‘ With the two divided spaces, I was constantly running between the two rooms to ask a question- communication was terrible! All the utilities we needed for the family in the kitchen- a dishwasher, tumble dryer... and wine cooler- simply didn’ t fit before. The house immediately became more sociable since we integrated the rooms, and much more light gets in’.
Living in a period property, not only do the family benefit from heaps of history and alluring architecture, but a real saving grace: high ceilings. This allowed for some inventive design: they transformed one bedroom into two by building a mezzanine. In the kitchen, this meant the family were able to make the most of the storage opportunities by installing cupboards which extend all the way to the ceiling, as well as down to the floor. This, according to Sebastian, draws the eye upwards to give a sense of space.
Although Galyna admittedly uses a step ladder to access them, she adds,‘ the cupboards are also very white and light so they make the space look bigger visually …’
The window seat is a favourite spot of Galyna’ s:‘ It’ s huge- you can lie, read a book- even with two of you. We keep all our kitchen appliances and dishes in the drawers out of the way.’
DESIGN & DETAILS
A prime feature of the kitchen is the peninsula. Not only does it act as a divider between the kitchen area and the living room, but is spacious enough for the whole family to do a myriad of tasks …
Galyna explains:“ I like baking big pies and fresh pasta- I can roll out my dough, and ingredients on the worksurface …. It’ s perfect for four people to have dinner. We work there, play board games as a family- its multifunctional, easy to cook lots of space for socialising’
An unusual element of the family’ s peninsula is its waterfall edge and large-radius curves, which were made bespoke for this kitchen. A family kitchen, rounded corners meant more protection from bruised hips as people move past each other.
BATHROOMS & KITCHENS
Both Sebastian and Galyna explained how the cupboards were thoroughly considered to create a feeling of spaciousness. The cupboards, doors and peninsula have a consistent panelled design- working in the family’ s favour as they secretly hide a bathroom and white goods out of sight.
Sebastian said:‘ the curved peninsula was a very good decision- the sweep of it gives a sense of space.’
“ We wanted to make the bathroom invisible- so no one other than us knows it’ s there. So we made all the cupboards look the same … sometimes we mistake the toilet for the fridge!” said Galyna.
Moreover, the glazed cupboard doors expand the space by reflecting the light, and appearing similar to the windows- making the room feel bigger than it is.
Storage was a must in Galyna’ s kitchen design- and The London Kitchen company sought to create it at every opportunity. For example, we crafted a bespoke window seat, with storage underneath.
Sebastian said:“ this is a prime example of the benefits of a bespoke kitchen. I was able to maximise the space of each drawer by having the middle one slightly wider, and the side drawers with more depth … Often people have lift up tops, which is complicated as you have to hold it open to access it. Drawers seemed an obvious choice for me.”
The kitchen’ s consistent design continued with the window seat fabric. Aiming to match the family’ s couch, Sebastian contacted the sofa company to acquire the exact blue fabric. He then collaborated with a local upholstery company to finish the design.
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