can make or break a design, and to anyone with an eye for interiors, it's the first thing they will notice. A kitchen has to be functional but also beautiful, it needs to work for you as a family so can be very personal. I knew how I wanted it to look from the very beginning. Every detail was thought about down to the plug socket and where they were placed. I knew that I wanted to look straight onto the stove with the extractor hood with symmetry. I wanted to have the shelves match in line to the bottom of the extractor hood, painted black for contrast with the brass picture bars.

The reeded panel on the larder and the end of the breakfast bar is one of my favourite details, I can already assure you this is becoming very popular. It adds architectural detail and interest to a design, which I love.

How To Plan Your Dream Kitchen Design

Hardware is hard to choose, especially as it can often look cheap or be considered an afterthought. I was so happy to have found handles from ‘Meraki’. I mixed up the designs with pull bars and drawer pulls. They are solid brass, finished in black with brass edging. I loved the simplicity of them and went for the bigger sizing to make a statement on the cabinetry. They honestly help pull the design together.

 

 

So yes that’s my kitchen which I love dearly. It’s beyond my wildest dreams and I just wish I could have it on an even bigger scale. Some advice I have for anyone embarking on a kitchen renovation journey is:

• Consider lighting early on, it’s one of the most important aspects of any design.
• Don’t be afraid to be bold or wanting to make a statement.
• Try and make sure the scheme is coherent and works well together, by getting samples and creating a mood board.
• Kitchens are not cheap, so budget wisely. If you have the budget I would always consider a bespoke kitchen.

 

Get The Look

Create some of Reece's style and look with our pick of Rockett St George items.

 

Products featured:

• NLXL Studio Job Withered Flowers Wallpaper
• Retro Golden Glass Tripod Table Lamp
• White Lovers Art Print
• White Glass Globe Pendant Light
• Nero Black Metal Bar Stool
• Rockett St George Black Wooden Sectioned Serving Platter
• White Shell Ornament/Storage Pot
• Glass Storage Jar With Gold Lid
• Black Onyx Ceramic Bottleneck Vase With Handles