Compact living | FOCUS 5.
Design case study:
We take a look at how kbbreview Retail & Design of in Edinburgh, created his client’s dream kitchen in a tight space
The detail
An apartment within a redeveloped Georgian house
2.6m (W) x 3.8m (L) x 3.5m (H)
Warendorf, Blanco, Dornbracht, Miele, Bora, Siemens, Silestone, Buster and Punch, Decoglaze
The solution The brief
The brief from my client started off fairly simple and revolved mostly around all of the tricky areas of the room we had to deal with and the items she wanted us to accommodate. There was no utility or hall cupboard and, apart from the usual cooking equipment and food, her very small kitchen also had to accommodate the following:
Although the kitchen is in a Georgian house, the cabinets were to be should have an individual character. The layout of the existing kitchen had to be improved to make it feel more spacious. My client also thought a curved wall lay hidden behind an angular wall and that a much higher ceiling was likely to be found above the lowered ceiling, so I added this cost also had to be sensible.
The challenges
Aside from the fact that we had a substantial list of ‘must-haves’ from the client and a small space to work with, the curved wall – which is an original part of the Georgian property – was a feature that presented a challenge. The window in the kitchen was quite small too, so maximising natural light was also tricky.
August 2019 · kbbreview 47
Although we wanted to increase storage, we also wanted to maximise the sense of space. As with any design project, part of the process was to analyse her lifestyle, so we could advise which appliances and storage solutions would meet her requirements. That’s why we ended up specifying two compact ovens – one with a steam function and one with a microwave. Going with a Bora downdraft extractor meant we gained space and didn’t have to include any sort of hood over the curved wall area. Also, by giving her an oven with steam function, it meant that – with her needs – we only had to fi nd room for a single surface induction hob.
One of the key things we did was open up the area surrounding the window, which immediately gave a roomier feel. To help create that illusion of space, I opted to make a feature out of the curved wall and only put units on the sink side. I decided at an early stage that this kitchen was about the whole room and that the surfaces, the materials, the items and details in the room were to play a part in its design. Handles were used to give detail and character on some of the cabinet doors but, to avoid visual clutter, many more of the cabinets were made as touch-to-open to keep the lines clean.
Height is often an overlooked feature that can increase the sense of volume in a small kitchen. So, we took all of the units up as high as we could – emphasising the height of the room. To express the curved wall and to give a nod to the traditional character of the Georgian property, I clad the wall in tongue-and-groove panelling. The painted boards also give a practical and low-cost solution to a curved backsplash. Along the curved wall we also put in a much deeper work surface so, although there isn’t a lot of length to the top, we’ve given it more depth. This is a common approach I’d take in a small kitchen to give it that feeling of space.
The wall and cabinet colours were chosen to sit in harmony with each other, but also to add a little to the traditional character.
The Alpina White Silestone tops give a terrazzo effect that sits well with the engineered fl avour of the handles – the brown in the stone matches the handles perfectly. The oak fl oor has a cross-sawn fi nish that adds to the textural experience in the room.
kbbr
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