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When renowned shoe and boot designer Penelope Chilvers bought her Cotswold farmhouse some six years ago, she declared that she wouldn’t change a thing. ‘I loved the house because it was unrestored,� she says, ‘but then our children started having babies and I realised the kitchen, which was really a small parlour, could only fit four people around the table and I was dreaming of a space where our five children could get together and the grandchildren could play and run around the table.�

While Penelope and her husband decided to enlarge the kitchen, by knocking a stud wall through into the dining room next door, they didn’t want to create a typical open plan, modern kitchen but instead, they wanted to retain the rustic charm of the low-ceilinged, 400-year-old building.

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It was at this point that Penelope turned toÌýNeptune, visiting the Cheltenham store which, as a Georgian townhouse, features some smaller space kitchen layouts that helped her envisage what her own small kitchen could look like. Penelope’s kitchen journey had begun.

‘Next the design experts came for breakfast,� says Penelope. ‘We sat in the old parlour kitchen, and they talked me through what could be done. I wanted the kitchen to look like it had been there forever, so we selected Henley cabinetry as it was similar to the cupboards that had been there before.�

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Originally, Penelope had been keen to keep her much-loved solid ash kitchen table rather than introducing a fixed island, to avoid covering up the beautiful original flagstone floor. Instead, the Neptune team suggested she incorporate a freestandingÌýCharlecote island with a marble worktop. ‘It has been indispensable and makes the space look like an old Victorian working kitchen,â€� adds Penelope, ‘plus, I’ve now got an extendable 12-seater Sheldrake table in the dining area so we can easily have large gatherings for lunches and dinners.â€�

AÌý tap and Belfast sink, induction hob, Henley broom cupboard (‘my new favourite luxury where I now keep the ironing boardâ€�) and made-to-measure merino wool curtains by , completed the kitchen transformation.

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Outside, a disused out-house was re-imagined as a convenient boot room with the addition of two fitted Pembroke open cupboards, with solid oak shelves, and a Buckland bench, all painted in Sage. Extra storage comes from a run of Wardley coat hooks and useful under-bench Somerton baskets. ‘The boot room has become a wonderful extension of our home,� says Penelope. ‘The most useful part of the house really, where we polish our boots, keep our boots, and store our warm clothes. Having the bench means I can sit down with a cup of tea, polish my boots and just have a quiet moment to myself.�

Back in the kitchen, and sharing ±·±ð±è³Ù³Ü²Ô±ð’s affinity for natural colours and quality materials that get better with age, Penelope was drawn to Henley’s exposed oak finishes and wanted to bring a sense of the countryside inside, so she opted to paint the freestanding island, wall cupboards and walls in Sage (‘which is like light shining through refracted glass, in summer it feels like we’re outside, in winter it warms up the roomâ€�), while painting the Suffolk cabinetry in Polenta which reflects the mellow yellow tones of the building’s Cotswold stone.

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As a conservationist and trained artist who still draws every day, Penelope was keen to personalise her kitchen with a nod to nature. Using watered down NeptuneÌýpaint shades, she spent a few happy weekends painting butterflies on the inside of the glass-fronted wall cabinet. ‘Butterflies remind me of the fragility of nature and last year I noticed there were hardly any butterflies around, so they were on my mind,â€� says Penelope. ‘I’d like to think that as our grandchildren grow up, they will always remember visits to the house with the butterfly kitchen cupboard.â€�

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And those family gatherings? The paint had barely dried before Penelope and her husband began hosting. ‘We had twenty family and friends for lunch on the first weekend after the kitchen was finished,� she adds, ‘so we’ve definitely celebrated the space.�

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To begin your kitchen journey, bookÌýyour free consultation today or visit your nearestÌýstore.

You may recognise Jess and Ash’s spacious Cornish kitchen from a few years ago when we featured their Snow-painted Henley kitchen with its beachy Hamptons� vibe.

In the intervening years, Jess and Ash have grown familiar with the versatility of Neptune kitchens, installing four in their luxury Cornish holiday homes, . But in their own property, the couple felt that while the white-on-white kitchen was fantastic in summer, it lacked warmth and character in winter.

