North Hampshire Lifestyle Jan - Feb 2024

CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT THE
DESIGN PROCESS?
Absolutely - we all know there are a lot of
options out there for kitchens, but I knew I
wanted an in-frame, painted design with a light
wood grain. I came across Smile Kitchens and
instantly loved the elevated styling they offer -
the Hampton range caught my eye particularly.
It had all the timeless styling that I was looking
for, and a lovely combination of colours.
I was initially a little concerned by the lack of
a showroom, but I needn’t have been. After a
discovery consultation where I listed my must
haves, my designer Corinne got to work on
rendering that with my space dimensions. In
the meantime, I was sent large door and knob
samples so I could have them to hand when
my design was ready to view. To really give me
a feel for how the kitchen would look, it was
rendered onto a video, giving me a 360 view of
the space. I make a few tweaks and Corinne
came back each time, just perfecting the vision
I had for this important space.
This is a big room (approximately 4.5 x 5.5m)
and it has openings or glazing on all sides -
this meant that planning a more conventional
kitchen with lots of base and wall units was a
challenge. The interruption on each of the walls
meant that the cupboard configurations had
to be carefully considered - and Corinne got
this spot on. We opted for lots of tall cabinets,
including a built in larder and a pantry with
bi-fold doors - perfect as a breakfast station.
These cupboards hide all the big appliances,
meaning the worktops can stay clutter-free,
and help to keep you organised with lots of
internal shelves.
LET’S TALK FLOORING...
Tiles are a great option for flooring, but
because of the painted kitchen finish and the
quartz worktops, I wanted to warm up the
space with timber. Obviously, kitchen floors
need to be robust - able to withstand spills,
“I think the triangular work
space concept is a little outdated
for how we use kitchens now.
Of course it makes sense to keep
everything accessible and easy
to move around, but for me,
it was also important that the
space felt social and made the
most of the setting.”
items being dropped and the general traffic
of daily life. I was concerned a timber or
engineered floor would dint, so instead opted
for LVT from the experts at Karndean. I spent a
lot of time comparing samples before settling
on Canadian Nude Oak - it was light enough
without reading too grey or white.
The best bit about this floor was the ease of
installation - my partner and I were able to
cover a huge area over the course an evening.
The rigid core planks click together easily and
have a reassuring solidity.
FUNCTIONALITY IS KING IN A
KITCHEN - HOW DO YOU MAKE
SURE THE SPACE WORKS?
I thought long and hard about how I’d use
the space. I think the triangular work space
concept is a little outdated for how we use
kitchens now. Of course it makes sense to
keep everything accessible and easy to move
around, but for me, it was also important that
the space felt social and made the most of
the setting. The kitchen sink enjoys the best
views - looking even better with the lovely CRL
quartz running over the sill.
I wanted the island to be social - I didn’t
include a sink on there because I didn’t want
the washing up to be the focus. Instead the
hob faces out into the room. Finally, the fridge
is right by the island, so you can load shopping
in easily, or food out ready to be prepped.
Then for me it was about choosing the right
appliances. These are the bits that make all the
difference! I’ve lusted after a fridge with double
doors for years, and this amazing Haier model
is a technological gem. It automatically detects
when you’ve gone shopping, and adjusts the
temperature of the fridge in anticipation. Its
different humidity control zones means food
stays fresher for far longer too. The freezer
drawers are perfect for actually being able to
see everything - there will be nothing lurking at
the back, forgotten about.
The oven is lovely and capacious - mounted
into the tall units for convenience. And the
integrated dishwasher is ideal, with moveable
baskets and there’s also ActiveDry technology,
which opens the door near the end of the cycle
to allow air to circulate.
The design of the kitchen necessitated a
venting hob - this means we can keep that
clean look above the island without a hood.
This hob from Hotpoint is a thing of beauty - it
has a vast cooking area which can also be
synced, creating increased zones for larger
pots and pans. My favourite feature is the
‘keep warm’ setting - perfect when you’re not
Hotpoint Built
In Double Oven;
Hampton Kitchen
in Pearl
26 | www.minervamagazines.co.uk