Vintage Santa Fe Oak & Carbon Grey Kitchen in Celbridge

Why have you gotten a new kitchen?  

The kitchen we had came with the house when we moved in 15 years ago, so we had no say in the style or layout.  We decided to get an extension, as now three children later, it was really starting to feel cramped.  We finally had the opportunity to get the kitchen we really wanted and gain the extra storage we needed.

Describe your previous kitchen in 3 words.          

Small, impractical and outdated.

Describe your new kitchen in 3 words.  

Spacious, practical and stylish.

What were your design goals before you got started?  And why?

The challenge was to fit in all the storage we needed without it looking too cluttered.  Layout was very important to us as the kitchen was going to be in an open plan family room so it had to feel cosy but still look stylish.

How was this applied to your kitchen?

We wanted the end of the room to have wide opening doors to the garden, which is south facing, so I knew we had plenty of light coming in.  This meant we could afford to go dark with the colours in the kitchen to create that warm space without it looking too dull.

What was a design challenge you had to overcome?  

The room was long and narrow, and we had no space in the house for a utility room.  This meant I had to try and incorporate my laundry units in the kitchen space and yet still have room for our dining table and couch.  We also had a window on the longest wall so this was restricting where we could place tall units and the hob.  We decided to block up the window to give us a good run of storage.  We decided to go for sliding doors opposite the kitchen so we could fit a unit for our everyday junk and a unit for our laundry appliances.  It just so happed I could squeeze in a glass/bar unit in the centre as our luxury part of the kitchen.

How did you come to select your door style and colour choices?  

I spent a lot of time on Pinterest and Houzz and kept going back to the same style of kitchen.  I knew I wanted a flat dark modern door but still had to be practical with children and easy to clean.  The Zoom range offered such a wide range of colours and the fact that it was a laminate door it ticked all the boxes for us.

Any advice you would give to someone in the planning stages of their new kitchen?  

Although the style is important, I would say the bones of the kitchen outweigh this.  You must think about what you need in your everyday life from your kitchen, get the layout right and the style and colours will fall into place.  Make a list of your needs and wants and leave the choosing of finishes to the last as it can get a little overwhelming thinking of the whole project at once.  Take it one step at a time.

What kinds of food does your family use the kitchen to prepare?

The kids love making cookies, so the island has allowed them to sit at it and bake with me.  Myself and my husband can finally work in the kitchen at the same time as one of us has the space to cook at the hob while the other preps food at the island.  It makes the kitchen more of a family space and not just one if us stress cooking on our own in a pokey kitchen.

Is there anything you use your kitchen for that has nothing to do with food? And why?

The kids sit at the island to draw, my husband sits at it to work from home.  And I won’t lie, it’s quite a treat to have our own little bar to sit at when the kids go to bed.

What is the first thing family and friends notice about your new kitchen?

The fact that we fitted so much in without it looking cluttered and even though we chose dark colours it still feels bright.  The sliding mirror doors are the real focal point as most people would not think of using these in a kitchen.  They are a great space saver and if you have a narrow home, the mirror gives the illusion that the kitchen is wider than it is.