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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 to��Neptune, 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 freestanding��Charlecote island with a marble worktop. ‘It has been indispensable and makes the space look like an old Victorian working kitchen,�� 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.��

A�� tap and Belfast sink, induction hob, Henley broom cupboard (‘my new favourite luxury where I now keep the ironing board��) 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 Neptune’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 �ɱ�’r�� outside, in winter it warms up the room��), 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 Neptune��paint 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,�� 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.��

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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, book��your free consultation today or visit your nearest��store.

Inside the walls of a pink 20th Century Maison, Oxford the family dog nuzzles up to the in search of warmth. ‘It was my non-negotiable when moving out of our Paris apartment, I longed for a traditional Aga and an English kitchen to complement it,�� Maï, of online store , explains. And what started as reclaiming a childhood memory of cooking with her mother around the Aga, evolved to creating a kitchen that exudes English charm within the surrounding French countryside.��

When Maï and her husband Henri moved into their home in 2018 they were already a family of five, and a little later Basile joined, bringing the household to an energetic four boys, plus Oxford. ‘I always wanted a kitchen where I could watch over the boys and for it to be the heart of our home, and this is it,�� says Maï. Before moving in the couple revised the floor plan to make use of the larger dining room at the back of the house, removing a fireplace and replacing with a window out to the garden �� where Maï could watch the boys play �� and opening up a large kitchen-dining space, which leads to a functional boot room. Opting not to add a kitchen island and instead have one wall of fitted worksurfaces and a double-door Suffolk larder to the side, the new kitchen footprint provided plenty of room for the boys to run around, too. ‘They sometimes play football in here which drives me mad but I do love having the large open space,�� Maï chuckles.����

It was decided early on that the interior would reflect a traditional English kitchen, and working with Pierre, owner and designer of the Paris store, helped Maï bring her vision to life. ��I’d originally seen a Neptune kitchen in my cousin��s home in London many years ago and I loved the charm and character. To discover that Paris had a store and I could see the collections for myself, it made the process so easy.�� Maï was instantly drawn to the classic design of Suffolk, ‘I liked the solid oak drawers which for me are much more functional than cabinets as I can easily see everything, and the simple decorative cornicing which felt like a classic style that can cross the ages. Something I noticed is that the British really consider functionality and storage, and it was obvious to me that Neptune was doing this best in their designs.�� And because the Pearl Aga��was already decided on, Pierre suggested a customised cooker hood to match the Suffolk cabinetry details, tying the whole room together.��

Looking to keep the space feeling warm and making use of the original wooden floors, Maï introduced colour to the drawers and cabinets. ‘All the walls are white but I wanted a kitchen with character, so together Pierre helped us choose the dark Navy as I found it very warm and it complemented the Aga. I then added green through striped cushions on the bench and curtains,�� says Maï. Character was also considered through the fitted bench seating and antique table and chairs that Maï has collected as part of her passion curating unique finds for her online store, Cherished Corner, and to display lovingly throughout the home.����

Today the family kitchen is a hub of activity, but still Maï finds time to reclaim the space, ‘this is the place where I like to wake up, have my first cup of tea and check my emails or read a magazine.�� One of the hero pieces in the kitchen, other than the Aga, was the Suffolk double door larder. ������’s like a pantry! ����’s nice to have space to put everything inside hidden away; food, toaster, microwave, everything. There are many drawers and door racks, ����’s just a brilliant piece of storage,�� exclaims Maï. A tidy kitchen is what Maï covets but she admits she loves it most when ����’s filled with her family, cooking a meal while the boys huddle together to do their homework, or sharing dinner with friends who visit and remark on her enviable ��British style��.����

��I often think that the house is a mirror to a person. It's a reflection of what you are, and this kitchen is it for me,�� Maï muses. The contrast of calm and cosy, with the comforting noise and chaos of family life, ����’s a kitchen �ٳ󲹳�’s truly lived in.��

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

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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,�� 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, ����’s a surplus of Swiss chard!��

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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Home profile

Situated just outside the picturesque village of Kersey in Suffolk, Sampsons Hall, a listed Georgian red-brick house, is home to Amanda, husband Andrew, their three grown-up children, Jamie, Alexander and Emilia, Isla the dog, two farmhouse cats, chickens, runner ducks, and a small herd of Portland sheep. Thought to have once formed the middle section of a larger manor house lost to a fire, Sampsons Hall is where the family put down roots in 2008. A 1980s kitchen extension had been added on to the property in the years before, but after a burst pipe under the kitchen sink flooded the area while the family were on holiday, works ensued to knock the extension to the ground and rebuild a new multifunctional space in its place.