‘It was a great summer kitchen, a big open, airy space,� says Jess. ‘But in winter it didn’t feel cosy. We are a family of four so unless there are twenty people here for a barbecue, we’d find ourselves drifting around in the space. The dining table seated twelve but on a normal family night it felt rather lonely when there were just four of us.�

That said, the couple were very happy with the existing, five-year-old Henley kitchen, seeing no reason to change it. ‘It has held up incredibly well and has a good wipe-clean finish which is essential with lots of little sticky fingers.� They were also happy with the Snow shade they’d originally chosen, noting it is a great canvas for everything going on in the kitchen, ‘from everyday life with our two boys to a backdrop for hanging art�. But they acknowledged the space lacked texture, depth and warmth, particularly when it wasn’t a Hamptons-like sunny day outside.

The solution was to keep the wall cabinets in Snow but change the colour of the island to something that would introduce subtle colour without being dominant, bring pattern in on the cooker splashback and update the brassware to a softer finish. The old dining table was moved outside, and a Buckland banquette was built into one corner of the room, accompanied by a six-seater, circular Balmoral table and woven Tilbury dining chairs. The original snug area switched spaces with the dining area, offering a better sea view through the French doors from the relaxing sofa.

Jess and Ash opted for our new shade, Polenta, for the island, a creamy pale yellow with a hint of black for depth and sophistication. ‘Although the island is huge, the colour is subtle,� says Jess. ‘And it sits well with the new Warwick brass handles.� Behind the AGA, the couple replaced the exposed red brick backdrop with � classic blue Delft tiles, featuring hand painted Cornish references like fish pies and cowslip flowers. ‘The soft blue and cream of the tiles balances the Polenta island perfectly,� adds Ash. ‘As the tiles are handmade, they are all slightly irregular and the light above picks up on the textures giving them real character.�

The Buckland banquette has also transformed the family’s dining experience. ‘I actually like sitting here and eating my cereal now,� says Ash, ‘previously I’d stand by the island to eat breakfast.� Dressed with cushions and café-style curtains, the space is big enough for family and guests but intimate at other times. Finally, the snug area benefited from the additional of the laidback Long Island sofa, two leather Casey armchairs and an Ophelia footstool upholstered in a bespoke blue denim fabric.

‘I can’t believe the difference a few changes have made,� says Ash. And Jess agrees: ‘We’d been thinking about updating the space for so long, but I didn’t expect it to look this good. I’m so glad we went for it.� From that summery Hamptons-like space, thanks to a few easy updates, the couple now have a warm, welcoming kitchen-dining space that they, and their family, can enjoy all year round.

To begin your kitchen journey,Ìýbook your free design consultationÌýtoday or visit your nearest store.Ìý

As an interior architect with a keen eye for detail, Nathalie of De Masure à Demeure had a distinct vision for her kitchen long before the family moved into their half-timbered, twentieth-century French cottage. She sought to restore the ho³¾±ð’s exuberant Anglo-Norman roots while bringing in natural elements that would complement the garden’s beauty.Ìý

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TheÌýoriginal kitchen, with its enclosed layout and bold red and yellow palette, was a stark contrast to the open, welcoming space Nathalie envisioned. Isolated from the rest of the home by partition walls, it lacked the connectivity she longed for. Nathalie’s first step in transforming the space was to create a large open archway and add beams that matched those throughout the house, establishing a sense of openness and a smooth, seamless flow from the kitchen to the dining room.Ìý

Having long admired English-style kitchens, Nathalie discovered ±·±ð±è³Ù³Ü²Ô±ð’s solid timber collections after extensive research. â€�No one else in France offered an English kitchen, but it was the quality that won me over,â€� she explains. â€�Our house has stood for over 100 years, and I wanted that same built-to-last quality for our kitchen cabinetry.â€� After browsing the collections online, Nathalie fell for Henley’s timeless grandeur, and the soft, pale green of our Sage paint. A visit to our Paris store further solidified her choice. And armed with her own basic 2D plan of the space, which included wall-to-wall cabinetry and a central island with bar stools on both sides, Nathalie sat down with Pierre, the owner of our Paris store, to bring her vision to life. ‘Pierre was instrumental in creating storage solutions throughout the kitchen,â€� Nathalie says. ‘He found space for a larder cabinet where I ³¦´Ç³Ü±ô»å²Ô’t have imagined it and designed the island with invaluable storage drawers at either end. ±õ³Ù’s really interesting to see how people naturally gather around the island â€� ¾±³Ù’s become a real focus point within the home.â€�Ìý

