Opening up a downstairs room and decorating in all-white has worked wonders for what was originally a dark and dingy kitchen with dark oak units and a single window.
'Being Danish,' says the owner of this 1990s property in Buckinghamshire, 'I wanted a room with lots of light. We also needed a family friendly space where we could keep an eye on our three grandchildren when they are playing.' The owners decided to extend at the side of the house and knocked down a wall between the kitchen and living room to create the lovely open-plan space. They also fitted two new windows and a door opening onto the garden.
The hob is positioned between two windows. The sink is opposite, behind a partition that separates the kitchen from a seating area. The ovens and a built-in fridge-freezer are in a bank of units on the back wall. The result of all their hard work is a bright and breezy modern kitchen with a hint of Scandi style.
1/7 Kitchen seating area
The kitchen and living area, here decorated for Christmas in traditional red and white, are separated by a partition that hides the cooking pots and dishes from guests sitting in the living area.
Sofa
Ikea
Similar cabinet
The Cotswold Company
2/7 Kitchen cabinetry
A bank of floor-to-ceiling units and built-in appliances across the back wall of the kitchen has a streamlined look. This kitchen is a lesson in good design, with the ovens, sink, fridge and hob all within easy reach but still with their own separate areas. The owners have added some pretty berried twig decorations for Christmas.
Similar kitchen units
Ikea
Similar cooker
Appliance City
3/7 Kitchen cooking zone
Two banks of units face each other; one housing the hob and the other the sink. This helps to divide the kitchen up into zones, making for a super-organised space and storage that can be utilised with different functions in mind. A smoky glass splashback is a great alternative to tiles and complements the all white hi-gloss cabinetry perfectly.
Similar splasback
Topps Tiles
Similar cooker hood
Appliance City
4/7 Kitchen hob
A glass ceramic hob is a stylish choice in a modern kitchen. Clean-lined and super-easy to clean, it is a natural fit with the glass splashback and glossy kitchen units. A separate hob with an oven built-in elsewhere means that drawers can be included below for pan and utensil storage.
Similar hob
Appliance City
5/7 Built-in ovens
Plan carefully and built-in ovens can make life a lot easier. In their kitchen, the owners have had a double oven and separate microwave fitted into a bank of floor-to-ceiling cupboards, but at no lower than worktop height so they don't have to bend down to use them. This makes cooking and cleaning easier and safer. The adjacent worktop means hot food does not have to be carried.
Similar double oven
Appliance City
Similar microwave
ao.com
6/7 Kitchen sink
A ceramic sink adds country style and blends seamlessly into the all-white scheme. 'The partition between the kitchen and living area is high enough to hide the washing-up and cooking area when you're sitting in the living space,' says the owner.
Tap
Plumbworld
Similar sink
Trading Depot
7/7 Kitchen Christmas decorations
A mini gold wreath and sprigs of pine bring a Christmas touch to the mirror next to the back door to the garden. This Christmas the owner is looking forward to using her new kitchen. 'It's perfect,' she says. 'My husband and I can cook lunch, chat to our guests and watch over our grandchildren all at once.'
Similar wreath
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