Our clients had lived in their family home in Surrey for several years, and during this time, they carried out a large ground-floor extension. At the time of the extension, they decided to keep the original kitchen design but add an additional island and area for the refrigeration appliances. A few years on and they were for a redesign, so they approached KCA to completely reconfigure their kitchen, living space, and utility room.
The brief was to create a modern, multi-functional open-plan kitchen with a seamless flow between the kitchen and living space. The clients were also keen to incorporate a large sociable dining area and home bar for entertaining friends and family. In addition, the brief included a new comfy lounging area to watch TV and a dedicated utility space away from the kitchen.
Originally our clients planned to keep the existing kitchen footprint and connect the two spaces with a kitchen island or peninsula. On visiting the property, we could see the kitchen was disconnected from the living space, tucked into the darkest part of the room. The original kitchen design and location of the appliances also meant that the kitchen didn’t follow the principles of the working triangle.
To overcome this, we completely reconfigured the layout, moving the kitchen from the darkest part of the space to position it closer to the striking glass-roof extension. The new kitchen design now takes centre stage at the heart of the home. By utilising the length of the back wall, we relocated the working elements of the kitchen so the clients could move freely between the key zones. We designed tall housing featuring the Miele ovens, fridge/freezers and a modern pantry, centred around the sink and dishwashers. The back-run cabinetry wraps around the wall to create additional storage and frame the bar area, which doesn’t interfere with the working elements of the kitchen. We continued the cabinetry into the bar to facilitate a seamless flow from the kitchen and create visual harmony.
The 5m statement island is a key design feature, taking advantage of the room’s length. The island features offset dividing panels, separating the cooking and prep zone from the sociable breakfast bar seating. The clients asked for modern and timeless cabinets, so we chose flat panel furniture in a mix of taupe satin lacquer and putty concrete in pearl grey laminate, paired with graphite handless rails and bar handles. The palette also includes bronze mirror splashback and Dekton Natura worktops with a soft grey veining that replicates the timeless elegance of marble. To complete the scheme, we created a coordinating dining table with finishes to tie the kitchen design and dining space together.
Living Space
For the living space, the focus was casual comfort to create a relaxing place to watch TV. Relocating the media area within the old kitchen footprint made the most of this darker and more intimate part of the room to create a cosy snug. The media area incorporates finishes from the kitchen design but with a softer approach appropriate for a lounge.
Utility Room
The separate utility room is a highly practical space designed to take pressure off the kitchen. The utility design was tailored to our clients with additional storage, sink, laundry appliances, housing for the boiler, and even dedicated space for the client’s two Spaniels to rest away from the busy main kitchen.