The project

Structural works were already underway when Amanda first met home designer Gail at Neptune Bury St Edmunds. ‘It wasn’t my intention to go in and ask for help with the new space �� I was actually looking for a new bed for my daughter’s room! But we were in the design library considering fabrics when we were introduced to Gail. From our description, she drew my daughter’s bedroom on paper, completely grasping the sense of the space. I was so impressed. We started talking about the plans for the garden room and one thing led to another,�� explains Amanda, with a smile.

Armed with a clear idea of what she wanted for the soon-to-be garden room �� a south-east facing space with extensive views across the landscaped garden �� for Amanda, the Home Design Service was less about handing over the reins, and more about collaboration and reassurance. ‘It was truly great having someone to share ideas with and confirm that what you’re wanting to do will work. Gail gave me the confidence to put my vision into practice. I’d already earmarked the Arundel table and Lottie sofas for the space, for example, but she drew them into the floorplan so I could better visualise the reality. This was at a time when we still had no walls to speak of!��

Comfort and versatility were high on the couple’s agenda for the room. A space that would be used informally by the family and for entertaining alike, the furniture needed to suit both functions. ‘Lottie is such a comfortable sofa design and had been on my radar for some time. Similarly, we opted for the Shoreditch upholstered dining chairs because I wanted a style that encouraged guests to really relax and linger. The Arundel bench, meanwhile, we chose for its ability to accommodate a few more at the table �� and our Milo stools can be used as two extra perches come Christmastime.��

When it came to the colour palette, along with honeyed natural limestone flooring, Amanda had already chosen a deep blue-green called ‘Yard Arm�� from Humphrey Munson for the walls (our dark grey Smoke, with its undertones of blue and green, would be similar). The intention was to balance the intensity of the light that blankets the room: ‘I was worried a lighter shade might actually be too bright,�� she explains. ‘Along with all the glass in the doors, we also have a roof with an apex at one end.�� The colour also created a link with the garden, a connection that Amanda says was paramount to the project: ‘In past homes, I’ve always had such a yearning to be outside, but now, I’m just as happy to be inside, as it still feels so connected to the garden beyond the doors. It was crucial that we establish the flow between indoors and out �� in the design, but also in the decor.��

Though technical challenges were few and far between, the layout for the generously sized space demanded careful consideration. ‘When you’re dealing with a large area, it can be hard to know how to approach it,�� says Amanda. ‘����’s also very interesting to see how much the space does “come in�� once you start to bring in furniture. With the help of Gail’s meticulous drawings and plans, we certainly didn’t struggle to fill it, which was a worry initially. And it still manages to feel cosy and intimate.��

Life in their new garden room

‘If I were to liken it to the dress code for a party, it would be “smart casual��. ����’s a very versatile space �ٳ󲹳�’s relaxed but beautiful at the same time.��

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‘The connection with the garden. In the summer you can throw open the doors and really embrace the flow between indoors and out. And on a cold winter’s day, you get to keep the views, but also benefit from the warmth of the log burner.��

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‘When we bought the property, we did an awful lot of work outside, planting some nine hundred yew trees, creating a kitchen garden with raised beds, and building a greenhouse, which I adore. But we haven’t tackled the outdoor terrace project yet �� �ٳ󲹳�’s imminent! Once ����’s complete, we’ll have a more practical outside space for entertaining, right outside the garden room. We’re also building a swimming pool. That will complete the works, much to Andrew’s relief!�� ��

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Whether you want us to take the reigns of your decorating project or, like Amanda and Andrew, you already have a vision in mind you’d just like an expert’s reassurance on, our Home Design Service is here to help. Find out more and book your first free consultation here.��

Nigel is something of a Neptune kitchen aficionado, having installed four other Neptune kitchens in previous homes (you might recall the Chichester kitchen in his Ealing home, with its foxed glass and Morris & Co. wallpaper, which is also on our journal). Each somewhat unexpected yet completely in keeping with the setting, and this project was no different: a galley kitchen for a bijoux Cotswolds retreat, which Nigel shares with his partner, David. ‘While this is a beamed country cottage, I didn’t want it to feel predictably chintzy,�� explains Nigel. ‘Instead, I wanted to create an elevated, elegant space infused with rustic charm.����

