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Room Tour: An Elegant Redesign Inspired by a Coastal Landscape
Knocking through created an open-plan kitchen and living area in this scheme inspired by the wild west coast of Scotland
The owners of this bungalow were originally planning to just update their kitchen and separate small living space at the rear of the property. They already had builders lined up and a kitchen designer, too, who had planned where new units might go, but it was a discussion with interior designer Catherine Connacher of Blaven Interiors that convinced them that taking out the dividing wall to create a single space would definitely work. “Then they needed me to come up with a concept and design to bring the kitchen, living and dining areas together,” she says.
After getting to know the owners and learning about their love of hiking, cycling and the west coast of Scotland, Catherine created a scheme that reflects this wild and striking landscape.
After getting to know the owners and learning about their love of hiking, cycling and the west coast of Scotland, Catherine created a scheme that reflects this wild and striking landscape.
Now the couple can dine at the peninsula or at a small table alongside. “It was a wee bit tricky, because the space where the sofa and table sit isn’t very big,” Catherine says. “We went through quite a lot of iterations to fit everything in.”
The owners also wanted a sofa that would face the TV, so they didn’t have to crane their necks to watch (see the next photo). “Finding a sofa that fitted into that small space and looked straight onto the TV was crucial to them,” she says.
The owners also wanted a sofa that would face the TV, so they didn’t have to crane their necks to watch (see the next photo). “Finding a sofa that fitted into that small space and looked straight onto the TV was crucial to them,” she says.
Catherine designed a small media unit and had it made by a joiner. “I chose a different colour to the kitchen cabinets to complement them, but make the unit feel like part of a separate room,” she says.
The original wall that divided this space into two rooms was just to the right of the TV.
Bespoke unit painted in Celestial Blue, Little Greene.
More: 23 Media Units That Create a Stylish Focal Point
The original wall that divided this space into two rooms was just to the right of the TV.
Bespoke unit painted in Celestial Blue, Little Greene.
More: 23 Media Units That Create a Stylish Focal Point
The kitchen before, with the dividing wall in place.
The kitchen cabinets are from a discount kitchen manufacturer. “The owners had employed a really good joiner and contractor who did the work and he was confident about fitting any kitchen,” Catherine says. “They bought this as supply only, so they managed to save quite a bit of money that way.”
Helmsley kitchen, with solid timber frame and veneered centre panel, in Cobham Blue, DIY Kitchens.
Helmsley kitchen, with solid timber frame and veneered centre panel, in Cobham Blue, DIY Kitchens.
The owners were not sure about colours and were open to Catherine’s suggestions. “Initially, they were going to go for a beige kitchen, but worried it would be a bit plain,” she says. Then she learned of their love of the west coast of Scotland. “There are white beaches, turquoise water, and the most glorious landscapes there,” she says. “The whole concept was derived from that. All the colours are taken from that landscape.”
Happily, the Aga, which was already in situ and which the owners wanted to keep, fitted perfectly with this scheme. Its colour, actually called Pistachio, echoes the turquoise seas found on the west coast. “To me, it was perfect,” Catherine says. “The owners were worried it was going to stick out like a sore thumb, but it really works with this new scheme.”
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Discover why you should hire a professional who uses Houzz Pro software.
There’s an induction hob fitted into the worktop, as the Aga won’t be running all year round. “The house is well insulated and not draughty, so the owners turn it off in spring and it stays off all summer, which is why there’s that second hob,” Catherine says. There’s an oven fitted in the peninsula for the same reason.
Catherine sourced textured tiles for the splashback. “They have a lovely varied colour running through them,” she says.
Porcelain tiles, Artisans of Devizes.
Catherine sourced textured tiles for the splashback. “They have a lovely varied colour running through them,” she says.
Porcelain tiles, Artisans of Devizes.
When it came to choosing the worktops, Catherine took the owners to a stone manufacturer armed with a kitchen door panel, several flooring samples, and a selection of paint shades.
“We chose the slab together,” she says. “It’s a quartz composite with a very faint sandy coloured veining in it – I was keen to have something with a warm vein in it,” she says. Its white finish is reminiscent of those pale sand beaches on the west coast, while the veining ties in beautifully with the wooden flooring.
Quartz composite worktop, Cosentino. Spacia flooring in Mulled Oak, Amtico.
“We chose the slab together,” she says. “It’s a quartz composite with a very faint sandy coloured veining in it – I was keen to have something with a warm vein in it,” she says. Its white finish is reminiscent of those pale sand beaches on the west coast, while the veining ties in beautifully with the wooden flooring.
