One of our own kitchens

The Kitchen is now the last room downstairs that needs to be up dated. Slowly, my own home is starting to come together! This kitchen is bad in many ways, its narrow, dark and unsociable. A real 1990s design nightmare.

We plan to remove the really bad cabinets, worktops, awful flooring, existing lighting and lastly the co-joining wall between the kitchen and the dining room.

Because of time contraints, this whole project will be broken down into smaller stages.

Here is who my dining room looked originally, with what is left of my kitchen on the otherside.

The first main job was to remove the load bearing wall, To do this I had to call in some favours from my friends for the acro-props and scaffold boards. Get some calculations done for the RSJ size and load bearings, and lastly get enough food to feed my co-director and very good friend Dave without whom I would not have been able to complete this task. Thanks Dave

With the ceiling removed, we can gain access to the supporting floor joists, where the acros will support the floor, pad stone cemented in, the RSJ can be placed into position.

With the wall nearly out, I can start to see the space that is being created here. It will make a massive difference to the feel of the house. It will open it up and make it a much more inviting place to be.

With all the other rooms being Artex ceilings, I really like that this one is flat. I have fitted eight downlighters to completment what will end being a modern kitchen. As a last minute consideration I have plumbed in my Hifi and Tv into the ceiling also. It sounds great is one of my favourite items.

Just a few small repairs to be carried out to the ceiling and coving to give it a flawless finish

With the wall removed and repaired, I can start to think about the colours that will contrast well with the overall design. Stone paint on the entry and open wall, with roasted red on the window and eventually on the oven wall.

To compliment the paint work, I will be installing a slab gloss white kitchen, Nero Absolute granite worktops, 30cm2 Nero Absolute floor tiles with underfloor heating with stainless steel/black appliances. Lastley a Franke black sink with a chrome pull out mixer tap

With everything now cleared out, we can start to fit the new cabinets. Two tall units to house the double oven and the microwave. Soft close drawers and highline cupboards complemented with full length door handles.

A bespoke cupboard will be built to conceal the boiler beside it will sit another 300 unit. In between the two will be a stainless steel and glass extractor hood.

Its amazing how by just adding the cupboard doors gives this kitchen a whole new feel. It is starting to look complete although there is still an awful lot to do.

This was always going to be time consuming. I have very good quality free standing appliances that I wanted to keep in my kitchen, but at the same time keep the continuity of the design. The solution was to use high gloss end panels and build cupboards around them. With no adjustment available, each panel had to be cut millimetre perfect to mantain perfect level.

The finished cupboards, I am really happy with the end result. They took alot of time, but look fantastic with all the alignment and gaps spot on.

I am really looking forward to when the granite black worktops are fitted. The contrast between the colours will be amazing. Not only that, but it also means that we can fit the ceramic hob and the Franke graphite sink and remove the old oven by the kitchen door that will still cook on.

Next job, to build the cupboards that will be fitted to the back of the appliances. This will then create a big area of work surfaces that will neatly devide the kitchen from the dining room.

With the cupboards built on the dining room side, we now have the foot print for the kitchen. Next thing is to remove the old vinyl flooring and put down some self levelling compound ready for the underfloor heating and the new floor

With the new floor layed and the plinths all fitted, the next task is to fit the worktops. I have chosen a simple black granite that is the same pattern as the granite floor.

The contrast between the wooden oak floor and the white cupboards is clean and simple, no fuss.

With the kitchen nearing completion, ( at long last ) I just love the simplicity of it. Black and white is classic in itself but with a vibrant red in the background it brings it to life.

The slab of granite in the middle looks great with its highly polished surface. Really practical with its large serving area, it still separates the kitchen from the dining room in a way whilst keeping the social side of dining wide open.

Less is often more, simple white tiles as a splash back with a thin pencil line of aluminium top and bottom complement the stainless steel sockets and extractor fan. There will be eventually a clear glass plate between the tiles and the extractor fan.

Beneath the fan is a soft touch ceramic hob, again simple and easy to clean.

A photo of the serving area, Two small pendant lights provide soft light while a small flat screen telly keeps the children amused. It is amazing just by removing a simple dividing wall what a difference it can have on the way you live your life in your home. I know this one has.

one of my favourite items in this kitchen. A Hansgrove mono mixer tap. It pulls out of its curved chrome stem and at the press of the grey button it converts from a stream of water to a sprinkler, ideal for washing veg etc.

It sits on a Franke grahite Mythos sink

To my darling Jo. Thanks for your patience. Not for the time it took for us to install it, but for the time for me to get round to doing it! I promised you a great kitchen and hopefully delivered on every level. Your positive attitude and willingness is as always beyond measure. All my love Ray xx