Kitchen of the Week: A Bright Country-style Kitchen Created on a Budget
A stroke of luck and an eye for a bargain equals a stylish kitchen on a budget
When Liz and Gary Morgan were looking to update their kitchen, they had two strokes of luck. The first was finding design company Hill Farm Furniture and the second was discovering that one of the firm’s ex-display kitchens was the perfect fit for their new extension.
As Joanna Ashwin of Hill Farm Furniture explains, ‘We built the kitchen to use as a display model for our stand at the Burghley Horse Trials, but we like to refresh them now and again, so we were able to sell this as an ex-display model to the Morgans.’
As a result, Liz and Gary ended up with a beautiful kitchen for almost half the retail price and Hill Farm Furniture designed the rest of the room to fit around the units. The result is a light, bright, country-style kitchen that looks custom-designed.
Kitchen at a Glance
Who lives here Liz and Gary Morgan, a hairdresser and a photographer
Location Ancaster, Lincolnshire
Designer Hill Farm Furniture
As Joanna Ashwin of Hill Farm Furniture explains, ‘We built the kitchen to use as a display model for our stand at the Burghley Horse Trials, but we like to refresh them now and again, so we were able to sell this as an ex-display model to the Morgans.’
As a result, Liz and Gary ended up with a beautiful kitchen for almost half the retail price and Hill Farm Furniture designed the rest of the room to fit around the units. The result is a light, bright, country-style kitchen that looks custom-designed.
Kitchen at a Glance
Who lives here Liz and Gary Morgan, a hairdresser and a photographer
Location Ancaster, Lincolnshire
Designer Hill Farm Furniture
Liz and Gary had already extended their compact bungalow when they approached father and daughter design team Mike and Joanna Ashwin, of Hill Farm Furniture, to help them with the kitchen design for the bright new space.
Liz and Gary’s main concern when planning their kitchen was the budget. They wanted to keep costs down and, thanks to a fortuitous series of events, they discovered an ex-display model that just happened to work beautifully in the space. ‘Fitting existing units into a kitchen very rarely works,’ says Joanna, but this was obviously meant to be, as the island unit and larder cabinet fit perfectly.
See how to work a kitchen island into your scheme
See how to work a kitchen island into your scheme
The sink and surrounding units are the only new, custom-built elements. Mike and Joanna designed them to flow seamlessly on from the tall larder cabinet. The microwave oven was added at the request of the owners. ‘The unit previously housed a coffee machine,’ says Joanna, ‘but we replaced it with a microwave oven of the same size.’ The units are all painted in Farrow & Ball’s Elephant’s Breath.
Open shelves above the sink allow the owners to display a few colourful pieces of crockery and glassware, while a string of fairy lights adds character.
The island fits perfectly in the centre of the room, and was custom-painted in Charleston Gray by Farrow & Ball. ‘It’s a little darker than the wall units,’ Joanna notes, but the two tones blend beautifully. The kitchen was fitted by Chris Ashwin, Mike’s son, who is also the resident project photographer who took these beautiful images.
See more great ideas for decorating with grey
See more great ideas for decorating with grey
Joanna and Mike decided to add a curved breakfast bar onto the end of the island to create a functional dining space, but it was carefully considered. ‘We didn’t want to just add on an extra bit of wood,’ points out Joanna, ‘so we installed it at a slightly lower height than the island worktop.’
The owners needed to install an extractor fan above the hob, but, as Joanna explains, ‘They were worried about having anything too heavy or bulky in the centre of the room.’ So Liz hunted for an alternative and sourced this beautiful one from Elica, which looks like a chandelier and adds to the character of the room.
The soft grey tones, wooden worktops and open shelves create an airy, welcoming feel in the bright, modern space. The owners had already installed the wooden stable door with a heart-shaped window and it works beautifully with the pretty, rustic feel of the kitchen.
What do you think of this kitchen extension? Do let us know in the Comments below.
What do you think of this kitchen extension? Do let us know in the Comments below.
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