When it came to selecting materials, Nathalie was discerning in choosing elements that would reflect both the history of the house and the beauty of the garden outside. She selected natural oak for the island worktop, contrasting it with the clean white worktop on the wall cabinets. ‘I wanted the island to have the feel of an antique table,â€� Nathalie explains. To enhance the warm, tactile ambience, she also decided midway through the design process to extend the tongue-and-groove panelling from the cabinetry across the kitchen walls. The standout feature of the space, however, is the floor: a cream-and-green checkerboard design that Nathalie describes as a nature-inspired interpretation of traditional flooring found in homes of this architecture.ÌýÌý

AÌýcustom-made rustic timber shelf and iron hanging bar, adorned with cascading evergreen foliage, completes the kitchen’s seamless connection to the outdoors. And the light-filled, nature-inspired space has now become a central point of the home, whether the family is cooking a meal, hosting a BBQ, or simply enjoying a quiet moment together. â€�When you build something that has a lasting quality to it, you envision future memories in the space,â€� Nathalie reflects. ‘For me, i³Ù’s about looking forward to cooking with grandchildren.â€�ÌýTo begin your kitchen journey,Ìýbook your free design consultationÌýtoday or visit your nearest store.Ìý

Proof of the versatility of our kitchen collections is the elegant, painted and oak kitchen in Rosanna and Kydd’s Primrose Hill home. Successfully combining two kitchen collections � Suffolk cabinetry wrapping around the walls with a Henley oak island � the kitchen is an essay in harmony, from the mellow colour palette to the fine details and proportions. And, to test the theory further, the couple added a Chichester laundry and boot room off their new kitchen.

When Rosanna and Kydd decided to amalgamate the lower garden level into their upper-storey Victorian terrace, it was a no brainer to turn the space into a large, welcoming kitchen that connected directly with the garden, free-flowing into a playroom for three-year-old Kasper and baby Paloma, a utility room and boot room. It was also an obvious decision to opt for a Neptune kitchen: the couple had already installed a Chichester kitchen in the original flat, so they were familiar with the collections � and their flexibility. Indeed, the former kitchen space on the first floor was turned into a study and the existing Chichester cabinetry was overhauled to become smart and useful office storage.

But back to the new kitchen. The vision was clear: ‘It needed to marry beauty with function,� says Rosanna. ‘We wanted it to be the heart of the family home. A place for adults to cook and entertain in, but also for our children to play in and feel welcome. A place where Kasper could pull up his wooden standing ‘tower� and happily make food alongside me.�

The connection with the garden was also important. During the early renovation, working with architect Reginald Verspreeuwen, building team and design studio , the couple installed full length windows overlooking the garden to ‘breathe light into a shady basement�. The windows� strong lines drew the eye vertically to take in the impressive ceiling heights and this became an important factor in the kitchen design process. Tall worktop units with slim bi-fold doors (one is now a coffee and breakfast station) were designed to sit either side of the Lacanche range to emphasise the elongated lines of the room. On the other side of the room, a high, glazed countertop cabinet was bespoked to fit neatly under the stair well.

Central to the kitchen, though is the Henley island. Working with kitchen designer Nerine Vacher from Neptune Fulham, the couple configured the island to create a deep and comfortable breakfast bar area. ‘We went through a lot of design options and Nerine was amazingly patient,� recalls Rosanna. ‘No idea was silly, and nothing was too much trouble to draw up. In the end, I love how the modern functionality of the Suffolk cabinetry frames the room and allows the exposed oak of the island to bring an organic warmth into the space and connect us with the garden.�

‘We needed to be flexible with the design process,â€� adds Nerine, ‘as it was an evolving renovation project with complexities like the under-stair area. But it all came together well. We treated the Henley island like a separate piece of furniture which complemented the rest of the space.â€� Ìý

With finishing touches like the robust worktop, the patinated brass tap and antiqued brass handles adding depth to walls painted in Salt, cabinetry painted in Suffolk’s standard Driftwood shade and the utility cabinetry accented in French Grey, the space feels cohesive and complete. Just as Rosanna and Kydd envisioned it.

Rosanna’s top tips for a kitchen renovation

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±õ³Ù’s tempting in the design phase to romanticise aesthetics, but domestic joy also comes from practicality. We toyed with having a marble worktop, but with so much activity around the island, we’re grateful we chose a durable composite instead.

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Consider how you like to socialise. For us, sharing a glass of wine while cooking family meals was key, which gave us the confidence to choose an oversized island and a smaller kitchen table. The opposite choice might make more sense for families who love sitting down for a full three-course meal.

