Neptune - Case studies

Creating a characterful kitchen in a modern extension

2025-01-02T09:37:14+00:00

New build, modern extension, each provide that blank canvas to make your mark. But where to start? For Katarina, owner of lifestyle store , and her husband Matt, it was defining the space and understanding what they would need to do structurally to achieve a cosy kitchen filled with character.

The couple bought the brand new property back in the winter of 2022 and started the renovation process shortly after. ‘The whole back of the house was an aluminium concertina door, which did lend itself to an awful lot of natural light, but it restricted us with wall space and layout,�� explains Katarina. The answer was to divide the space up with a set of French doors and windows with a custom-built window seat. It still provides��an outlook to the��garden and welcomes in natural light, but created designated nooks within the large kitchen.��

After spending over seventeen years living together, Katarina and Matt knew how they best used a kitchen space and what would be utilised more often and suit their lifestyle. ‘We divided up the back of the house with a slightly controversial wall (which we love!) as this created a kitchen-dining space and then a little snug TV room at the other end.�� This division meant that they were able to achieve a cosy feel in a large functional space.��

Katarina was no stranger to her choice of kitchen for their new home. ��±�’v�� had a Chichester kitchen before and we just love the traditional look and the timeless cabinetry. I hate clutter, so having lots of enclosed storage and deep drawers to one side of the cooker and a tall larder cupboard that hides a multitude of sins was a must,�� says Katarina. Christina Parsons, kitchen designer at Neptune Reading, recalls her initial conversations with the couple, working together for a second time. ‘When we began making plans for the new kitchen’s colour scheme I remembered that I had spotted a few Neptune furniture pieces painted in Honed Slate in Katarina’s previous home and it has this lovely antique feel, so I suggested colour tones that would complement furniture in the dining area (and throughout the house), opting for Shell for the painted cabinetry, Limestone tumbled flooring, light Quartz worktops and an elegant tiled herringbone splashback in shades of beige��. Matt adds with a smile, ��Katarina has a very tight colour palette. Well, ��’s just neutrals.�� And when it came to layout there was one key theme: symmetry. ‘We were looking for the perfect balance. The island (with a sink and equal workspace either side) is centred opposite the large range cooker (complete with an ornate cooker surround). It meant compromising on a functional 900mm walkway beside the window bench, but achieved the symmetry that Katarina was looking for,�� says Christina.��

While this kitchen is similar to the one in their previous home, Katarina and Matt had a couple of new requests. ‘I shared my vision of a calm country kitchen with Christina and she magically bought it to life, while Glenn, our installer, made the fitting process seamless. Working together previously to add character to our smaller new-build property meant we felt comfortable being really open with Christina about any of our ideas,�� says Katarina. A preference for modern country style and timeless furniture tied in beautifully with the ornate detailing and classic features of the Chichester kitchen. ‘I suggested bronze hardware and hinges this time for their cabinetry to work in harmony with the existing hardware and lighting fixtures in the house. I also recommended that Glenn create an architectural cooker surround to create the illusion of a traditional country fireplace,�� says Christina. This time the couple also opted for a slightly bigger island which has additional storage, plus a specially designed window seat. ‘It is a little treat to sit there with a morning coffee looking out on to the garden. I love that I can dress it and accessorise it through the seasons.��

For many the kitchen is more than just a place to cook dinner. Katarina agrees, ��’s where we eat, where we entertain, where we relax. I spend time working from the dining room table. However cliché it is, it is the heart of our home.��

Katarina’s tips for adding a characterful kitchen to a modern extension��

��

1. Think about how you’ll use the kitchen and design the space to fit these needs, rather than current trends. We managed to create a cosier feel by adding partitioning walls and a fabric window seat, along with a more ornate cooker chimney that is built into the flow of cabinetry.��

2. One of the reasons we chose the Chichester collection was because of the elegant mouldings on each of the doors and drawers. You can also look at door handles and hinges which have a more traditional feel.��

��

3. Consider lighting and textures in the kitchen. By using lamps on the work surface it adds a soft glow that highlights our tiled splashback, and then we introduced texture through woven bar stools, Roman blinds and decorative cushions on the window seat.��

Hugo & Olive Guest's colourful country kitchen

2024-06-14T11:43:41+01:00

For Devon-based hoteliers Hugo and Olive, their new kitchen had to balance family life with their love of hosting and entertaining �� and colour.

As the paint dried and the Neptune installers completed the finishing touches to their new Henley kitchen, hotelier and chef Hugo Guest and his artist wife, Olive, (who together run , a guest house and restaurant in Devon) knew exactly what they had planned for the space once the dust had been swept away. ‘The island is the hub of family activity,�� says Hugo. ‘Our boys are four and two and we love cooking with them �� baking, rolling out pasta. Generally getting very messy.��

��

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.��

��

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