Sleek and symmetrical, the kitchen is made up of simple, flat-fronted, faux-concrete doors in light grey, which stretches seamlessly across the splashback to continue the minimal look. “It’s quite a large space and more than adequate,” Whitehead says. “The family have two ovens and all the storage they need. The key was to make it clean-lined and symmetrical.”The island is topped with a pale grey composite stone and kitted out with an induction hob and large storage drawers. Kitchen, Leicht. Bar stools, Hay.
Brave a rainbow of brightsYellow, fuchsia, brilliant baby blue – definitely not the norm for shelving, but spot-on in this stylish room that works on so many levels: from the different-sized shelving, which adds visual interest, to the way the shelves coordinate with the sofa and soft furnishings. Imagine if the storage weren’t multi-coloured – it would just look a little flat, wouldn’t it? If painting your shelving is going to be a DIY job, any surface is paintable (including laminate, gloss and factory finishes) as long as you use the the right primer. With the materials mentioned, an adhesion primer is best. More ways to get standout shelves
Do the twistFor something altogether different, try turning each tile on its head. By twisting the squares to form a diagonal pattern, the designers of this kitchen have created white surfaces that add character and interest to the minimal space. Plain white square tiles are often inexpensive, so this is a cost-effective way to give your kitchen or bathroom a designer feel.
coloured roof drop
The clients asked for a cosy seating area to be incorporated next to the fridge, with room for books and storage below the seat. Again, the seat is made from birch plywood and Formica, and LED lighting ensures it’s bright enough for reading.What do you think of the clever design in this small yet functional kitchen? Share your thoughts in the Comments section.
Integrated ovens below stove
Creative storage for entry / kitchen
Squeeze it inOne of the major plus points of a modern, fitted kitchen is that every last inch of space can be utilised with any number of clever modern storage solutions.This skinny, pull-out unit, for instance, has been kitted out with robust wire racking to become a mini larder with space to store boxes of cereal, jars, packets and a whole host of other dried goods. The handle-free door keeps things looking sleek and contemporary, but be sure to discuss door-opening options with your kitchen fitter to ensure everyone in the house will be able to open the new larder. Also consider what exactly you’re likely to store in the space so as to get the shelf heights just right.
Kitchen layout
Brave bold colourIf you like the idea of adding some colour to your kitchen, be inspired by the owners of this 1960s ex-council house in London. “There seems to be a myth that people expect neutral colours because they’re afraid their taste might change,” says architect and owner Frederik Rissom. “We bought a green sofa 12 years ago and still love it as much as we did then. This gave us the confidence that we can live with a yellow kitchen. This is complemented by more chromatic blues and natural wood surfaces. Life is too short to be beige!” The rest of the house has been sympathetically updated using small interventions, rather than fundamental layout changes, to keep the original 1960s feel. A sliding door conceals a new studio and storage area in what was once the porch.See the rest of this terraced 1960s house
can we do some shelving / seating combo under the window instead of the sink?
layout
corner storage
Add a piece of artSo often, we reserve our favourite works of art for living rooms or bedrooms. But making a painting, print or vintage film poster the focal point of a kitchen will instantly add personality as well as mixing things up a little in this functional room.An artwork can also inform the colour scheme of your accessories, as in this kitchen, where the industrial-style metal bar stools pick up hues from the canvas. Choosing black brick-style tiles for the unusual built-in fridge and cooker unit, and carrying the colour through to the window frames and shelf, adds another interesting detail. Look at the sloped ceiling, too: those zigzags add interest without overpowering. As for the golden light fittings (and wall sockets and shelf spots – a nice design trio), what a lovely final flourish to the coordinated clash of this kitchen.
Cabinet and pins
Shelf and extractor line
Small island
Clever kitchen layout
seating nook
Layout
Flow of cupboard to shelving (for DR)
Vent
March wood cabinets w wood counter top
Q