Case Study
The plumbing for the bathroom had to be redirected and dropped down, because they were creating a wet room. Consequently, this had a knock-on effect on our kitchen design, as some of the steel support beams had to be lowered down and a bulkhead had to be formed in one area of the kitchen.
There were also issues with the floor levels, as it
needed to line up with the patio level outside and the bifold doors had to be set into the floor to create a flush walkway.
All the above, collectively, had a massive impact on the overall finished heights of the kitchen. We made regular visits to the site to check the progress and figure out exactly how these issues were going to impact the kitchen design and installation, and more importantly, how we were going to solve them. Once we knew the issues we were facing, we primed the fitters and explained to them exactly what needed to be done to ensure we could still get the design to work.
So, what were the issues and how did we plan around them?
First, ceiling heights were reduced dramatically
because of the floor issues and the problems with the steel RSJs. As a result, we had to reduce the height of all the tall cabinets by cutting down the carcasses and doors and reducing the plinth down to the bare minimum. We also had to order a different model of fridge, as the original one had the compressor in the plinth area. Secondly, part of the ceiling in the kitchen had
to be dropped down to overcome the plumbing issues in the bathroom above. Then we had to reduce the wall units to suit the lower ceiling height. We hit those stumbling blocks, but we turned a negative into a positive. It’s all about finding solutions. The clients were extremely grateful that we turned it all around for them as quickly as possible and, because we delivered their ‘dream kitchen’, they were happy to pay the fitter for his additional work.
All’s well that ends well The rendering of the external property in light grey with contrasting black-framed patio doors and windows complemented the overall contemporary look that the client was looking for and made the extension blend in seamlessly from the outside. The flat roof exposes
kbb Birmingham 2018 Show Special
three ceiling Velux windows that flood more light into the living space. The floor-to-ceiling windows highlight the generous, open interior design that removes the boundaries between inside and outside and acts as a frame for the garden and the seasonal colour changes, making that the feature, rather than the inspired, yet non- visually intrusive, architecture.
Urban design was the key with this project. We combined the two contrasting warm grey tones of the kitchen with the pure white Corian work surface, which emphasised the timelessly elegant ambience. The distinctive segmented areas of the design show the key areas of the kitchen with a sure sense of style and purpose.
Choosing Siematic’s S3 style collection in matt laminate was a conscious decision, given the client’s budget. Neff appliances were chosen for the family’s kitchen, including a downdraft hob that allowed for a statement lighting feature to take centre stage across the island. We were able to create a beautiful design with high-quality materials, while also giving them lots of storage with Siematic MultiMatic accessory system making the heart of the home a show-stopper.
Client
testimonial
‘Julie listened to our ideas’
When we first discussed plans for our new kitchen with our architect, he felt the ideas were too traditional and conventional. Having worked with ArtHouse Creative Interiors in the past, he suggested we go and meet with Julie to get more inspiration.
I was somewhat sceptical about what could be done within our budget constraints, but Julie listened to what was really important to our family life, and then gently guided us toward appropriate solutions. The design concepts she came up with were much more bespoke than the other kitchen companies we visited, and the 3D designs she developed really helped us visualise what was possible. Julie listened to our ideas of fusing a clean, contemporary finish for the kitchen itself with an industrial look throughout the rest of the
space, and provided practical pointers on the overall look and the compromises we could make to deliver it within budget. The process was helpful without being intrusive and there was thankfully no pressure-selling, like we experienced elsewhere. We were both surprised and pleased when she showed us the costs and they were in line with our budget. With everything ordered and a date set for the ArtHouse kitchen installation team to start, our main builder missed his deadlines and we had to put the install date back. ArtHouse responded well to this, using the time to meet on site with our builder to discuss some of the finer details that made the ultimate installation run more smoothly. Inevitably, there were some snags, but the ArtHouse team were responsive throughout.
92 kbbreview kbb Birmingham Special Edition March 2018
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