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Kitchen Tour: Green and Pink Give This Room a Modern Country Feel
Contemporary elements combine with traditional features to create an inviting and practical kitchen
While this period property in a picture-postcard village was the owners’ dream home, the kitchen wasn’t quite living up to expectations. The room felt dreary, with its low ceiling and yellow walls, so the couple called in Alina Tacutanu of Planet Furniture to help them transform the space.
“They wanted a contemporary kitchen with traditional country elements to fit the house, and asked me to consider colour and ways to maximise natural light,” Alina says. The team designed a rich-hued kitchen and adjoining utility room with a layout attuned to the lifestyle of the family.
“They wanted a contemporary kitchen with traditional country elements to fit the house, and asked me to consider colour and ways to maximise natural light,” Alina says. The team designed a rich-hued kitchen and adjoining utility room with a layout attuned to the lifestyle of the family.
“For me to achieve the perfect layout, it’s always based on the client’s lifestyle and the way they use the kitchen as a family,” Alina says. “This is very different from other layouts I’ve designed, but it clearly matches [this family’s] needs.”
The new kitchen zone consists of an L-shaped layout with an island in the middle.
More: How Do I Plan My Kitchen Layout?
The new kitchen zone consists of an L-shaped layout with an island in the middle.
More: How Do I Plan My Kitchen Layout?
The floor plan shows the full layout, with more storage located beneath the stairs and a dining area opposite.
Kick-start your kitchen renovation by finding a kitchen designer in your area on Houzz.
Kick-start your kitchen renovation by finding a kitchen designer in your area on Houzz.
Along the side wall there’s an integrated dishwasher, some drawers with an induction hob above, and a useful corner cupboard. The wall units have been fitted with adjustable shelves for flexible storage.
The clients love the look of marble worktops, so Alina chose this veined quartz surface, which she continued up the wall as a splashback for a modern, seamless look. The glossy white surfaces, along with crisp white walls, helps to reflect and maximise the daylight. She balanced the worktop with more traditional, Shaker-style cabinets and antique brass fittings.
Cabinets painted in Minster Green, Farrow & Ball. Calacatta Venato worktop (30mm), Cimstone. Cabinet handles, Armac Martin. Pendant lights, Jim Lawrence.
The clients love the look of marble worktops, so Alina chose this veined quartz surface, which she continued up the wall as a splashback for a modern, seamless look. The glossy white surfaces, along with crisp white walls, helps to reflect and maximise the daylight. She balanced the worktop with more traditional, Shaker-style cabinets and antique brass fittings.
Cabinets painted in Minster Green, Farrow & Ball. Calacatta Venato worktop (30mm), Cimstone. Cabinet handles, Armac Martin. Pendant lights, Jim Lawrence.
The island work surface has been kept clear and there are three stools tucked under for the children to sit at while doing their homework.
The colour scheme was influenced by the home’s countryside setting. “The property is surrounded by nature, so I chose a palette of natural earth colours,” Alina says. “I presented a few different greens and this was the one the couple went for.”
They also liked Alina’s suggestion of pink to freshen the look. The pink tiles, which they sourced, help to show off the reconditioned Aga.
The colour scheme was influenced by the home’s countryside setting. “The property is surrounded by nature, so I chose a palette of natural earth colours,” Alina says. “I presented a few different greens and this was the one the couple went for.”
They also liked Alina’s suggestion of pink to freshen the look. The pink tiles, which they sourced, help to show off the reconditioned Aga.
The Aga sits in an alcove, so the team built a traditional mantel above it. Two slim cupboards either side provide storage, while also allowing access to the oven’s control panel.
A practical double butler sink is fitted with a boiling-water tap, a regular mixer tap and a pull-out spray. The antique brass will patinate to give an attractive distressed look.
Sink, Shaws of Darwen. Taps, Perrin & Rowe.
Sink, Shaws of Darwen. Taps, Perrin & Rowe.
On the wall opposite the hob and dishwasher is a clever built-in bank of units below the stairs. “It was a challenge to get the perfect measurements,” Alina says.
The tall unit is an integrated fridge, while an alcove houses the family’s microwave oven.
The tall unit is an integrated fridge, while an alcove houses the family’s microwave oven.
In the dining area, there’s a bespoke dresser where the couple can display their crockery, glasses, photos and ornaments. LED strip lights were fitted beneath each internal shelf to give the furniture a pleasant glow.
A traditional oak stable door leads through to the utility room.
The room was originally rather gloomy and there was a wall full of ugly pipework and electricals.
Alina hid the those unattractive features within a bank of beautiful cabinetry.
A large integrated freezer sits to the left of a double cabinet. The latter has an L-shaped design with shallow internal shelves on the left and an area that goes further back on the right.
A narrow pull-out cupboard to the side of the stacked washing machine and tumble dryer is the ideal place for detergents and other laundry accessories.
A large integrated freezer sits to the left of a double cabinet. The latter has an L-shaped design with shallow internal shelves on the left and an area that goes further back on the right.
A narrow pull-out cupboard to the side of the stacked washing machine and tumble dryer is the ideal place for detergents and other laundry accessories.
The cabinetry, sink and fittings are in the same style as the kitchen, but Alina chose a paler green, which helps to make the room feel lighter.
“We considered every detail in this project,” Alina says, “and the clients love it.”
Cabinets painted in Treron, Farrow & Ball.
Tell us…
What do you like about how Alina has designed this welcoming, practical kitchen and utility room? Share your thoughts in the Comments.
“We considered every detail in this project,” Alina says, “and the clients love it.”
Cabinets painted in Treron, Farrow & Ball.
Tell us…
What do you like about how Alina has designed this welcoming, practical kitchen and utility room? Share your thoughts in the Comments.
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Who lives here? A couple and their three children
Location Ashwell, Hertfordshire
Room dimensions Kitchen, 3.6m x 5.5m; utility room, 3.6m x 4.4m
Designer Alina Tacutanu of Planet Furniture
Project year 2022
When planning this kitchen-diner, Alina needed to consider the proportions of the space as well as the low ceiling. Her clients wanted the room to feel brighter, so it was important that natural light could come in unrestricted.
There was already an Aga in the room, which the clients were keen to keep and restore, so that dictated some of the layout choices.