Angie & Jamie McSweeney, Plymouth

The Design Challenge

Angie explains the problem: "The downstairs was all disjointed with lots of small separate rooms. There are 12 of us here when our sons and grandchildren visit, and we couldn't all fit in the same area. We thought, why don't we try to future-proof here? The problem was that we didn't know how to do that, how to make all that space work better for us."

Friends recommended our Faraday Mill showroom. Angie and Jamie arrived planning to gather quotes from multiple companies but never contacted anyone else. After meeting Nathan and Derinda, Nathan visited the property and immediately suggested reconfiguring the downstairs rooms.

The Solution

Nathan proposed removing the wall and the downstairs WC at the far end, extending the kitchen by just over a metre using space from the utility room. Taking additional space from the adjoining garage allowed the utility to keep everything the couple needed, including a new WC. Angie notes: "He immediately had a vision for how the spaces could be joined up and how we could have a kitchen that justifies the size of the house."

The design features a Nolte kitchen in the brand's caramel colour with white doors and a Manganese Matrix Art light rail. Angie immediately chose the colour: "I fell in love with the caramel colour straight away. It's timeless and it changes with the light." The push-to-open cupboards prevent fingerprint marks, and Jamie suggested adding the light rail, which became one of Angie's favourite features.

Angie wanted an island but doubted it would fit. The extra metre gained from reconfiguring the space made it possible. She says, "We didn't believe we could have such a big island and still have plenty of room to move about. KF Kitchens are very good at utilising space efficiently so that everything is close to hand."

Installation & Completion

As well as the installation, KF Kitchens coordinated with all the trades: builder, structural engineer, kitchen installer, electrician, plumber, decorator and floorer to achieve this house redesign. Mayflower Stone cut the 20mm Calacatta Michelangelo quartz for both the kitchen and utility areas. All integrated appliances are Neff, including the induction venting hob, slide-and-hide oven, steam oven, and warming drawers. Blanco quartz sinks and a Quooker tap complete the specification.

Kevin, the kitchen installer, crafted customised solutions during installation. Angie wanted her coffee machine and toaster stored out of sight but easily accessible. Kevin designed and installed a sliding shelf in the pantry cupboard. He also created the media wall for the dining area. Angie describes the teamwork: "They worked so well together, it all just flowed. And nothing was too much trouble."