TWO INTO ONE

Photography Infinity Media

Clodagh and Gerald have transformed their kitchen from through-room to heart of the home thanks to a recent renovation

of their old kitchen and utility room

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uilt in 1992, Clodagh and Gerald’s red-brick bungalow has been given a new lease of life with a fabulous open plan kitchen that has instantly become the family’s favourite room. ‘Our

original kitchen was a typical pine finish in a kitchen-diner layout. Over the years, we’d painted it cream and titivated it as much as possible but it was never a good layout, more a walk-through room and a bit of a wasted space where we simply didn’t feel inclined to spend time. We would cook and eat there but it was never a room we’d choose to relax in,’ says Clodagh.

With a utility room adjacent to the kitchen, it was the couple’s son who suggested they lose the utility in order to open up and enlarge the kitchen footprint. ‘I thought I would really miss my utility room but we got a builder, drew up a plan and knocked the dividing walls to create this huge space. I’d always wanted an island so we started to think about the new kitchen design before visiting Dillons Kitchens & Interiors, where we dealt with designer, Colm McLaughlin. We really liked Colm, his design ideas were fantastic and nothing was ever too much hassle. We love the streamlined, contemporary design and are delighted with the island, which is large enough to seat six. We’ve had our new kitchen just over a year and I can honestly say there is nothing I would change. It’s so spacious, I love coming down in the morning. It really is

the heart of the home, I absolutely adore it!’Although the couple were drawn to a contemporary

aesthetics, they were unsure of finishes, colours and the finer design details so they were confident in giving Colm free reign with the project. ‘I wasn’t originally looking at gloss and wouldn’t have thought of details such as the open cabinets and floating larder wall. It was also Colm’s idea to have the custom crafted larder with solid oak internals; the craftsmanship behind the contemporary door is a fantastic feature – it holds a multitude!’

Combining a light-reflecting gloss door with a matt textured grain finish, the scheme has an effective balance of light and dark, gloss and matt. Two handle styles have been designed for the two furniture finishes – a slim lip handle on the walnut stained facades acting as a functional feature and a decorative trim, with integrated recessed handles on the gloss fronts to give a seamless effect. ‘As well as designing the kitchen, Colm advised on the flooring and the paint colours to achieve a harmonious look throughout. Everything blends so well; he even suggested having our fireplace painted to match, which has become a much-used feature. This is now the most used room; we all eat round the island, everything happens here. No longer a through-room, our kitchen has been transformed from dark and depressing to the absolute heart of our home!’

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Above: Behind a streamlined façade, the floating cabinetry opens to reveal a custom designed oak larder.Opposite: The floating wall of cabinetry has been backlit with LEDs for added ambience after dark.

KITCHEN PROFILELocation: Co MeathBespoke contemporary kitchen – in a painted polished gloss finish with textured matt grain walnut stain on island and tall cantilevered cabinetry – from Dillons Kitchens & Interiors. Dillons Kitchens & Interiors,Unit 12, Ashbourne Business CentreBallybin Road, Ashbourne, Co Meath01 8499199 dillonskitchens.ie

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Appliances: Siemens induction hob, single oven, large combi microwave, warming drawer, integrated larder fridge and larder freezer, integrated dishwasher. Falmec ceiling extraction. Fixtures & Finishes: Bespoke contemporary kitchen – in a painted polished gloss finish with textured matt grain walnut stain on island and tall cantilevered cabinetry – from Dillons Kitchens & Interiors. 20mm Silestone work surfaces in Coral Clay with Dekton Enzo on the island from Stone Surfaces. Cabinetry internals in Driftwood finish with solid oak interior in custom designed larder. Cabinetry handles – recessed integrated handle on gloss doors, slim polished chrome handle fitted into matt grain door. Undermounted sink and chrome tap. Polished grey marble effect porcelain floor tiles, supplied and fitted by Dillons Kitchens & Interiors.

What was the brief? Our clients were keen to achieve a more open and spacious kitchen with an island as the focal point to transform what had been a badly designed room into the heart of their home. They had an idea of what they wanted in terms of the overall look and style of the room but were happy to give me free reign to develop the design to its full potential. They were set on a contemporary design from the outset, so it was a matter of creating interesting design details, such as the tall cantilevered ‘floating’ cabinetry and careful selection of materials and finishes to elevate the design to create a unique scheme.

What structural amendments were made to increase the kitchen footprint? The dividing walls between the old kitchen and the utility room were knocked through to create a much larger and more sociable kitchen layout for all the family to enjoy. We carefully considered the new layout, balancing the priorities of functional storage with the importance of achieving a striking contemporary aesthetic. We built out studwork to create a wall of cantilevered storage, accommodating the ovens and integrated refrigeration along with a custom designed double larder. A ceiling bulkhead was also created to lower the section of ceiling

above the island, housing the extraction and enhancing the ceiling detail.

Did you need to overcome any challenges?Increasing the kitchen footprint meant losing the existing utility room, so it was a priority to incorporate essential laundry appliances and practical storage. An integrated washing machine and tumble dryer have been housed in the base cabinetry and, to the right hand side of the TV, we created a utility larder for cleaning products, ironing board, brushes etc. Although a streamlined design, this kitchen provides a huge amount of concealed storage.

Above: A bespoke lighting package has been carefully considered to enhance the ambience of the room. Above right: Up-and-over doors are a great space-saving solution for easy access to the gloss wall cabinetry. Top right: A mini bar area has been incorporated into the double larder, with wine and stemware storage in solid oak.

Colm McLaughlin, Designer, Dillons Kitchens & Interiors