When Cheltenham homeowners made the decision to rebuild their Pittville property to transform it into a new, modern bungalow, they turned to local specialist Lansdown Kitchens & Bathrooms to help create a contemporary kitchen to suit their needs.
Required to be functional for cooking but also an open area for dining, relaxing and entertaining, Lansdown kitchen designer, Craig Lacey, designed a space that's both practical – with well placed utilities and plenty of storage – and visually impressive, combining the natural look of its wood panelling and worktop, with the modern aesthetic of its matt grey cupboards and doors.
When different elements challenged Craig to think outside the box, not only did he find the right solutions, but in some cases, he used them as opportunities to add even more wow factor, with things like hidden doors, and using the panelling to make a feature of dead space above the kitchen.
SoGlos chats to Craig to get the lowdown on the project, from the brief and design, to creative problem solving at the fitting stage.
Craig, tell us a bit about the project and how you got started.
The property had been in the family for years, however to achieve everything they wanted, they decided to knock it down and rebuild.
The brief was to create a modern bungalow overlooking Pittville Park, including new pool, beautiful courtyard, guest annexe and large entertaining space to house the kitchen.
What was the client hoping to achieve with the refurbishment?
They love to entertain. They were keen to have a open plan space that could cater for a large amount of people enabling cooking, dining and relaxing with beautiful views of the park and pool area.
How did you realise the client’s vision?
I wanted to try something different. The clients were a dream and when I showed them the original design principals of using the space above the kitchen as a feature, they loved it! Then it was over to me and the fitter to make it a reality!
The 6.5 metre ceiling height meant the feature panels had to be installed prior to the kitchen going in using scaffolding platforms. This is where working with someone like German premium kitchen manufacturer, Sachsenküchen, comes into it’s own. The German way of doing things meant that when it came time to fit the units, which had been designed specifically to align to the millimetre with the wall feature, it worked beautifully.
What were the biggest challenges?
The air conditioning system required vents to enter through the attic space. Due to the way the system works, there are numerous restrictions and guidelines. Sadly, this meant they had to come through the feature wall. Having to give the guys exact dimensions for them to cut the wall for the grills so they landed right in the middle of the panels was nerve wracking to say the least!
Once fitted, the major problem was that they drew the eye. I felt suggestions of painting them black would make the situation worse. That’s when I contacted a local graffiti artist I know who is incredibly talented, with a history of theatre set construction and street art – he managed to make the jarring metal vents nearly disappear! It was definitely the right decision, the customer was shocked at how he had made them appear to be made from wood. Very talented guy, thank you Ryse!
How would you describe the end result?
I am very proud of how the kitchen came together. From the shadow lines between the panels, the utility room through the beautifully hidden doors, to the general flow of the space, it all came together really nicely. Most importantly, the customers love it!
To find out how Lansdown Kitchens & Bathrooms could help bring your dream kitchen to life, visit lansdownkb.co.uk.
