This kitchen has been turned from dark and dated to romantic and cosy with a clever colour scheme and design tricks

Good bones and a strong colour scheme are the key elements that lie behind any striking kitchen makeover. This is what Jess Daines, a content creator and stylist found when creating this bright and cosy space.

Jess, her partner and baby boy have lived in their Norfolk home for about 6 years. Ideas for the kitchen were the first step in turning the house into their dream home.

'When we first bought our house the kitchen was extremely dark but it was solid so it was a great canvas to work with and build on. It was one of the first rooms we tackled,' explains Jess, who can be found at @mrsjessdaines. 'I think the biggest challenge was understanding the light as it’s a north-facing room.'

The existing space was a good size with plenty of storage, however, the dark wooden cabinets and black kitchen worktops were soaking up any light coming in from the window over the sink.

Before

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'My ultimate goal was to create a much brighter and lighter feel but still remain cosy,' says Jess. 'Tongue and groove panelling and a quartz worktop were top of the list.'

Adding more kitchen lighting ideas was also high on the list to brighten up the cooking space. 'We added in recessed spotlights fairly recently which helped to brighten the space particularly when cooking but as they’re recessed they emit a much softer light,' she explains.

After

One of the biggest changes that Jess made to the kitchen structure was removing the upper cabinets. When deciding between wall cabinets or open shelving in a kitchen, when light is an issue open shelving can go a long way to make a space feel more open and light.

'I think one of my biggest tips is to limit how much ‘stuff’ you have. We do not miss the top cabinets at all because we have a very functional dresser which houses our plates, pots and pans, baking dishes and everything we use day to day,' Jess says of the decision. 'We also have a larder cupboard which offers fantastic storage for our dry foods/ tins and spices.'

A smart kitchen colour scheme has also helped Jess to balance that cosy but bright look. School House White by Farrow & Ball has been used on the cabinets and panelling and with the help of the white quartz kitchen worktop helps bounce light around the space. The earthy Jitney by Farrow & Ball has then been taken up the walls and onto the ceiling. 'Painting the ceiling has helped the space to feel cosy and it also helps to make the ceiling appear higher,' she explains.

The finishing touch is the striking kitchen splashback idea that uses Green Porcelain tile by Ca Pietra. The pop of colour complements the neutral shades throughout the kitchen and creates a focal point that instantly draws your eye to the cooker, and the area next to it which has become Jess' favourite spot to display her favourite kitchenware.

'I love to display a mix of old and new pieces, from little antique finds, to the functional daily must-haves like our large wooden pepper grinder that we got as a wedding gift,' she explains.

This stunning jewel box of a kitchen is a world away from the ordinary wooden kitchen it started as.