Nigel turned to our Suffolk collection to achieve his vision ‘because it transitions very easily from a country look to a sophisticated vibe.�� While the cottage is Grade II-listed, he was able to make a few structural changes that allowed for the best use of the long, narrow space. ‘The original kitchen had a woodstore at one end, so we opened up the doorway and now rather grandly call it the boot room,�� he tells us, laughing. ‘We also positioned the full-sized fridge there as it was too big to fit into the main kitchen space.����

An unused, low doorway to the garden was an original structure and couldn’t be removed, so the couple ingeniously turned it into a coffee station-meets-cocktail bar, fitting a shallow Suffolk wall cabinet at floor level, and installing underlit shelves into the nook created by the doorframe.��

Elsewhere, they introduced various space-saving techniques to open up the two-and-a-half by four-and-a-half metre room. The rectangular Belfast sink was flipped sideways to fit the tight space, and the taps positioned at the side rather than behind the sink; an integrated bin was essential to streamline the L-shaped kitchen and the long, nine-hundred millimetre drawers were ‘a god-send: they fit all the pans and crockery and work incredibly hard.�� While the pedestal legs (rather than skirting) were a deliberate decision: ‘They make the cabinets look like pieces of furniture rather than a sleek fitted kitchen, which works in a property of this age,�� adds Nigel.������

When it came to decoration, Nigel wanted something that would work with the beige and creamy tones of the heavily veined Arabescato marble work surface. The floor was a simple reclaimed pine from with a light wash applied, and the cabinets, walls and timber cladding were finally painted in .

And so, with the cottage project completed, the couple are enjoying weekends in the country in their thoroughly elegant home with a dash of rustic charm, just as Nigel envisaged they would.��

No matter how big or small your space, our designers can help you make the most of it. Find out more and book your first, free consultation here.��

For this much larger kitchen with scullery area, Nigel reverted to the Chichester collection, cabinetry he’d previously used in a similarly large Edwardian property. ‘I love the simplicity of the Suffolk design but there is just something so appealing about the Chichester collection,�� says Nigel. ‘The cabinetry feels so solid and classic, and the finish is such good quality. Plus, you can customise it easily which is what I did in this space.��

But first, back to that refurbishment.

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The kitchen was planned to sit on the lower ground floor, but while the space had windows, it felt too much like a basement. For Australian-born Nigel, light was of huge importance, so the decision was made to dig down and extend out to create a large open plan space with lofty ceiling heights of up to 2.7 metres. And rather than a predictable box-like, modern extension, Nigel echoed the curve of the windows of the upper floors with a floor to ceiling bay window and door to create what would become a relaxed seating area.

‘I was keen for the kitchen to feel light and bright and a desirable place to live in,�� says Nigel, ‘but I was concerned that it was on a separate floor, so I made the staircase leading into the kitchen wide, giving it a generous half-landing, and positioned a skylight above the stairs to connect it with the rooms above.��

With the structure resolved, Nigel set about planning the kitchen space. His first instinct was to create an enclosed scullery but as the project developed, he decided to section off the study area at the front of the property with glazed doors and simply create the sense of a separate scullery with the use of partial stud walls. ‘The scullery area is fantastic,�� says Nigel, “it has a Belfast sink, a small larder cabinet and a large American style fridge. All the food prep can be done in that area, leaving the kitchen as an entertaining space.��

Nigel positioned a line of Chichester pan drawers, with backlit display shelving above, along the wall under the stairs. The effect is suggestive of a super-long dresser while making good use of the space in the shade of the stairwell. On the opposite wall, he ran a length of cupboards and drawers from scullery to the far end of the kitchen, keeping the effect light by using just one continuous oak shelf on the wall above and a discrete, bespoke cooker hood.

