Purple Reigns

Polly asked Kitchen Design Centre’s Maxine Hutchinson to design a kitchen with the ‘wow’ factor – and Maxine did not disappoint!

Polly’s love of purple and shades of violet, gave experienced designer Maxine the chance to introduce a striking vibrancy to the kitchen as well as a contemporary design that she knew Polly would appreciate.

The brief included a casual eating area, where Polly could entertain guests or chat to her grandchildren who visit often, so this was incorporated into the worktop to form a breakfast bar.

“The room was perfect to work with,” explained Maxine. “It was a good size and a perfect rectangle. Polly did not want the breakfast bar taking over the kitchen, and she was very clear how she wanted the finished kitchen to look.”

Taking on board the brief, Maxine had to include plenty of storage space including drawers and cupboards as well as taking into consideration the armoury of hi-tech appliances that Polly had specified.

All Neff, these included a full-height fridge and full height freezer, a top-of-the-range Aqua-assist oven which has a water chamber to add moisture to cooking, a combination microwave, warming drawer, a washer-drier, a full size dishwasher and an 800mm induction hob inset into the breakfaster bar enabling Polly to cook and socialise at the same time.

When it came to choosing the units, Maxine and Polly opted for Hacker Cashmere gloss units – accented with purple glass cupboards, which proved to be a masterstroke.

“Polly has a good eye for detail – like the rest of her house she has included lots of colour in a very stylish way. The purple glass accents combined with the Cashmere is very striking. The glass cupboards are lift up giving easy access, so it is very practical.”

Creating room for the appliances as well as creating lots of storage space was a challenge that Maxine rose to and the ergonomics of the kitchen work really well.

As an added striking touch, a purple glass splash back was added above a separate work station next to the doorway which was a space designed to plug in a phone or computer and to deal with mail.

The end result is simply stunning, as Polly testified: “I am thrilled with my new kitchen.

“As Maxine knows, I am not afraid to use colour and purple is my favourite. I wanted something bold and striking. The kitchen is next to a living room, which has a beautiful purple sofa so it’s lovely that this accent colour runs through.”

Having chosen the latest high-specification appliances from Neff, Polly has quickly learnt all the different features and advantages: “As they were all new I had the manuals, but I attended a demonstration by Neff at Kitchen Design Centre, and I found that extremely useful. It was really practical and informative.”

Polly has eight grandchildren and loves it when they visit, so the kitchen has proved a real focal point for them. It is also a great space for entertaining friends as she explained: “I love my new kitchen and I really enjoy entertaining. It works really well as I can enjoy a glass of wine, while I’m cooking and chatting to friends.”