S


HOMES l KBB


Find KBB magazine on Pinterest for boards full of ideas for your kitchen extension


S


pace was not in short supply when it came to designing a kitchen for the family of six who live in this property. Located in a newly built extension to the period house, the scheme was the fi nal stage of a major renovation which saw a former care home transformed into a six-bedroom


home. The owners asked designer Gavin Alexander at Searle & Taylor to create a contemporary, streamlined kitchen in the large square room which would easily accommodate their top wishlist item: a big island. But why have one unit when there’s room enough for two? Here, Gavin explains how the project came together to create the fi nal look…


The design brief The couple asked me to create a scheme that had a fresh, modern look with clean lines and a generous island. Symmetry was an important part of the brief to make the most of the sizeable room, while they also wanted to incorporate tall units with ovens as a central point. The owners asked me to include a large piece of mango wood somewhere in the scheme – it was leſt over from a bespoke table and bench they had owned and really liked. It was a challenge at fi rst, but I solved


this when I realised that the kitchen would be better served by having two islands rather than a single large one. This meant the mango wood could be turned into a breakfast bar to bridge the gap between the two and create a stunning feature. The island unit as a whole then became a practical working space with distinct zones for cooking, preparation and eating, with enough seating for the whole family. The owners, who were living in rental accommodation until their new home was fi nished, loved the idea.


Creating the space When drawing up the layout, I kept the owners’ wish for symmetry in mind. I decided to place the stack of ovens along the back wall and worked outwards from there. My team and I built tall units around the appliances, with a fridge- freezer placed on either side. We positioned the islands to be exactly symmetrical with the centre line of the appliances. One island is reserved for food preparation and includes a hob, while the other is a designated wet zone with a sink, boiling-water tap, and dishwasher. In addition, the owners said they intended to get a large fi sh tank, so we built a row of low cupboards along one wall as a platform for it. With


SUMMER 20 l KITCHENS BEDROOMS & BATHROOMS 107


above The contemporary kitchen, designed by Searle & Taylor, features handleless Bido cabinets by Intuo.


left An bespoke breakfast bar in mango wood and double island layout create a sociable area for all the family to gather.


G


C


E


T


O


I


A


L


w


i


t


h


u


s


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68  |  Page 69  |  Page 70  |  Page 71  |  Page 72  |  Page 73  |  Page 74  |  Page 75  |  Page 76  |  Page 77  |  Page 78  |  Page 79  |  Page 80  |  Page 81  |  Page 82  |  Page 83  |  Page 84  |  Page 85  |  Page 86  |  Page 87  |  Page 88  |  Page 89  |  Page 90  |  Page 91  |  Page 92  |  Page 93  |  Page 94  |  Page 95  |  Page 96  |  Page 97  |  Page 98  |  Page 99  |  Page 100  |  Page 101  |  Page 102  |  Page 103  |  Page 104  |  Page 105  |  Page 106  |  Page 107  |  Page 108  |  Page 109  |  Page 110  |  Page 111  |  Page 112  |  Page 113  |  Page 114  |  Page 115  |  Page 116  |  Page 117  |  Page 118  |  Page 119  |  Page 120  |  Page 121  |  Page 122  |  Page 123  |  Page 124  |  Page 125  |  Page 126  |  Page 127  |  Page 128  |  Page 129  |  Page 130  |  Page 131  |  Page 132  |  Page 133  |  Page 134  |  Page 135  |  Page 136  |  Page 137  |  Page 138  |  Page 139  |  Page 140  |  Page 141  |  Page 142  |  Page 143  |  Page 144  |  Page 145  |  Page 146  |  Page 147  |  Page 148