Working with Becky Smith from Neptune’s commercial team, who helped with advice on cabinetry placement, Nigel avoided the temptation to fill the large central space with an enormous island. ‘I wanted a good flow through the room and wanted the island to feel more like a table than a big square box,�� says Nigel. ‘It needed to play a role but not dominate the room.��

To give the island that dining table feel (and do away with the need for an actual dining table), Nigel designed bespoke wooden ball leg supports in each corner, which he had carved in Latavia by a source he discovered on . ‘The oak legs work really well with the dark green painted cabinetry �� I used a shade called by Morris & Co �� and they also talk to the oak shelf and the narrow oak trim ceiling architrave which conceals LED lighting.��

When it came to the stone surfaces, Nigel wanted to make a statement. The Carrara marble worktops are more veined than in previous projects and he opted for a double bull nose edge to give the kitchen island character. The striking chequered floor is a tumbled marble by which Nigel choose for its imperfect finish and soft colouration.

The finished result is a combination of contemporary design with classic period details. ‘It was a conscious decision to combine authentic British kitchen design that talks to the heritage of the building with less fussy, more modern elements to keep it streamlined,�� concludes Nigel. It is a project full of good design decisions.

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Nigel’s three design tips

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1. A kitchen island needs to feel in proportion to the space, bigger isn’t always better.
2. If you like to keep things tidy, consider giving some space to a scullery or pantry, they are great for organising family life and help define the room as an entertaining, cooking and working space.
3. Consider using two single taps rather than a mixer tap. There is something simple and purely functional about them that makes them feel rather modern.

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You may recall reading about Jess and Ash’s family kitchen previously on Stories. The couple built their dream family home on the site of an old bungalow near Padstow and filled it with a stunning white Henley kitchen and a navy Chichester utility room. So thrilled were they with the results of the project, that returning to Neptune kitchen cabinetry was one of the easier decisions when they began renovating a pair of Victorian terraced houses on the waterfront to run as holiday lets.

The first and larger of the kitchens is to be found at . Inspired by the success of their own Snow painted family kitchen, Jess was keen to develop a similar theme for the three bedroomed property. ‘We approached the design by asking ourselves if we could live there,�� says Jess. ‘We didn’t want it to feel like a rental space, more like a wonderful, luxurious family home.��

The brief, which Jess worked on with Becky from Neptune Bristol, was ‘Hamptons beach house��; a blank, white canvas on which Jess could layer interesting antique and salvaged finds alongside her artist great-grandfather ’s exquisite seascape paintings. ‘We’d learned a lot from doing our own kitchen,�� explains Jess, ‘and I knew I wanted to use Henley again in Snow �� it feels fresh and clean but there is also something so warm and textural about the oak interiors of Henley cabinetry.��

The oak cooker hood is the only exposed wood finish the couple chose to introduce in the kitchen design, but it is balanced out by the original wood floor and Ludlow bar stools. Jess was also keen to incorporate plenty of Henley pan drawers: ‘I love their generous size, they are so big and luxurious, I couldn’t think of using anything else for storage��.

A sense of symmetry in the room was an important consideration. Working with kitchen designer Becky, the couple devised a large island which lined up precisely with the and cooker hood. ‘The symmetry gives the space the wow factor,�� says Jess. It did mean they had to be very exacting when it came to fitting cabinetry into an existing alcove. ‘It was quite a process,�� she recalls, ‘as this is an old, imperfect building so a few millimetres out in our measurements could have been tricky. Luckily, we made it work.��

Finally, but most definitely not last, according to Jess, was the lighting: ‘I believe it is one of the most important elements in the design, but it can easily get lost in budget constrictions. I like to assess the room’s needs at different times of the day and zone the space with lamps and task lighting for those working areas.�� The result? An inviting kitchen at any time of day.

The two houses were divided into five holiday lets, each with a different style and character, requiring individual design approaches. Keen to use the tried-and-tested Henley cabinetry that they’d installed in their own home and loved for its robustness, solidity and the natural finish of the oak interiors, the project became an exercise in exploring just how adaptable �� and characterful �� one kitchen collection could be.

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The Smoke Penthouse kitchen

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The four bedroomed Penthouse, perched on the cliffs above Trevone beach, was designed around the incredible sea views, so Jess was keen that the open plan kitchen-diner-living room had clear sight lines through the bi-fold balcony doors. ‘I wanted the room to feel like it was giving you a big hug as you walked in,�� says Jess, ‘so we wrapped the kitchen along the back wall and into the corners to make two L-shapes, positioning the breakfast prep area on one side near the Henley oak larder cabinet with the coffee machine and toaster and leaving the opposite side for other food prep.��

Mindful of that alluring view, Jess felt an island would be too high and block the window, so instead she opted for a long farmhouse style kitchen table to fill the central space, noting ‘����’s how a Victorian kitchen would have been set up��.

