We are delighted to announce we have won a 5 ***** UK Property Award within the Kitchen Design, East of England category.

The United Kingdom Property Awards is the largest, most prestigious, and globally recognised programme. The Awards are now in their 27th year and celebrate the highest levels of achievement by companies operating in all sectors of the property industry. They are assessed by an independent panel of over 80 industry professionals who cover the whole range of property disciplines and focused on design, quality, service, innovation and creativity.

More information can be found here.

Continue reading for further details on this stunning project…

The Brief

The Kitchen project was designed for a professional couple with young children who enjoy regularly entertaining at home. They had a large extension built onto the rear of the property and wanted to create an open plan living space with clearly defined functional areas.

To fulfil our clients’ brief we needed to provide a design with multiple zones that represented one cohesive space through continual use of colours and materials. They were keen for us to create a functional kitchen space with ample storage for a growing family. As keen cooks with a regular entertaining schedule, they wanted plentiful appliances with the ‘wow’ factor to showcase their culinary skills. There was to be a dedicated dining area with seating for 6 people close to the kitchen and a dedicated bar area that could be used to prepare and present food and drink. Not forgetting the clients’ furry friends, of course – a separate utility and dog washing/pampering zone was to be situated just off the kitchen.

In addition to the functional elements, how the space looked and felt was equally important. The clients wanted a modern industrial luxe look with moody hues and clean lines, and so it was our goal to deliver visual drama through a careful choice of materials to make that statement.

The Chosen Design

Our dedicated design team was mindful of the families’ priorities, utilising an opulent mix of unique elements detailed below.

Worktops were a key feature in the overall scheme. Starting from the kitchen island, we used the distinctively veined Sensa Black Beauty Granite which flows seamlessly down to the table where it meets the floor via the waterfall end. A plain, suede-finish Sensa Granite in Moak Black was used on the perimeters to allow the patterned veined granite to take centre stage.

For the kitchen furniture, we used a handleless system with a stainless coloured handle channel to complement the mix of plain and statement-making furniture doors. A plain lava grey door in a soft matt finish forms the base of the scheme, layered beautifully with feature doors.

These feature doors, comprised of textured stone veneered doors, gave a uniquely individual finish on the tall units housing the ovens, column fridge, and freezer. On the island we used a stainless effect door, whose hand-brushed finish gives a similarly individual result. Our design team were able to produce a sleek, industrial look without overpowering the whole design through the use of brushed metal wall units with tinted glass, combined with black-framed, open, floating shelves.

Kitchen Zone

As keen cooks and regular hosts, the clients’ food preparation and cooking areas had to be practical with ample storage. We chose Miele for the cooking appliances, alongside a handleless bank of ovens in obsidian black with sensor touch controls for a seamless design. Miele’s Domino system allows you to create your own hob combination by choosing individual elements, and so we decided on a large induction hob, induction sunken wok, and teppanyaki, as our client was keen to use these for show cooking whilst entertaining.

The client loved this concept as it was not only practical for their cooking needs, but also created a showpiece to entertain and impress their guests. For the cooker hood we kept the design simple by using a large, plain, stainless, and integrated style, and dropped the ceiling down over the island to house it, thereby framing and defining the cooking space perfectly.

For refrigeration, our client requested the renowned luxury refrigerator brand, Sub Zero. We used a full column fridge and separate freezer and statement wine cooler for the ultimate united food and drink storage.

Although we love the industrial feel of the Sub Zero, we felt it needed softening to tie in with our scheme. To achieve this, we chose to use their integrated range for the fridge and freezer to seamlessly merge with the décor with no visible grilles or hinges. We chose custom stone veneered furniture doors for the fascia panels to match the surrounding furniture, but kept the large tubular stainless handles and stainless-steel fascia panel on the wine cooler to keep the industrial look. This combination gave the scheme the perfect mix of industrial and functionality whilst offering an element of extra luxury through the combination with stone veneer doors.

Dining Zone

Our clients were delighted through our ability to maximise the space, attaching the dining table directly onto the island with a floating appearance, perfectly connecting the kitchen and bar areas.

The table was constructed using reinforced metal rod supports for stability and clad with stone so as not to be visible. By using a natural product our clients were able to choose their granite slab to make it completely unique to their home.

Bar Zone

The bar and entertainment zone was a must-have for the client, acting as an area to prepare drinks and present food away from the kitchen area. Their aim was for it to form part of the overall design, yet still be segregated from the everyday practical cooking and food storage area. Our skilled designers positioned it at the end of the dining area and incorporated a separate sink away from the kitchen, enabling drinks and cocktails to be prepared as well as a large expanse of worktop where drinks or food could be laid out. We used open, metal-framed shelving units to showcase items and to present the look and feel of a real bar, mounting the shelves onto smoked mirror to give depth and the illusion of them floating.

Utility

Although primarily a functional space, our client was keen to continue the ‘wow’ factor through to the utility and dog pampering room that flowed from the kitchen. Carrying through from the kitchen area, we chose to use the soft matt grey doors and added some drama with the use of the striking patterned Sensa Black Beauty Granite for continuity.

The utility room housed a washing machine and tumble dryer, and incorporated another sink and an additional freezer. The dog washing shower area was elevated for comfort and tailor-made using a stone resin shower tray and clad using granite – and as you can see from the photos, it went down a treat with the four-pawed family members!