How a designer kitchen transformed a house into a home

Mrs Oldham recalled purchasing the house, saying,

“The house is really quite unusual – it’s set on different levels, with the kitchen leading out to the garden. It’s gorgeous – really light and airy, but it was crying out for a lovely new kitchen – we absolutely hated the old design!”

Although they’d been considering a new kitchen for quite some time, it was chance that led the couple to Kitchen Design Centre:

“We looked around a lot of other places, but many of them were very ‘samey’ – and the cabinets weren’t all that good quality when you had a closer look.

“We’d been to Housing Units, where Kitchen Design Centre’s Manchester showroom is based, plenty of times but we’d never actually been into the showroom. This time, though, we just wandered in and spotted the kitchen we ended up with straight away – it was a total eureka moment!

“We spoke to Paul, our designer, and told him we wanted that kitchen replicated in our own home. Once we’d seen that there was no point looking anywhere else.”

The kitchen that caught the couple’s eye was a chic traditional kitchen with smooth lines and rounded edges adding a touch of modernity. Painted oak shaker-style cupboard doors add a touch of colour, while Bethel White granite work surfaces add texture and interest.

The kitchen has been tailored to fit perfectly in the Oldhams’ home, and stylish finishing touches really make it their own.

A rustic mantel frames the cooking area, where a top quality ex-display Britannia range cooker takes pride of place. These traditional features are balanced out by the contemporary mirror splash-back that opens up the room, reflecting the peninsula and the cosy dining area beyond.

On either side, panels of Safari Brasilica wood add warmth and natural beauty to the room, replicated by the gently curving breakfast bar and sideboard, both in the same material.

Mrs Oldham couldn’t be happier with the quality and look of her traditional kitchen, commenting:

“The cabinets are just fantastic quality. They’re a rounded shaker style, and they’re two toned – off white and a beautiful grey-green colour.

“The wood on the breakfast bar is a really special touch, and Kitchen Design Centre made me a sideboard to match. People come in and are just wowed by it. Little touches like that matter – and you get a wonderful bespoke service with Kitchen Design Centre.”

Despite a traditional feel, the kitchen is designed to make life easier for the couple, boasting a discreet Neff built-under fridge, a beautiful antique white butler sink, and an Ionian mixer tap in chic chrome.

The couple also opted for a state-of-the-art Neff dishwasher with the TimeLight projection system, which displays the remaining cycle time on to the floor.

Curved base units on the back of the new peninsula, which replaces a clumsy island, form part of a casual seating area, where the couple can cosy up on stylish high stools that tuck in neatly.

The new kitchen has transformed the way that the Oldhams use the space:

“With the beautiful new kitchen and dining area, it’s just lovely if we have people round to dinner. We’ve got a TV on the wall now, and those lovely stools – people can perch and keep whoever’s cooking company. We had a really clear vision of what we wanted, and we’ve got it.”

And it’s not just the beautiful designer kitchen that won praise from Mrs Oldham – she had plenty to recommend about Kitchen Design Centre, too.

“Our designer Paul has a lovely personality – he came to the house, sat down with us and took his time getting a feel for what we wanted and how the kitchen should work for us. He talked to us about where we move and what we do in the kitchen, and that’s how he decided where the different components would fit best.

“We did have a certain budget on this project, and Kitchen Design Centre actually came in under that. We’d really recommend them as a company. You never get the feeling that it’s just business for them, or just a question of meeting targets. And although they were clearly busy every time we went in or spoke to someone, they always had time for us. They were just brilliant.”