To draw in the coastal palette of greys and blues and inject a contemporary note, Jess opted to paint the Henley cabinets a deep, chalky grey with a subtle hint of blue. "I wanted to bring some colour from the outside in, this property overlooks the Rocky beach, so the grey stone colour is mirrored by the Smoke paint - giving it a little nautical nod, without being too twee."

She was also keen to introduce texture as well as colour into the room, so the couple installed Cranbrook shiplap on the ceiling to create a sense of warmth in the space. Ash then built an extended splashback of tongue and groove panelling with open shelving, carrying the same Smoke shade upwards and even onto the window frame. ‘It feels a little nautical without looking twee,�� observes Jess.

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The Dove Grey Atlanta View kitchen

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Atlanta View is the smallest of the couple’s holiday rentals but boasts uninterrupted views across the bay towards Trevose Head. It was these facts that acted as starting points when Jess and Ash began configuring the Henley cabinetry for this kitchen.

Tucked into the corner, in front of a picturesque window, is a space-saving Buckland fitted bench seat and dining table that comfortably seats six, while the kitchen area forms a neat U-shape against the back wall.

The room’s footprint was tight but with the help of kitchen designer Becky from Neptune Bristol, who worked with Jess and Ash on all the kitchens, the compact space still packs a punch, as Jess says: ‘The layout plan was extremely challenging, but by using both sides and the end of the U-turn, we managed to fit in everything we needed including a concealed bin, washing machine and dishwasher, without compromising the flow of the room.�� They even managed to include a slim Henley larder cabinet and Jess’s favourite narrow breadboard cupboard.

The room’s traditional Victorian details led Jess to choose a classic colour palette using layers of soft green-greys. The oak cabinetry is painted in Dove Grey, a warm, downy grey-green and complemented by walls in by Fired Earth, Neptune’s Orla printed linen roller blinds and a Long Island sofa upholstered in Hugo Sage linen. This relaxing, watery-green colour scheme is completed by seascape sketches painted by Jess’s great-grandfather , a renowned Cornish artist, which decorate the kitchen area, lending that personal finishing touch to this very stylish space.

Home profile

Pip calls home a sixties apartment building just south of the river in central London. ����’s a spacious one-bed property in a prime location where he can walk to work and most of his favourite spots. He lives there with his very beautiful cat, Jennifer, who he refers to as a “real diva�� and having never done a day’s work in her life. They split their time between Pip’s home and his boyfriend’s.

The project

Pip’s project went much further than his kitchen renovation. Having bought the flat in 2005, he lived there throughout his twenties but later moved and chose to rent it out. Pip told us: “I moved in with my boyfriend of the time but wanted to keep the flat as an investment for the future. When we split up, I just didn’t want to move back there though. I suppose it became a place with negative connotations for me. I ended up renting elsewhere. Last year, I decided to renovate it entirely. To completely reconfigure it so that it became something new �� almost a different flat �� so that I could stop throwing rent money away and move back in to what was once a home for me.��

Enlisting the help of Jordon Cluroe and Russell Whitehead who run������ a leading London interior design studio �� walls came down, the bedroom was downsized and moved to a different part of the property, the bathroom shifted position, and the kitchen became the focal point of a much larger living space. The only aspect of the apartment that didn’t move was the front door.

“Ever since I discovered Neptune, I wanted a��Neptune kitchen. They’re just perfectly my vibe �� all four collections really �� but the��Suffolk’s simplicity was the one that got my pulse racing. Those cabinet fronts are just perfect,�� said Pip. His brief was that he wanted “an Instagrammable kitchen��. Pip also put together a mood board that was a bit sixties (to suit the age and character of the building) and a bit rustic Victorian kitchen. Gold and brass were a big theme, as were mid-century shapes. “It was a bit of an unusual brief and I had no idea how it was going to be achievable, but ����’s exactly what I wanted. Like, exactly,�� Pip continued, grinning.

Using two complementary green tones –��Sage��and��Moss���� the��Suffolk cabinetry��is instantly calming. “I love green. I think ����’s a really grown-up shade and a touch more interesting than grey. ����’s a great backdrop for other colours too. The two colours mean that I can shoot it from both sides and show different angles �� ideal for my Instagram goals!�� The same greens continue into the open-plan living room so the whole space is connected.