Quartz composite worktop, Cosentino. Spacia flooring in Mulled Oak, Amtico.
Catherine chose globe pendant lights to hang above the peninsula, opting for milky white opaline glass because it diffuses the light and creates a soft, muted glow with no glare.
Espere pendant lights, Pooky.
More: How to Start a Kitchen Renovation
Espere pendant lights, Pooky.
More: How to Start a Kitchen Renovation
Catherine suggested rounded edges for the peninsula, so the owners could sit more comfortably at it. “There are no hard corners jutting out and you can sit anywhere, you’re not forced to sit opposite one another,” she says.
Again, this decision stems from the original coastal inspiration. “[It was] the concept of the sea, the waves, the landscape, and keeping everything quite soft, especially in a kitchen, which can be full of hard edges,” she says.
Again, this decision stems from the original coastal inspiration. “[It was] the concept of the sea, the waves, the landscape, and keeping everything quite soft, especially in a kitchen, which can be full of hard edges,” she says.
The living space before the room was opened up.
Tracking down a sofa to fit the space was a challenge. Catherine found one that’s the same length on both sides, rather than the more traditional L shape.
“There weren’t many like that when I was looking a couple of years ago,” she says. “This just tucked into that corner nicely and left enough space in the room, but you can also fit two people on it comfortably.”
Sofa, SCS.
“There weren’t many like that when I was looking a couple of years ago,” she says. “This just tucked into that corner nicely and left enough space in the room, but you can also fit two people on it comfortably.”
Sofa, SCS.
If the sofa had been a classic L-shaped design, it might have butted up against the peninsula, or been too close to the door.
The blinds were made bespoke in fabric with a cow parsley pattern. “There’s a massive garden outside the house,” Catherine says. “[The wife] loves the garden, so I was always looking at botanical-themed patterns to tie in with it, and we chose the cow parsley because there’s tons growing all around.”
Adlington Cowparsley fabric, Zoe Glencross.
Adlington Cowparsley fabric, Zoe Glencross.
The original living space also had a table and chairs in it.
While Catherine has used rich blue on the kitchen cabinets, the walls and ceiling are in a soft off-white. “The owner wanted it to be light,” she says. “We only looked at shades of white.”
The colour they picked was used on walls, ceiling and woodwork and helps to keep the space feeling bright. “The house is lovely, in a really beautiful spot, and because it’s detached, there are windows all around,” Catherine says. “The sun is always shining in somewhere.”
Walls, ceiling and woodwork all painted in Slaked Lime, Little Greene.
The colour they picked was used on walls, ceiling and woodwork and helps to keep the space feeling bright. “The house is lovely, in a really beautiful spot, and because it’s detached, there are windows all around,” Catherine says. “The sun is always shining in somewhere.”
Walls, ceiling and woodwork all painted in Slaked Lime, Little Greene.
The door in the far corner of the kitchen leads to a little lobby with a back door, then into this utility room. “These cabinets in a soft beige were originally what the owners were considering for the whole kitchen,” Catherine says. “The utility is a small space, so we decided to go lighter in here and keep the wow colour for the kitchen.”
Helmsley kitchen with solid timber frame and veneered centre panel in Mussel, DIY Kitchens. Blind, Blinds Direct.
Helmsley kitchen with solid timber frame and veneered centre panel in Mussel, DIY Kitchens. Blind, Blinds Direct.
A tall unit to the left of the tumble dryer offers useful extra storage, while opposite it (out of shot), there’s a fridge-freezer.
The utility room also has coat and shoe storage.
Tell us…
What do you like about Catherine’s redesign? Let us know in the Comments.
Tell us…
What do you like about Catherine’s redesign? Let us know in the Comments.
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Who lives here? A couple
Location Pool of Muckhart, Clackmannanshire
Property A detached bungalow with three bedrooms and one bathroom
Room dimensions Around 5m x 6m
Interior designer Catherine Connacher of Blaven Interiors
Construction JG Builders Braidleys
Project year 2023
Photos by Katie Pryde Photography
There’s a much bigger formal lounge next to this room that contains a large dining table, so the owners chose to have a comfortable living space opening off the new kitchen.
“They spend time separately in the evenings watching TV, so that was one of the main points of the brief,” Catherine says. “This had to be a comfortable room for one of them to watch TV in, but they also wanted to be able to dine together in here, too.”