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Don’t be afraid to be particular. Aside from our home itself, the kitchen is our biggest investment, so we had many discussions with Nerine on the design. We were met with flexibility and quality â€� we ³¦´Ç³Ü±ô»å²Ô’t be happier with the result.

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To begin your kitchen journey, book your free design consultation today or visit your nearest store.Ìý

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But this kitchen has been deliberately designed to be versatile too, with a seating and library area to one side, a tucked-away utility room, and a big dining table for entertaining. ‘We were living in a small two-bedroom flat while the building work was going on so haven’t been able to host any friends, other than at Glebe House itself,� adds Olive. ‘We have a long list of friends to invite over now.�

For keen vegetable-grower Hugo, linking the garden and surrounding countryside to the kitchen was also a key consideration. ‘We have a big kitchen garden that we created from an empty field to serve the restaurant,â€� he explains, ‘but there is always surplus veg, which we like to pick with the boys. We grow everything seasonally from radishes and broad beans to kale, fennel and artichokes. Currently, ¾±³Ù’s a surplus of Swiss chard!â€�

Hugo recalls they chose the Henley collection because ‘the design was simple but had nice detailing; it sits perfectly between modern and traditional style�, and they loved the inclusion of the natural oak cabinetry. Colour was an important way to connect the outside and in and, inspired by the earthy clay shades of the nearby Jurassic cliffs, the couple mixed Burnt Sienna on cabinetry alongside Henley’s natural oak finish, and used Burnham Red on the island (with Farrow & Ball’s on the tongue and groove panelling).

They were also influenced by the years they spent living and working in Europe. ‘Our style is inspired by the country kitchens of Italy and France,� says Hugo. ‘That use of natural wood and stone and warm, earthy colours that feels anchored in the surrounding environment.� The subtle terracotta chequerboard floor is a case in point: ‘It feels so warm and inviting and transports me to my favourite parts of Italy,� he adds, noting that laying the floor was ‘a real labour of love � I hadn’t quite appreciated it would need six coats of sealer, but it was worth it.�

Claire Birkbeck, the Bath-based Neptune kitchen designer who worked with Hugo and Olive on the project, recalls the couple had clear ideas from the start. ‘They wanted to make it a really joyful space, somewhere with lots of character and colour, and they also wanted to make sure it fitted their family life set up. As a designer, it was all about making it a hardworking space with good storage, but one that also feels fun and creative.�

For artist Olive, layering colour and pattern onto the warm terracotta base was the next step. ‘I introduced pattern through the floor tiles, our collection of pottery and plates, and soft furnishings. For me, pattern is an instinctive thing � when you see a pattern you like, it just feels right. Not all patterns work together though. I tend to layer different shapes � a geometric with a floral maybe, or a large, wide pattern with a smaller print. And I always choose a thread of colour that ties the patterns together.�

The couple mixed in vintage finishes with the by Perrin & Rowe and a reclaimed butler’s sink in the utility. They worked with designer Claire to select the softly dappled marble for the work surfaces and added lighting such as the Athena scalloped shade, which Olive felt suitably reflected their coastal location.

‘Our original vision was to make the kitchen a place to cook and host but also for our family to live in and relax,� says Hugo. ‘This is how we imagined it, but Neptune made it a reality.�

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The versatility of our four timeless kitchen collections ensures there are endless options and variations to suit the needs of those from professional chefs to busy families. For Ella’s kitchen, the vision was clear, it needed to be a practical yet beautiful space that reflected the Deliciously Ella brand; somewhere that she and her team could experiment with new recipes, film reels (something Ella does herself on her iPhone) and shoot for cookbooks.

Our comprehensive Kitchen Design Service meant Ella was able to work seamlessly through the process with designer Lizzie despite the office space � one long, industrial-style room � needing to be divided into two sections. Requiring different cabinetry, the first section would act as a shoot kitchen, and the second a prep kitchen. For Ella this was about maximising space. ‘We always have so many different projects going on� she says, ‘we could frequently be developing recipes at the same time as working on product development�.