Pip very much wanted a butler’s sink, an island and marble to be a part of his new kitchen. “I’m so happy I’ve got all of my wants and more. I knew if I wanted polished marble work surfaces I’d have to embrace its natural tendencies to stain easily, which I have, but I love it so much that the moment I see a mark I’m on it with a cloth. Marble does that to you. But was I expecting a larder as well? Absolutely not! I didn’t know it was coming. We went through the design and they go ‘and the larder will go here�� and I put my hand over my mouth and was like ‘oh my god, what?��

“My kitchen is amazing. I’m head over heels with it. The quality is to die for, the cabinets are so much more than cabinets, and the styling is dreamy (sometimes I just stare at my lights and candlesticks). ����’s a proper place to cook. I have an island! It looks good. It feels good. I have a dining table too. A dining table AND an island, in my one-bed London flat. And I have all my cookbooks in one place. That’s no easy feat in a small space, and yet it doesn’t feel small somehow. ����’s so light and spacious. My Neptune kitchen has done the unthinkable.��

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Life in his new kitchen

What’s your favourite thing to do in your new kitchen?

To cook and have people over. I just stand at my island and try to look nonchalant while I show off all of the integrated bits �� like my hob that basically melds into the work surface. Sometimes people suggest using the breadboard or tray that fit into my breadboard and tray slot and I glare at them. They’re too nice to be used. I love them too much. I’ve even bought nicer tea towels for my tea towel slot, but they’re just for show too. I keep my everyday tea towels in a drawer instead. I feel like the beauty of my Neptune kitchen makes my life seem somehow better.

What’s your favourite part?

The larder. ����’s just so grown-up and not at all what you expect to get in a London kitchen. Nobody would believe that I have all of this in my flat. I barely can. I feel very lucky.

What could you now not live without?

All of it. I can’t choose. ����’s too hard. Aside from what we’ve already talked about, maybe the cooking stuff. Like my hobs. They get hot so fast and then they’re cold almost immediately. I had no idea how much of a difference that would make to my life. I also love to open my oven (also a Neptune recommendation) and use the sliding trays so that I can pretend I’m on the Great British Bake Off.

What’s next?

Nothing. I don’t need anything else. I didn’t think I’d ever hear myself say that but I don’t. ����’s quite lovely actually.

Home profile

A former equestrian property where jousting took place in the courtyard and a business was run out of the main building, Danni Collyer’s East Sussex home was rundown and in need of a complete overhaul to turn it into the family home that it is today. She and her husband, Peter, bought it five and a half years ago and began work almost straight away with their extension and remodelling of the entire property alongside running their own business. They live there with their two children (Brooke, who’s 17, and Brody, 15), Garfield the cat and Holly the dog.

The project

Once upon a time, Danni and Peter’s kitchen was a garage. But their plans for redesigning the property included not just extending, but rethinking the entire layout �� moving rooms, knocking through walls, and almost starting afresh. “We were doing the whole house in one swoop,�� Danni explained. “A kitchen renovation is consuming enough, but when you’re having to concentrate on every room all at once, ����’s quite stressful. When it came to the kitchen, my husband said to just do what I want, which was music to my ears that he didn’t want much involvement!��

Danni had lots of different designs drawn up from lots of different companies. “None were quite right though. I knew what I wanted in my head, but nobody seemed to be able to translate that, which started to get frustrating as time went on. Then one day, I wandered past��Neptune Hailsham��and grabbed Peter’s arm and said ‘oh my goodness, �ٳ󲹳�’s my kitchen in the window!�� I walked straight in and said that I wanted it just like that,�� she continued, snapping her fingers.

Being new to Neptune, Danni hadn’t seen any of the kitchen collections before, but only had eyes for Chichester. She liked the character of its beading and wanted something that was subtly country. “Our new kitchen space was so large and tall. The ceiling’s vaulted and I felt that we needed more detail on the cabinetry to fill the space,�� said Danni. Choosing the standard Chichester cabinetry colour,��Shell, with chrome hardware and a quartz worktop because of its low maintenance nature, the entire design is clean, bright and bounces all the natural light that floods into the Collyer’s kitchen. “Daniella was our fantastic kitchen designer and she just got it in a way that nobody else had been able to. It was like she was inside my head! She understood what our room needed to make it look good, but also what we needed to make it the usable space that it is. I had my wish list at the ready �� I wanted an island and a cooker mantel and hood like the one in the Hailsham store �� but didn’t really need to say anything at all �� she just knew. And at that point, I can’t tell you what a weight it lifted from me. I was tired of renovating. I’d had enough at this point. I was able to just leave it to Daniella and relax a bit.��

