A uniquely personal family kitchen in Hildenborough
We are completely in love with our new kitchen
We travelled into rural Hildenborough to create this fabulous kitchen for Jeroen and Ann-marie.
The family wanted a kitchen which wasn’t too contemporary, so it was in keeping with the age of the original house, but with modern furnishings and accessories.
Kitchen design
With two young sons in the household, Jeroen and Ann-marie’s kitchen needed to function as a family space, as well as looking great.
Challenges of an older home
Creating the perfect kitchen for the family was not without its challenges.
Their kitchen is in the original part of the building, connected to a beautiful extension which houses a living/dining space. Being in the old part meant dealing with walls which weren’t straight, which can be a challenge when fitting cabinets to them!
In addition, the ducting for their BORA extractor had to be specifically designed as the floor level is much higher outside the property than inside. And a special hidden door was incorporated within the chef’s pantry to conceal the underfloor heating controls.
But, if we’re to be honest, it’s these idiosyncrasies in our work that make it so much more interesting and satisfying!
Kitchen appliances
We installed a variety of appliances within the kitchen to make it a pleasure to cook in, as well as a pleasure to look at.
Two full height Fisher and Paykel fridge freezers provide ample cold storage space for a busy family.
Dual Miele ovens allow for both traditional and steam cooking.
We also turned to Miele for the wine cooler, which has two temperature zones, so every bottle is always at the perfect temperature.
A BORA hob was fitted, which has an integrated extraction system, allowing us to maximise storage space in the kitchen by installing wall cabinets above the hob.
At the sink in the central island we used a Quooker 100°C boiling water tap, doing away with the need for a kettle.
Personal touches
Ann-marie and Jeroen were deeply involved in the design process with plenty of great ideas – they were a pleasure to work with. As a result, their new kitchen has plenty of personal touches which ensure that it works perfectly for their needs.
They were keen to have open shelving to allow them to display family treasures. We also installed lit cabinets for their glassware, conveniently placed either side of the wine conditioner!
An original, custom made, wooden Sally Weekes splashback behind the hob provides a wonderful focal point for the room.
The oak bar seating area, stylishly wrapping around one corner of the island units, provides another quirky feature and a very practical family dining space. Above it three large pendant lights are a dramatic feature which also provides plenty of light while preparing food or dining.
The finish
We selected the timeless ‘Charleston grey’ for the kitchen cabinets alongside worktops in classic granite (Topazio White).
The bar seating area is made from solid oak which, alongside the oak floor by Naos, adds warmth and vibrancy to the room.
This combination gave us a kitchen grounded in traditional design but where modern twists look perfectly at home.
The client’s reaction
Jeroen and Ann-marie were delighted with their new kitchen:
Trusting someone to deliver your vision, the perfect space you want to create for your family, is a tough choice but we realised our dream with the team from GBK&I.
From start to finish it was a stress free process, which is no mean feat in an older property that has wonky walls and odd spaces to navigate.
Nothing was too much trouble and even though we were pretty decisive in our own thinking Jack and Vince came up with additional tweaks and suggestions to aid the flow and aesthetics.
Jeremy was our primary fitter and it was a total pleasure to have him build out the kitchen. His attention to detail, his careful and considered way of working was outstanding.
We are completely in love with our new kitchen and know that it will help create some amazing memories in the future.
Thanks to the whole team it really was a pleasure.
Ann-marie and Jeroen
Are you ready for a family kitchen to be proud of?
Come and discuss your plans with our team of expert designers. Our extensive showroom includes a wide range of kitchen styles and finishes, alongside working examples of our state-of-the-art appliances for you to try out.