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Kitchen Tour: A Bright Family Space With a Genius Peninsula Unit
Clever lateral thinking has turned this once dark kitchen-diner and living area into a light, sociable hub
Finding ways to retain plenty of storage and functionality while opening up a space and creating an airy feel takes a talented design eye, and that’s exactly what interior designer Eleni Fantis of Omorfia Interior Design and kitchen designer Ezra Kerr of Jikoni Interiors both have.
This new-build home had a kitchen with an adjoining dining area and a living room in a conservatory, but it felt gloomy and cramped. “The space was dark, depressing and utterly uninspiring. It was hardly used, a cold and dysfunctional corner of my home that failed to invite warmth or light,” says the owner, who lives here with her two sons.
She found Eleni on Houzz and asked her to rethink the whole design. “[The owner] wanted a real family space, with defined areas, but where they could all gather, cook, entertain and enjoy being together,” Eleni says.
To see more great projects where the homeowner found their professional via Houzz, take a look at our Born on Houzz series.
This new-build home had a kitchen with an adjoining dining area and a living room in a conservatory, but it felt gloomy and cramped. “The space was dark, depressing and utterly uninspiring. It was hardly used, a cold and dysfunctional corner of my home that failed to invite warmth or light,” says the owner, who lives here with her two sons.
She found Eleni on Houzz and asked her to rethink the whole design. “[The owner] wanted a real family space, with defined areas, but where they could all gather, cook, entertain and enjoy being together,” Eleni says.
To see more great projects where the homeowner found their professional via Houzz, take a look at our Born on Houzz series.
The original kitchen was put in when the house was built and, while there was plenty of storage, the arrangement made the area feel cramped.
Eleni was keen to use a bespoke kitchen company that would make the most of the space. Step forward Ezra at Jikoni Interiors.
Easily find and hire a kitchen designer on Houzz.
Eleni was keen to use a bespoke kitchen company that would make the most of the space. Step forward Ezra at Jikoni Interiors.
Easily find and hire a kitchen designer on Houzz.
The new design removed the bank of units on the right, widening the room, but this meant Ezra needed to find a way to fit plenty of storage into the new layout.
Luckily, there’s a utility room through the door opposite the sink, so he didn’t need to find space for laundry appliances.
He made more use of the short wall with a full-height pantry cupboard – one of the owner’s key requests – an integrated fridge-freezer, and units above and below the combination and standard ovens.
He stopped short of the ceiling for a maximum sense of space. “Having units to the ceiling makes a room look smaller – when you can’t see the wall above, it closes everything in – so we left a gap,” he says.
Luckily, there’s a utility room through the door opposite the sink, so he didn’t need to find space for laundry appliances.
He made more use of the short wall with a full-height pantry cupboard – one of the owner’s key requests – an integrated fridge-freezer, and units above and below the combination and standard ovens.
He stopped short of the ceiling for a maximum sense of space. “Having units to the ceiling makes a room look smaller – when you can’t see the wall above, it closes everything in – so we left a gap,” he says.
In the corner, Ezra retained the base and wall units arrangement to add some extra worktop space – a spot that makes a good breakfast station.
The white doors are vinyl wrapped, making them robust, and the white worktop is durable quartz. Ezra fitted a curved ceramic sink to add interest.
Eleni chose pretty pink and blue tiles for the splashback. “[The owner] didn’t really have any pattern in her home, so I wanted to incorporate some delicate patterns so as not to overwhelm her,” she says.
Kitchen units in Satin White and Richmond Denim, Jikoni Interiors. Classic Waterside sink, Sterling.
The white doors are vinyl wrapped, making them robust, and the white worktop is durable quartz. Ezra fitted a curved ceramic sink to add interest.
Eleni chose pretty pink and blue tiles for the splashback. “[The owner] didn’t really have any pattern in her home, so I wanted to incorporate some delicate patterns so as not to overwhelm her,” she says.
Kitchen units in Satin White and Richmond Denim, Jikoni Interiors. Classic Waterside sink, Sterling.
As there was now no room on the ovens wall for a hob, Ezra came up with a neat solution – an angled peninsula.