Daniella worked on Danni’s wish list, designed a walk-in pantry, included a wine cabinet, lots of pan drawers (“I’m such a convert for keeping pots and pans in drawers now!�� added Danni) and suggested an Arundel family��table��and��bench��to bring the whole look together and include even more space for people to gather. There’s also the occasional piece of curved cabinetry to soften the bold lines of the beams.

We ended by asking Danni if this is her forever home now ����’s almost entirely finished. “Who knows. We did this with our last house. Gutted it, redesigned it, and then we got bored and were ready for the next challenge. Watch this space, but for now, I’m head over heels and if we do ever move on, I’m taking Neptune with us!��

Life in her new kitchen

What’s your favourite thing to do in your new kitchen?

“We spend our whole time here so ����’s impossible to narrow it down to one thing. I love that this is what our kitchen has become. Everything hubs around the kitchen. We don’t really use the rest of the downstairs �� we literally live in the kitchen.��

What’s your favourite part?

“The island. I’ve never had one before so ����’s just fantastic. ����’s so nice that I can stand there, doing my bits, baking, cooking, and still be a part of everything. ����’s designed and positioned in a way that I can see everywhere.”��

What could you now not live without?

“This might seem like a small detail, but the hand-rinse feature that Daniella included by our sink. I’ve never had one of those before either. I would always have one now. And if I’m allowed to pick just one more, my cutlery drawer because ����’s so easy to keep tidy. That’s the bottom line with our whole design really �� everything is easy.��

What’s next?��

“We’re not quite finished. Next is the outside. We have six acres of land to do something with. ����’s all stripped back to nothing, so we have a blank canvas now and the plan is to build it up so it feels like a garden rather than fields and paddocks. That’s the plan for spring and summer.��

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Home profile

The project

The building work for the extension where the new kitchen would eventually live began in October 2015. ‘Of course, things didn’t go to plan with the extension side of things,�� said Juliet. ‘There were the usual delays. We didn’t have a working kitchen for eight months because of it, managing on a microwave and slow cooker...I never want to eat another casserole again. We were so desperate to get started on our new kitchen, but we had to keep delaying our installation date with Neptune. The Tonbridge team couldn’t have been more accommodating though. Thankfully, the installation side with Neptune wasn’t problematic at all, making it even more of a relief to get to this stage of our project. Ollie [their accredited Neptune fitter] and his team were fantastic.��

When it came to the kitchen design process, Juliet already had a very clear idea of what she wanted. ‘I’d always hoped to have a Neptune kitchen. I’m a bit obsessed, and they’d come highly recommended by friends. The whole process was incredibly easy. I knew I wanted the Suffolk kitchen collection as soon as I walked into the store. ����’s so beautifully pared-back and makes more of an understatement than anything. Zoe was our kitchen designer at Neptune Tonbridge, and she translated my brief perfectly �� clean lines, Charcoal paintwork, an island, and a modern feeling that would never date. ����’s everything I wanted.�� Juliet and Zoe amended the design only once towards the end, incorporating the Buckland bench seating at one end so that more people could fit around the kitchen table, as well as adding Pembroke shelving to the living room.��

The key feature in Juliet and Andrew’s kitchen is the balance between light and heavier forms. She explained how she loves to see a ‘bank of dark-coloured cabinetry��, but Zoe didn’t want to lose the feeling of light and space created by the extension. ‘So, we designed a run of cabinetry along the one wall with a large larder towards the French doors and a symmetrical use of glazed countertop cabinets at either end, but kept the parallel wall clear. And for the island, we added a potboard at the one end so that it wasn’t one solid mass. The interior of the cabinetry is painted in Lily which contrasts with the dark grey exterior, and the polished quartz work surfaces bounce the light too so that we make the most of all of the available natural light,�� she explained. Juliet then chose brass hardware for all of her cabinetry, varying the style between our Barlow cup handle and beehive design.��

