The kitchen is where the home is, to paraphrase an old saying. Design & Interiors editor Harjit Gammon unveils some real life varieties, as she ponders the question of what is in vogue
My first port of call was Jonathan O’Shea, of Savills Estate Agents. After all as another old saying goes, at least in estate agent speak, and in turn dinner party tittle tattle, “kitchens sell houses”. So, who better to ask than an estate agent.
Jonathan is knowledgeable and quickly fires off a shopping list of checkpoints:
• Unfussy painted wood, not natural wood/dark stained wood. Colours that lighten a room not darken it. Professional stainless steel kitchens show every finger mark, and so are best avoided.
• Soft close, jointed drawers.
• Reflective work surfaces such as granite
and marble.
• Recessed lighting rather than chandeliers - impractical in a kitchen environment.
• As large a sink as possible, by the window or in an island unit.
• Cool taps.
• Individual tile splash backs.
• Prep sinks.
• Good range stove/Aga at the top end of
the market.
• Dining area/garden room to spill out into.
• Stone floors.
In short “a room to occupy, rather than work in. Sufficiently stylish to appeal, but not uber stylish.” I mention super gloss kitchens; he retorts “in Notting Hill perhaps”. I still love them!
However, we are all too familiar with anecdotal stories of kitchens installed at great expense by a seller, only to be ripped out by the incoming buyer, at all points of the property market. Throw in the vagaries of fashion and you probably start to get my drift. My advice to you therefore, is to please yourself, without too much regard for the re-sale potential of your outlay. After all next to the house itself and perhaps a car, depending on your particular bent, a kitchen is likely to be one of the most costly purchases you’ll ever make. So cut yourself some slack and indulge your own whims, there’s a whole world of designs and styles out there.
The Commissioned Kitchen
Arguably the simplest, most stress-free option is a kitchen from a manufacturer who will undertake the whole project, from initial design and planning, to installation. Experts will take the headache out of choosing from the enormous selection of appliances, fittings, fixtures and finishes as well as maximising space and engaging the appropriate tradesmen required. This area has a fantastic choice of companies to choose from (see The Directory).
The Crafted Kitchen
If creativity is your thing, commission a hand built kitchen from a craftsman carpenter who can turn your ideas into reality. Units can be made in standard sizes or to your own specifications (and incorporate details such as salt & pepper draws next to the cooker for example) giving you the option of a made-to-measure kitchen, within a budget of your own choosing. In theory anything is possible.
The Intelligent Kitchen
Looking for a kitchen with a creative and ingenious solution for that perennial problem of sufficient storage? As the pressure on storage becomes ever more pressing, with the transformation of the kitchen into the very hub of the modern home, a system of drawers, instead of conventional cupboards, may be the ‘intelligent’ answer. ‘Dynamic Space’ is a system devised by an Austrian firm on the basis of sound research into how kitchens are really used, the system truly satisfies the requirement of the old maxim ‘a space for everything and everything in its place’. Never get on your hands and knees again in the search for anything, or let items languish forgotten and unused, deep at the back of cupboards or in difficult to reach corners.
Drawers designed to accommodate all manner of items, tall and small, bulky and awkward (think spice jars for example) are catered for. Deep, gliding (gas powered), easy access, easy use, they are every foodie and neat freak’s idea of heaven. You could of course achieve your own perfect harmony of form and function by devising your own solution.
The Freestanding Kitchen
For those in search of individuality and character (fitted units don’t appeal to everyone) a freestanding kitchen constructed around individual pieces, of antique and found furniture, collected over many years, may be the solution. Offering the opportunity to form an eclectic ensemble, juxtaposing the industrial with the rustic, this is an approach requiring confidence and a sureness of touch aesthetically, and not for the faint-hearted. One of the advantages of a kitchen like this is that it allows for improvisation and another that it enables the fabric of a historic building to be the hero of the piece.
Once the key items - a cooker, sink and fridge - are in place the look can be reshaped to accommodate new acquisitions and new focal points as and when desired. The vital ingredients of this look are high-end stoves and fridges, armoires and antique wood larders complete with cold shelves and internal lighting, open shelving, individual, characterful tables and that elusive thing called flair.
An alternative option is what is known as the modular kitchen. Offering flexibility (units are available individually from kitchen specialists and retailers such as John Lewis) combined with the streamlined appearance of a fitted kitchen. Adaptability to add or change the layout with minimal disruption are again benefits.