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Shoot kitchenÌý

Arguably the more important of the two, the shoot kitchen, which was situated at the back of the office to obtain the most light, was to take centre stage in the design. Ella was instantly drawn to the heritage feel of our Henley kitchen, a classic British design available as all solid oak, all painted timber or a combination of the two. ‘I really liked the timeless look it has,� says Ella. ‘The whole design of the kitchen is reflective of my personal style which is quite classic and paired back,� she continues. ‘The kitchen could be there in 30 years' time, and I would still be happy.�

The first challenge for the design team lay in creating just the right amount of space for the cameras to shoot, all the while taking the flow of the kitchen and existing appliances into account. To avoid any overly tight corners, our team in Wiltshire amended our standard measurements between the island and wall in order to increase the space for cameras and accompanying equipment.

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High on Ella’s wish list for the shoot kitchen was a double door larder, and while our Henley collection doesn’t traditionally offer one, Lizzie suggested crafting an integrated double cupboard with bi-fold doors to echo the same effect. The result is a beautiful piece of cabinetry full of storage. ‘±õ³Ù’s transformational,â€� says Ella.

The final integral design factor was colour. ‘We knew Ella was looking for colours that reflected her brand,� says designer Lizzie, and after showing several greens, she landed on our Cactus eggshell paint, a deep relaxing green with a minty coolness to it. ‘I think the colour is perfect,� says Ella, ‘it echoes the colours of our brand and does so without being too much.�

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Prep kitchenÌý

The prep kitchen needed to work just as hard. ‘It is a space we use a lot,â€� says Ella, ‘sometimes we might shoot eleven or twelve recipes in a day, so the layout needed to be really functional.â€� In this space, Ella chose the Suffolk kitchen for its clean lines and simplicity. Shaker style in its truest form, Suffolk is an understated design with recessed door and drawer panels. Lizzie designed a layout which included plenty of cupboards and drawers as well as an L-shaped countertop for all manner of chopping and prepping tasks. ‘±õ³Ù’s a really tidy use of the space,â€� says Ella, ‘it feels like three or four times the space we had before.â€�

With installations complete, and thanks to the redesign and functionality of her new studio space, Ella can regularly host customers and important partners. ‘Being able to cook in our new kitchen and then serve a beautiful meal at our new Moreton table is just ideal,� Ella finishes.

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Working life in Ella's new kitchen studio

How does the new space work for you and your team?

‘±õ³Ù’s perfect. We’ve started shooting in it and ¾±³Ù’s completely night and day to anything we’ve had before.â€�

What is your favourite thing about your new studio?

‘The amount of space to work in, I really believe in tidy space, tidy mind, ¾±³Ù’s such a pleasure to work in.â€�

What has the feedback been like from everyone?

‘Oh my gosh, amazing. Everyone who has walked through the door loves it.�

Home profile

One year ago (give or take a week or two), here stood nothing but a small, red brick bungalow on a generous plot of land not too far from Padstow overlooking the bay. Today is a wildly different story. The bungalow is long gone (though hints of its original character remain � more on that shortly), and instead a whitewashed castle on the coast stands proudly in its place. Built from the ground up, this large family home is the kingdom of Jess (who designed the interior while raising toddler son. Ernie, carrying newborn son, Miles, and managing the family’s multiple holiday apartments), her property developer husband, Ash (who runs bespoke home construction company ), and Benjamin the black and white cat.

The project

Turn back the hands of time and Jessâ€� family home might feel a little familiar to her. As a little girl, she in fact once spent a lot of time on this very plot â€� the bungalow that occupied just a tiny portion of this seaside spot once belonged to her granny. Her family owned nearby Harlyn House (which they decided to pass into the hands of a few years ago) where she also spent many years living as a child, but together with Ash decided that home for them needed to be something different, something new, something they could completely and utterly put their stamp on. ‘Harlyn was home, yes, but ¾±³Ù’s just so unrealistic to live in that scale of property because it needs so much repair. When you sort one end, the other starts falling apart again and we didn’t have the funds or the time to give the house what it deserved anymore. It was time to start a new chapter,â€� explained Jess.

The couple toyed with the idea of buying another, smaller period property inland or building afresh somewhere with beach views, but it was the latter that won the debate. ‘We knew that the family who bought the bungalow hadn’t gone ahead in the end to develop the land, so we got in touch and, low and behold, they were thinking of moving so we bought it back off them and away we went,� she continued. Staggeringly, it took just over a year from bulldozing the bungalow to walking in, keys in hand, ready for their first family Christmas in their new home.