‘I wanted to walk into our kitchen and for it to look smooth and to feel calm. That’s what we’ve got. ����’s been a bit of a “pinch me�� moment to be honest,�� she concluded.��

Life in her new kitchen

‘I think my husband and I both love Saturday mornings when we can really enjoy the kitchen and have scrambled eggs, bacon and coffee. The light in the kitchen at that time of day really brings the best out of the space. After a busy week at work, to just chill out in such an amazing room is lovely. We feel very lucky.��

‘I’ve got two: the island (which is huge!) and the larder. Both are fabulous and just what we had visualised in our dream kitchen.��

‘The larder. ����’s the dream storage solution. Literally everything goes in there and there’s still plenty of room. We really wanted to find a way to create maximum storage but with minimal fuss so that the worktops weren’t cluttered. The deep pan drawers are also a must; we couldn't be without them.��

‘Either we sit tight and enjoy our home for a while or we move onto the next project. All our friends and family think �ɱ�’r�� mad considering moving though. Next for the kitchen will be to add your beautiful Teal colour. I think the Matilda armchair in Isla Kingfisher that the team brought along to the shoot will be at the top of my list, as is the Sheldrake dining table.��

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Moving into a new property is exciting but there can be a temptation to make quick decisions. A few years on however and that earlier vision can change. That was the situation commercial director Debbie Harris found herself in, seven years after moving into her forever home and installing her much anticipated Neptune kitchen.

“I’d been obsessed with Neptune kitchens for ages as I’d seen advertisements for them in magazines,�� she recalls. “When I moved into my house, Neptune Canterbury was just opening so I went to the launch day and quickly got to work with the design team on creating my dream kitchen.��

Debbie, who channels her creative passion for interiors into the Instagram site , was clear that she wanted in-frame, painted cabinetry and was drawn to the simplicity of the Suffolk collection. “I loved the idea that I’d have the ability to change the look in the future whilst having a kitchen that was guaranteed to last a lifetime.�� Her Suffolk kitchen was duly fitted, and Debbie settled into life in her detached 1930s Kent house with her two growing children and Alfie the cockerpoo.

Roll on six years and Debbie was ready for change but not for the cost of a new kitchen. She admits: “I didn’t live in the house long enough to see how I’d use it. There were areas that always bothered me.�� An existing partition wall between the kitchen and eating area, where the island was situated, made the space feel enclosed. Debbie wanted a better sense of connection and wanted her island to be a social place for friends and family to gather. But her Suffolk cabinetry was robust and so she was keen to find a way to reconfigure the space to suit her new vision.

Debbie reached out to Lauren Jennings at whose design work she’d long admired. “I had a good idea of what I was looking for this time around,�� she says, “I wanted a marble worktop and splashback and was impressed how Calacatta Viola marble can warm up the look of a kitchen.��

“Debbie loved a previous project of mine with a tall stone splashback and stone shelves,�� explains Lauren, “so we��knew��from the outset this was something we wanted to add. I came up with a brief for new stone worktops in a bold marble and suggested the island be painted a green/brown shade with an oak worktop. Debbie wasn’t initially thinking of a wooden worktop but after some consideration was happy to go with it.��

Lauren helped Debbie source the stone though “the process is very different to man-made alternatives. There’s so much variety and you can’t choose from a sample cut, it is advisable to view the slabs in person,�� says Lauren. “This can be a slow and sometimes painful process as slabs you travel to see, may not always be right for the project. It is good to be aware of the slower pace and enjoy the experience of seeing so many beautiful stones. I always find ����’s worth it in the end.”��

Lauren also came up with a solution for some awkward boxed-in piping. “We used a pantry cupboard to hide the pipes,�� says Debbie, “and it also proved useful for tucking away the kettle and toaster. The previous cooker hood was replaced by a bespoke, more discreet version and the sink was realigned with the kitchen window �� swapping out one base cabinet for a slimmer wine rack.

Debbie opted for the colour update and had the cabinetry repainted from Cobble to Snow, while the new oak island worktop was extended to offer a better seating arrangement and repainted in Mylands�� Artillery Ground shade.

��Debbie’s new-not-new kitchen is a remarkable makeover. While she splashed out on the marble surfaces, the rest of her new kitchen was more cosmetic yet she’s left feeling as if ����’s a whole new space. “The project has given the room a new lease of life without the expense of a new kitchen,�� says Debbie, “and I’ve fallen in love with it all over again.��