Kitchen Reno Diaries with @ohsokel

The kitchen initially started in a different part of the house because I was worried the extension wasn’t going to be big enough to fulfil our vision for the kitchen and how we wanted our open plan space to work. However, the dream was to have the kitchen at the back of the house and after physically marking it out on the ground we realised we could in fact have what we really wanted. In terms of the kitchen planning, I had a really clear idea about how I wanted it to look and feel, which was hugely helped by hours on Pinterest and creating moodboards using the consistent elements I’d been pinning. My husband and I spent a LOT of time really analysing the way WE live as a family… no kitchen designer can tell you this and we really stuck to our guns on a few aspects. A few must-haves were: dedicated drinks area away from the ‘cooking zone’ so the kids can make drinks away from the oven and so we can entertain guests easily. Large island that serves us practically, such as under counter fridge, bin, dishwasher and sink in carefully thought out locations that don’t jar with each  other. A styling ‘moment’ on the island that was purely for prettiness! USBs and electric points in well-thought out positions. Island seating that is wipeable, sociable and inviting (visually I prefer the balance of island chairs in a row, but going back to how we live, we decided to run the chairs 2+2 around the corner to make it more sociable). Tall cabinets that would sit on the lower cabinets, either side of the cooker, with a quartz shelf to bridge them. Timeless, classic hardware with a modern edge that will stand the test of time and age beautifully. Another must have was a pantry which we’ve made dark and moody in contrast to our light and bright kitchen. It means we can have the microwave and air fryer constantly out on the side but it’s hidden in the pantry!