When designing their new home, Jess was very clear that she didn’t want it to feel in any way ‘big glass boxâ€�. All shiny and new from the exterior wasn’t her cup of tea, and so she specified wanting the charm of a period property’s nooks and crannies that, through both the interior and exterior design, she could make feel as though her home had evolved over time. ‘We made sure to set aside a chunk of budget for landscaping the garden as that always gets forgotten and it needed to play its part in softening everything too. ±õ³Ù’s full of wildflowers and just feels so…natural,â€� Jess pondered.

Back to all things interiors, Jess was no stranger to Neptune. Having had the original oak Henley kitchen in the holiday apartment in which they stayed during the renovation of both The Pig at Harlyn and their new home, she had her sights firmly set on the very same kitchen for their forever home. ‘I did have that beach house vibe vision in my head and so that swayed us from having the exact same oak kitchen to the version of Henley tha³Ù’s painted. Pinterest was screaming at me with its Hamptons-style beach houses so I said, le³Ù’s do it, le³Ù’s go all white. It seemed crazy with two little people in our life, I know, but your home is for you too, not just the kids. Plus, they don’t stay little or grubby for long do they? So we went white everything â€� white countertops, white cabinetry, white Aga.â€�

Being based in Cornwall, Jess� closest Neptune store wasn’t quite a hop, skip and a jump away. Neptune Bristol was tapped into the sat nav and off they went, four months� pregnant with baby Miles, for a design consultation with designer Becky. ‘It might’ve been a long day but there was no question we’d be having a Neptune kitchen, and so heading to Bristol for the day wasn’t really a hardship,� Jess continued. ‘We went in with a clear-ish picture of what we wanted � the Henley in Snow, a layout that was as symmetrical as possible and an island as big as possible! We really wanted he wow factor to complement the impressive vaulted ceiling and both felt a showstopper of an island would do that. The rest we left to Becky’s imagination. She even incorporated the bungalow’s red bricks as the Aga’s splash back � such a lovely detail and nod to the building’s past.�

While beauty was naturally the end goal for Jessâ€� kitchen, utility played a huge role too. The kitchen really would be the heart of the family home, and so it needed to cater to cooking, entertaining, dining, a homework spot, a study, and a play area. ±õ³Ù’s the very definition of a hardworking kitchen. ‘Tha³Ù’s why I was so set on having more than one bin! It might sound daft but one of the things that drives me mad is the recycling piling up on the worktop. I wanted plenty of room for everything so that the kitchen did what it needed to do. I asked for three bins at first but was negotiated down to two big ones in the end. Then we have our boot room that acts as a utility space too which frees the kitchen up no end.â€�

The utility room tells a very different colour story, painted in an archive paint shade (Navy from spring 2016) and with cabinetry from the Chichester laundry collection. At first, they were wary of going so dark for fear it would date, but ultimately decided their home was a place to have fun, to be bold, and they could repaint it later down the line should they have a change of heart. ‘The cabinetry and the design is the timeless part, but the colour is the fun bit!� said Jess. In a home where the washing machine is always on, having a separate space to house not just the white goods but all the paraphernalia that comes with it is heaven-sent. ‘Benji’s stuff lives in here too. Becky popped in the double bin cabinet just for him � one compartment for his kibble and the other for his pouches. Then I have my laundry basket cabinets � I went for the four-basket version but I could’ve kept going and going; they’re endlessly useful.�

Whether ¾±³Ù’s the kitchen or the boot room (or one of the family’s many Neptune bathrooms filled with Edinburgh and Chichester washstands), the word that Jess kept coming back to was ‘timelessâ€�. Yes, they wanted their home to look like something off a Pinterest board, and yes they wanted it to feel like a space in which they could embrace the chaos and live in at the same time (hence why they wanted a freestanding fridge so that they could pin up pictures painted by the boys as they got older), but more than anything, they wanted it to be a home that would grow old with them and that their family could grow into as time ticked on. ‘I love everything about it. I love my pan drawers. I love my larders around the fridge. The oak inside the cabinetry makes me happy. But what I really love is that I can so clearly picture the boys in 15 yearsâ€� time, sat at the island, mumbling something about going to the beach with their friends after supper. It already feels like our forever home. ±õ³Ù’s perfect.â€�

Home profile

Sarah-Louise, Christopher and cat Mala’s home of three years is a four-bedroomed Victorian terraced house built in the 1900s in Richmond. After living in their home for a year (completing a few temporary refreshes along the way), the couple set about a top to toe renovation, undertaking extensive structural and layout changes including a ground floor side return extension, meanwhile replacing the flooring throughout and installing new bathrooms, a kitchen and a first floor utility room.