Kitchen Diners
With room space at a premium given today’s house prices, combined kitchen-diners are a win-win way to make the most of your home. From countertop eating areas to sofa-style seating the options are seemingly endless, constrained only by money and imagination.
Many kitchen companies offer island units. Not only stylish, particularly when painted a vivid colour, they can be immensely practical accommodating family-size dining tables that slide underneath the island when not in use, without sacrificing valuable workspace. Coupled with benches in place of chairs they look streamlined and striking. For the ultimate in space maximising how about a pair of sliding worktops that pull out to reveal a hob and sink and convert to a dining counter when together.
Alternatively add a countertop ledge that can serve as a casual breakfast/eating area. Add high stools, chosen to look good from all angles, from a range available at John Lewis.
For the ultimate in comfort choose sofa-style seating, upholstered in leather or fabric.
THE MANDATORIES
All electrical work must be undertaken by an installer registered with a Competent Persons’ Scheme or be inspected and approved by the local authority building control department. They must be notified in advance of work taking place.
Gas appliance installers must be Corgi (Confederation for the Registration of Gas Installers) registered.
Directory
Stamford and the surrounding area boast kitchen companies and suppliers to suit every budget and taste. Design and Interiors Editor Harjit Gammon lists a selection.
QKS The Maltings, Barnack Road, Stamford, PE9 2NA Tel: 01780 756514
An unparalleled range of all types of kitchens, with high quality in all price ranges. Over thirty constantly updated displays. They have a Hob Cookery demonstration on Saturday 10 May from 11–1pm.
Mark Goodacre Kitchens Limited. Osgodsby Farm, Nr Irnham, Grantham. Tel: 01476 586159
Bespoke kitchen and handmade furniture maker offering a complete service from kitchen design and building to fitting and finishing.
Nathaniel Oliver and Associates Limited 01572 722636
Nigel Gibson Interiors 15 St Mary’s Hill, Stamford 01780 766899
Stunning Italian Cesar kitchens
Jackson Building Centres 48 Scotgate, Stamford, PE9 2YQ Tel: 01780 764782
Maxine Couch at Jackson has many years experience working with Britain’s top kitchen manufacturers Stoneham and Symphony. More than just a builders’ merchants.
Fired Earth Warmington Mill, Eaglethorpe, PE8 6TJ Tel: 01832 280088
At Warmington Mill, in the refurbished Boat House, there is a dedicated area to show off the original stunningly simple Shaker aesthetic using a new kitchen concept. Unparalled craftsmanship and minute attention to detail in the beautiful pared down carpentry. Eight subtle colours and complete flexibility. Designed to be freestanding or semi-fitted.
The Fitted Furniture Company 2 Racecourse Rd, Easton-on-the-Hill, Nr Stamford PE9 3NT
Tel: 01780 480080
“The country or Shaker style lends itself beautifully to a kitchen project that won’t date and still be flexible to incorporate all the modern day features we have come to expect.” A steady reputation in the area for quality work and can make free-standing furniture too.
Fordham Kitchens Ltd The Showroom, New Road, Ryhall, Nr Stamford PE9 4HI Tel: 01780 482892
Dynamic Space® kitchen system incorporating a new stone coloured high gloss display kitchen. Choose from a variety of doors and work surfaces in every style to suit all pockets.
John Lewis Queensgate Centre, Peterborough PE1 1NL Tel: 01733 344644
Three main ranges, Alno, Sheraton and their own brand. Alno are the biggest premium brand in Europe. Distinctive Alno units can be incorporated into a design to make it truly original. One of their high gloss options comes in a range of 2,500 different colours!
Jeffrey Stone Tel: 01780 762505 Mob: 07949 861753
“My kitchens take into account people’s particular needs... The kitchen area has definitely grown into a larger more sociable room, usually with room for a sofa. There is a stronger emphasis on good seating and gadgets, which have become part of the way we live now; good coffee machines, built-in television and audio systems are all part of the way kitchens have changed.”
Hunters Interiors The Dairy, Copthill Farm Enterprises, Deeping Rd, Uffington, Nr Stamford, PE9 4TD Tel: 01780 757946
Hunter’s strength is their ability to supply a completely seamless service for their customers, overseeing every aspect of a bespoke kitchen project.
Corner Farm Pine Kate’s Bridge, Bourne, PE10 0EN Tel: 01778 561333
More than just pine! Working in reclaimed pine, blonde oak and several other woods, Corner Farm Pine can create free-standing units to make your kitchen really individual.