Fingringhoe, Essex - Open-Plan Kitchen and Utility Renovation
Spires Interiors recently completed this large-scale renovation project at a home in Fingringhoe, near Colchester. The project encompassed a kitchen and utility room renovation, as well as a large display and media unit for the adjoining living space. Click here to watch the full transformation video, or continue scrolling to read more.
Initially, the customer was contemplating replacing their existing kitchen at the front of the property as plans to do an extension hadn’t worked out within their budget. They asked to see options for both the existing space and the potential they could achieve with their extension plan. Once they saw the extension they fell in love and didn’t want to compromise on the space they could achieve. Our design team worked very closely with the customer to achieve their dream kitchen that was once a pipedream. As is often the case, the couple had different tastes when it came to the style they wanted to achieve and each used the kitchen differently. Working closely with them we learned what they wanted and gave them the middle ground on both design and functionality.
With the aim of striking a balance between a traditional and modern kitchen aesthetic, we used a simple shaker-style kitchen door to achieve a design that is contemporary, with traditional features that won't date. Modernising typical traditional elements like cornice, dresser units, and solid oak elements means we have achieved a room that is timeless. Having shorter wall units above the sink in the kitchen allows for the room to feel more open and spacious whilst providing ample storage space. The dresser unit along the side wall also offers clever storage for daily items as well as space for the display items and glasses.
The appliances were key for the customer as they are avid cooks. With a reputation for excellence, they opted for a Miele oven, microwave combination, and coffee machine in the cube of appliances, as well as a Miele induction hob. The hob also features a hidden Novy extractor, which is both quiet and efficient, as well as a Fisher & Paykal American fridge freezer as the space and functionality is second to none.
In the adjoining utility room, the customers had an “awkward” little space that they really wanted to utilise. Here we installed a bank of shallow larder units for optimum storage of food items to create a pantry of sorts. Though shallow there is still plenty of room for pasta, tins, and bulkier items that would take up too much space in the kitchen. They also wanted a sink big enough to clean their puppy in after long and muddy walks around the area.
After investing in the space and creating such a stunning design, they felt the adjoining reception space could potentially let the room down, and therefore we designed a bespoke media unit, manufactured by Callerton, the same manufacturer that supplied kitchen and utility room units - this would ensure fluidity in finish and design between all three rooms. The drawers mirror the shaker style in the kitchen whilst the open-shelf unit is painted in the same finish as the flat doors with an oak worktop to reflect the island breakfast bar. This space really has become a social hub for the house, creating a stunning open-plan cooking, dining and living space. In fact, the customers themselves have commented that they've never seen so much of their children as they'll sit and do schoolwork whilst they cook and sit in the living space!
