Stunning green kitchen makeover offers a traditional look with a trend-led twist

This stunning new kitchen is an eclectic blend of contemporary elements, traditional materials and retro finds – residing in a 1920s semi in Beckenham, south London.

‘We like a separate dining room for entertaining, so rather than knock through, we extended our long, narrow kitchen to the side' explains the homeowner. 'I’m a design consultant @futureicons_, so we saved on architect’s fees and planned it ourselves.'

'We like high-quality craftsmanship and lots of detail, so took our ideas to a local kitchen maker, Pluck. Everything’s solid, thoughtfully designed and well made – both beautiful and practical.'

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‘We had a vision for the kitchen. Dark green is a favourite and terracotta tiles suit the age of our house. We knew we wanted a kitchen island, but not high-level units as I’m not that tall!' the owner explains. ' The island top has green marble in it – a traditional material, but used in a contemporary way.’

Glorious green kitchen makeover

'Having invested in the cabinetry, I shopped around for appliances and, as we were buying them all from one place.' Adding, 'I haggled to get the extractor half price.'

'For four months we used makeshift facilities in the dining room and washed up in the bathroom. Fitting took three weeks and cost about £3,000. The new space is great for cooking and entertaining and it will stand the test of time.’

The owners chose plain worktops. ‘I felt anything too distinctive would compete with the island top, which is a big feature of the room.’

It cost £27,319 in total to transform the kitchen. Broken down like so: Units, £18,800; Plain worktops, £1,800; Patterned worktop, £1,200; Appliances, £3,756; Sink and tap, £588; Flooring, £800 and Wall tiles, £375.

Mermaid tiles

Buy now: Syren Natural Linen Wall Tiles, £83.17sq m, Topps Tiles

The units’ door and drawer pulls have a contrasting coral interior that adds a pretty detail. Laminated birch plywood units in Bonnington Green,  £620 for a 600mm base unit, Pluck. Island work surface, £450sq m, Altrock Surfaces.

Multifunctional kitchen island

'Instead of working in my home office, I’ll often sit at the island. I love the garden view' the owner says, delighted.

The island is a hard-working piece, with a breakfast bar on one side and drawers on the other for everyday crockery and glassware. The homeowner revealing, ‘The dishwasher’s directly opposite, so it’s really quick to unload.’ 

Statement lighting

The kitchen features ceiling spots to create multi-directional lighting, for practical tasks. However a futuristic pendant updates the traditional and retro elements in the room.

The light is Flos Arrangements 1S feature light, £1,046, Ivor Innes. The vintage bar stools were an eBay find and they work with the birch ply larder doors to add natural texture.

Framed samples of vintage wallpaper makes for interesting alternative artwork.

Buy now: Andalucia Rojo Terracotta Floor Tiles, £39.95sq m, Walls and Floors

Related: Kitchen island lighting ideas to illuminate all your needs – from cooking to socialising

What the owners learnt form their kitchen makeover – 'Be prepared to pay extra for anything that’s not standard. It took our tiler three days to fit the unusual fan-shaped wall tiles, but I’d only budgeted for one'.

Original feature by Annabelle Grundy appeared in Ideal Home January 2021.