The project

From the outset, Sarah-Louise and Christopher had a clear vision for their kitchen. It would be functional, welcoming, calming, timeless. It would celebrate natural materials. It would also make a statement. But before they could begin the design process, the space itself � little larger than a galley kitchen � needed to be converted. ‘We opted for a side return extension which has given us a much broader, brighter space,� explains Sarah-Louise. ‘We’ve also flooded the room with light using generous skylights and full-height windows and doors that look out onto the garden.�

Inspired by the Californian white oak kitchens they’d admired both on their travels and their Instagram feeds, Sarah-Louise and Christopher knew that oak would take centre stage in the design for their kitchen. They also wanted to incorporate other natural, untreated â€� or living â€� elements into the space. Namely, unlacquered brass hardware and marble surfaces. ‘We particularly wanted the warmth of natural oak that you can lose with painted cabinetry,â€� Sarah-Louise tells us. ‘It pairs so nicely with the other natural elements too â€� we love that they’ll all gradually age together. Over the last few decades, oak kitchens have come to been seen as a bit old-fashioned, but we knew our own take was going to feel fresh and contemporary. But also timeless. Tha³Ù’s why we decided on Neptune, and Henley.â€�

The North American white oak used in our Henley collection is chosen for its durability, resilience to water, and heat-resistant density. ±õ³Ù’s an enduring and trusted choice for cabinetry. As ¾±³Ù’s naturally pale with an even grain, Henley has a contemporary honeyed look, rather than the dated, often orangey quality Sarah-Louise and Christopher were keen to avoid. ‘We did pair its contemporary appeal with more traditional cornicing and skirting to soften the hard edges of the marble though,â€� Sarah-Louise adds.

The initial ideas for the kitchen design were conceived in late 2020, but it wasn’t until the following April that the couple joined forces with our Fulham store. ‘When it came down to the details, our Neptune designer, Nerine, and the rest of the team were essential. Christopher and I didn’t want a sink or hob built into the island, for example,� recounts Sarah-Louise. ‘We wanted to use it as a surface for cooking but also for displaying big branches and floral arrangements. So Nerine suggested incorporating the chopping block unit into the island instead to improve its practicality for food preparation.�

It was this union of form and function that became central to the collaborative design process. ‘The planning that went into the space to ensure it was as functional as possible was second to none,� adds Sarah-Louise. ‘From the location of the bin next to the breakfast larder (tea bags!) to the bespoke dishwasher drawers in our island. We even have a cool drawer from l in the middle of the island which can be turned into a fridge, freezer or larder depending on your needs. We love cooking, so wanted to have plenty of easy access space for storing fresh produce. There are also sockets concealed inside the larder for our toaster and coffee machine, and a hidden LED strip below the marble shelf (operated from inside the other larder) which downlights the kitchen work surfaces. Together, these aspects make kitchen life a joy.�

Our bespoke service played another important role in the overall kitchen project, allowing Sarah-Louise and Christopher to step outside the boundaries of standard kitchen design. In addition to the dishwasher drawers and cool drawer, the two double-door larders that flank the sink and range were crafted to be as tall as possible, adding scale to the space. ‘Apparently our larders are some of the tallest they’ve ever made! We also had a full-height integrated storage cabinet made from Henley oak � the first of its kind � to accommodate our wine cooler and our existing fridge-freezer,� explains Sarah-Louise.

The couple painted their walls in lime paint ‘Stoneâ€� and installed whitewashed oak flooring from to complement the cabinetry. Yet it was the Calacatta Borghini marble, chosen for its ornamental veining, that really completed the space. ‘Using the stone for our work surfaces, sink and splashback has helped us to make a dramatic impact,â€� Sarah-Louise muses. ‘We hoped the integrated shelf could be made from the same piece of marble, but ¾±³Ù’s hard to find such large slabs. The stone company we worked with created it from two pieces instead. They join on the shelf’s underside â€� tha³Ù’s where the LED channel is concealed too. As for the sink, we were initially concerned that it might stain or leak, but it has an epoxy mesh fiberglass coating to prevent that from happening. It was an eleventh-hour decision, but we’re so glad we went for it as ¾±³Ù’s become a real feature.â€�

All the while the kitchen project was taking place, a utility room was being designed and crafted upstairs too. ‘The cabinetry is also Henley, but ¾±³Ù’s painted in Sage,â€� says Sarah-Louise. ‘We painted the walls and ceiling in the same shade which envelopes you in a sense of calm. As with the kitchen, much of the cabinetry is made bespoke â€� it used to be a small bathroom, so the team helped us make the most of the space.â€�

