A Traditional, Family-Focused Kitchen With A Sophisticated Style

When Lindsey and Adam first started thinking about how to renovate the kitchen at their home in Rochdale, the issues of spaciousness and lighting were amongst their main concerns. “Basically, it all used to be three small rooms.” Lindsey explained. “Our lounge, our kitchen – which was quite dark – and we had a separate cubbyhole too.”

It didn’t take the couple long to settle upon a set of standards they wanted from the new design. “To start with, we wanted it to look more modern.” Lindsey said. “We also wanted to replace that darkness with more of a beachside feel – we’ve lived around chalets before and we wanted it to be bright and airy.”

Having been given a solid recommendation for Kitchen Design Centre from an industry professional, Lindsey and Adam decided to pay a visit to their nearest showroom, located at Housing Units, Manchester. There they met John Crosby, one of our talented kitchen designers, and spotted a display kitchen with several elements they’d envisioned for their own dream kitchen. John worked closely with both Lindsey and Adam to recreate these features, making sure to integrate them into the final design.

As they were looking to create a true family-centric space, one of the couple’s first key requirements for their new kitchen was to link the kitchen and lounge into a single room. This was achieved by removing the adjoining wall; flooding the kitchen with natural light while creating a space that flows beautifully from the cooking to the living area.

Lindsey and Adam were also particularly excited about the installation of their new kitchen island, another crucial factor in making a family-centric space. It’s finished with a bespoke piece of Quartz worktop, and along the central part of the island is a breakfast bar capable of seating the whole family. Now, they can all happily tuck into delicious meals while enjoying each other’s company.

“We’re parents to teenagers, so we were used to them simply making the occasional pit stop to the kitchen.” Lindsey recalled. “Now though, we can all spend our evenings in the same room, and sit and eat together in a proper family atmosphere.”

The kitchen’s hob has been built into the space under a previously-unused chimney breast, which is now home to a concealed kitchen extractor. A distressed solid oak mantle was also installed above the hob to serve as a wonderfully rustic focal point, while just underneath it, the back wall has been outfitted with a tinted mirror that gives a great illusion of extra space.

The completed kitchen’s elegant but traditional style is enhanced by its kitchen cabinetry, which is outfitted with Traditional Oxford Doors in Pearl Grey, mixed with Oxford White doors. Meanwhile, the finish of 30mm Attico Quartz on the kitchen worktops allows them to share that same stunningly sophisticated feel.

Complementing this look is a dazzling array of modern and contemporary appliances, in addition to the couple’s existing American fridge freezer. These include an 80cm induction hob, a Pyrolytic Single Oven, a Combi Microwave and a warming drawer, all from industry-leading supplier Neff. Finally, a Quooker tap has been fitted to one of the Quartz worktops. Known for its ability to provide boiling water in a pinch, the Quooker’s minimalist design was carefully chosen to prevent the worktops from looking too cluttered, which is key in maintaining the spacious feel of the open-plan design.

“I love the Quooker tap, it’s brilliant.” said Lindsey happily. “We both like the induction hob too – in fact, Adam is especially fond of it! We’ve never had one before and we like it far more than the gas alternative. It’s so much easier to clean, to start with!”