“Usually, the hob would go on the back wall, but because there was no space, that was the only way we could do it. You could have had a [standard] peninsula, but we tried to make it a bit more special. It makes the kitchen feel cosy and works really well in the space.”
“Usually, the hob would go on the back wall, but because there was no space, that was the only way we could do it. You could have had a [standard] peninsula, but we tried to make it a bit more special. It makes the kitchen feel cosy and works really well in the space.”
There was originally a wall cupboard in this corner to the right, but Ezra swapped it for open oak shelves. “We didn’t want to block out any light, so it’s better if the look feels open,” he says.
The wood-look LVT flooring chimes with the oak shelves and both looks and feels warmer than the original tiles.
More: How to Start a Kitchen Renovation
The wood-look LVT flooring chimes with the oak shelves and both looks and feels warmer than the original tiles.
More: How to Start a Kitchen Renovation
The other side of the peninsula is curved, which not only gives it a softer feel, it adds worktop space and makes it more sociable.
“[The owner] wanted us to fit in as many seats as we could,” Ezra says. “We created the circular shape so you can have people sitting round being sociable without all sitting in a line.” This section of worktop is oak, giving it the feel of a table.
The induction hob has an integrated extractor that vents out through the wall. “An extractor hanging from the ceiling would have blocked the room,” Ezra says.
NikolaTesla hob with integrated extractor, Elica. Oak worktop, Spekva.
“[The owner] wanted us to fit in as many seats as we could,” Ezra says. “We created the circular shape so you can have people sitting round being sociable without all sitting in a line.” This section of worktop is oak, giving it the feel of a table.
The induction hob has an integrated extractor that vents out through the wall. “An extractor hanging from the ceiling would have blocked the room,” Ezra says.
NikolaTesla hob with integrated extractor, Elica. Oak worktop, Spekva.
Ezra has tucked a wine fridge and another cupboard into the peninsula unit. Neither is obvious from the living area, but they help to maximise the storage.
An upholstered bench offers an additional seating spot when guests are over.
Originally, the dining area was in the small room to the left and the living area was in a conservatory to the right.
Eleni had most of the wall between the two spaces removed. She sited the seating area near the French windows and moved the dining area into the conservatory.
Light can now circulate between the spaces, making them feel brighter and bigger.
The large armchair between the living room and kitchen is key to the colour scheme. “The floral fabric was actually the beginning of the whole design, and is a printed velvet from Sofah that’s normally only available for their furniture ranges,” Eleni says. “[The owner] loved it so much, I persuaded the supplier to sell me additional meterage, which we then used for some of the blinds.”
Armchair and floral blinds fabric, Sofah.
Armchair and floral blinds fabric, Sofah.
The original dark red curtains have been swapped for these pale blue ones, which fit with the fresh, light colour scheme and are less dominating.
The conservatory roof had been badly lined in the past, so Eleni had that replaced.
The space now contains a cosy dining area as well as the family piano.
The owner couldn’t be happier with the finished result. “From the moment I contacted [Omorphia Interior Design], I knew I was in good hands. They listened attentively to my vision of a light, airy kitchen that would serve as the heart of our home,” she says, adding that the family have gone from avoiding the space to spending lots of time in here hanging out and eating together.
Tell us…
What do you like best about this redesign? Share your thoughts in the Comments.
The owner couldn’t be happier with the finished result. “From the moment I contacted [Omorphia Interior Design], I knew I was in good hands. They listened attentively to my vision of a light, airy kitchen that would serve as the heart of our home,” she says, adding that the family have gone from avoiding the space to spending lots of time in here hanging out and eating together.
Tell us…
What do you like best about this redesign? Share your thoughts in the Comments.
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Who lives here? A woman with two sons
Location Northampton
Property A modern detached house
Kitchen dimensions Around 3.5m x 3m
Interior designer Eleni Fantis of Omorfia Interior Design
Kitchen designer Ezra Kerr of Jikoni Interiors
Photos by Beth Saunders Photography
Eleni’s solution to the dark area was to create a flow of light and space, while Ezra cleverly turned the kitchen into a cosy but high-functioning room.
The kitchen is the heart of the space and it was important that this was somewhere the owner could feel relaxed and enjoy making food, entertaining and teaching her boys to cook.