Now that the project is complete, the couple hope their new kitchen might help to inspire others: ‘To us, the Henley oak kitchen feels like a timeless icon. We hope it may encourage other people to embrace natural oak in their own kitchens.�

Life in their new kitchen

Wha³Ù’s your favourite thing to do in your new kitchen?
‘Making tea and coffee first thing in the morning â€� particularly on a bright, sunny day. ±õ³Ù’s the best time to soak up the space.â€�

What can you now not live without?
‘The breakfast larder and our boiling water tap. And the pot filler over the range � we’ve said goodbye to carrying heavy pots of water from the sink for good.�

Wha³Ù’s next?
‘The garden. We’re designing it so that the kitchen and garden will open into one seamless space.�

Why Neptune?
‘Without doubt, the quality. And when you walk into a Neptune store, you feel instantly at home. We wanted that to be the case with our own kitchen.�

Find out more about our kitchen design service here. You can also see more from our collaboration with No.17 House over on

Home profile

This period property, set within the grounds of a Cheltenham estate, is large in every way. From the square footage of the house itself and the seven acres of land that surround it (where you’ll find the family’s four alpacas � Cloud, Muffin, Pablo and Larry), to the scale of the rooms and the family of eight who live inside. Welcome to the home and the Henley kitchen of Charlotte, her husband, Lee, their four boys and two dogs.

The project

Before Charlotte, Lee, and their family even moved into their new Cheltenham home, renovation work had long begun, with a team of thirty or so people refurbishing every room over three months. The kitchen was a part that Charlotte had been imagining for some time, with a picture of a Neptune kitchen in a magazine that really sparked her imagination.Ìý

The kitchen she’d been eyeing wasÌýSuffolk, but as the couple looked around Neptune Cheltenham, they decided that it was our Henley collection that would most suit their home and style. They liked its subtle grandeur. 'Kate was our kitchen designer, and I explained to her that I wanted the height and the wow of the kitchen I loved in the magazine, with its full-wall dresser,' explains Charlotte. 'That was the key part of the brief. She was brilliant, and completely understood what we wanted and how to make it work in a way that suited our home. At first, I was nervous about a run of oak cabinets mixed in with our Charcoal-painted ones, but ¾±³Ù’s perfect.'

The wish list, aside from the ‘wowâ€� wall cabinetry, included a big island and sub-zero fridge â€� a request of Lee’s â€� but most of the conversations pivoted around the vast dresser section. 'We had ±·±ð±è³Ù³Ü²Ô±ð’s Bespoke Workshop alter the cabinets so they went right up to the cornice. Kate suggested that so we could really show off the ceiling height â€� such a great designer’s tip. We added the oak ladder to reach up high, though we don’t need to go up there often. We use it when we need it, otherwise, it just looks so smart.' Other parts of the design included a bespoke Henley window seat with storage below, two larders and a workstation that blends into the cabinetry as they wanted somewhere for a family computer that wouldn’t stick out like a sore thumb.

Once the kitchen was installed and all settled in ('We used ±·±ð±è³Ù³Ü²Ô±ð’s installation team because we wanted their lifetime guarantee; it meant we could step back and relax,'), the couple decided to bring Neptune back to design a room for their dogs and a laundry room upstairs. 'For the dogsâ€� room, we chose Chichester cabinets for a bit of a change and had them painted in JuniperÌýwhich Kate thought would suit the light of the room and would flow well from the hallway. We have ±·±ð±è³Ù³Ü²Ô±ð’sÌýhousekeeper’s cabinet, a deep butler’s sink for dog washing, and bespoke dog bed cabinets too. And upstairs, there's almost two of everything from the Chichester laundry collection. ±õ³Ù’s one of my favourite rooms in the house,' Charlotte finishes.

Life in their kitchen

Wha³Ù’s your favourite thing to do in your kitchen?
'Having a glass of wine in here with Lee or my friends. ±õ³Ù’s such a lovely room to be in. ±õ³Ù’s where I like to unwind as much as cook. I call it my living kitchen.'

What could you now not live without?
'The two ovens that are integrated into the island, and the amazing extractor fan that we saw on the Limehouse kitchen that disappears into the worktop. ±õ³Ù’s incredible!'Ìý

Explore our kitchen collections.