• How to find your beautiful kitchen

    by  • May 22, 2013 • 0 Comments

    Showrooms are hugely important when researching kitchens. It’s all very well looking at thousands of beautiful designs on a website but in the end if you’re investing a lots of money it’s no substitute for actually going to visit somewhere in order to see products up close and talk to the people who may, ultimately, be helping you create your dream design.

    The John Lewis of Hungerford showroom has recently been refurbished and redesigned

    The John Lewis of Hungerford showroom has recently been refurbished and redesigned

    It’s all about the feel of the showroom and the kitchen layouts that are on show. Do they look inspiring? Have they lots of features you’d like for your own scheme.  The chances are that if the company has spent time recreating lots of different schemes packed full of great ideas then it will do the same with your kitchen. More to the point, what are the people in the showroom like – the salespeople and the designers? How approachable and helpful are they? One of the things that we hear again and again from our featured owners was that they knew who they wanted to design their kitchen because when they met them, ‘we just clicked’.

    That’s why I’d always recommend shopping around as much as you can. Go to showrooms and have as many conversations with designers as possible and look at lots of options. The more you do that the more you’re likely to find someone who is in tune with you and the way you want your dream kitchen to be.

    One brand that recognises how important first impressions are and has totally refurbished it’s flagship store is  John Lewis of Hungerford. Their Hungerford showroom features brand new displays covering many styles and featuring lots of surface options, ideas for sinks and taps and plenty of those all-important storage solutions. They’re open from 9am-5.30pm Monday to Saturday so if you’re in the area pop in.

    Another traditional handpainted design at the refurbished John Lewis of Hungerford showroom

    Another traditional handpainted design at the refurbished John Lewis of Hungerford showroom

     

    Of course, if you’re still at the early stages and just want some general inspiration and advice, head over to House to Home or join us on our Facebook page or on Twitter.

    Ysanne

    Read more →

    NEW! Heston Blumenthal appliances

    by  • May 21, 2013 • 0 Comments

    Attention sticklers, food geeks, those with exacting standards and an eye, nose and taste for detail: Heston Blumenthal has launched a range of small appliances, Sage.

    Sage Scraper Mixer Pro, around £399.99

    The range, in association with Breville, features 16 products designed to make preparing food and drink to pro chef standards easier than ever, all  in a sleek metallic package. The Scraper Mixer Pro, for example, features a ‘Scraper Beater’ giving 360-degree coverage of the bowl with each turn – this ensures a more even mix and incorporates as much as air as possible; the key to a light, fluffy sponge.

    Sage Tea Maker, around £199.99

    Nor is the humble cuppa immune to the Heston touch with the Tea Maker, which will have tea aficionados dashing to the shops. This is no mere kettle; it’s a fully automatic tea maker that promises to brew your leaves to exactly the right time and temperature.

    Also available are a juicer, coffee maker, blender, toaster and more. Find out where to get your mitts on them here

    Becky

     

    Read more →

    Celebrate National Vegetarian Week

    by  • May 20, 2013 • 0 Comments

    Today is the first day of National Vegetarian week. So why not stock up on lots of seasonal veg and try one of these delicious vegetarian recipes.

    Now you’re going to need somewhere to store all those extra vegetables. So check out these stylish storage solutions.

    Wicker baskets are ideal for storing vegetables. Display them on open shelves and add contrast, texture and a rustic feel to your kitchen.

    This kitchen has been given a truly vintage look, by transforming an old dresser into a set of drawers for storing vegetables.

     

    Or what about this cute little 3 drawer wooden vegetable storage unit?

    Read more →

    Kitchen idea: colourful wall cabinets

    by  • May 17, 2013 • 0 Comments

    When choosing a kitchen design for an open-plan space, it’s a toss up between wanting the kitchen to blend in discreetly, or opting to turn it into the room’s main focal point – which is exactly what has been achieved in this space. With its graphic combination of coloured wall cabinetry, this kitchen is an attention-grabber.

    The upbeat, vivid shades in a glossy finish add a generous injection of personality, especially as they were actually chosen to reflect the owner’s favourite foods – tomatoes, lemons, curry, saffron and red wine. I love this highly personal approach to choosing colour and it’s got me thinking about what colour my own kitchen would be if I used applied the same concept. I’m a big fan of pick ‘n’ mix to give you a taster of what you could expect!

    Using cabinets in different shapes and heights adds extra interest above the run of white gloss units below, and mirrored plinths make those white cabinets seem to float above the stripped wooden floorboards.

    Which option would you choose for an open-plan space? Would you prefer a more discreet design or is this statement kitchen right up your street?

    For more inspiration and advice, head over to House to Home or join us on our Facebook page or on Twitter.

    Heather

     

    Read more →

    White kitchens

    by  • May 15, 2013 • 0 Comments

    Fashions come and go but in the world of kitchens white, quite frankly, is the new white. Forget grey, more than 30% of you voting on the latest poll on this blog have declared your new kitchen of choice would be white. Cream came a close second, with 25% of you opting for this slightly less clinical shade… although does vanilla count as white or cream these days?

    It seems that the more choice we’re offered, the more likely we are to fall back on the old favourites. I’ve often heard showroom managers declare that the bold coloured kitchens go in the window to draw people in but come the final design they choose the white or cream version for their own scheme. That, though, doesn’t mean everyone’s choosing the same style. There are so many variations of cupboards and so many ways of dressing up white – the options are almost endless. Here are some of my favourites…

    This stunning Holloways of Ludlow kitchen combines white handleless units with a stunning black wall, white decorative china pieces and sleek stainless steel appliances.

    Holloways of Ludlow white kitchen

    Holloways of Ludlow white kitchen

    Read more →

    Wood worktops

    by  • May 14, 2013 • 0 Comments

    A debate has raged recently in the Beautiful Kitchens offices about what’s the best material to choose for worktops. The new composites are a popular choice. They’re tough and have a continuity of colour or pattern that appeals to those that don’t like the variations nature can offer. Interestingly, though many of us seem to be moving back to loving wood – particularly if it’s to go with cabinetry in a cool white (more of that tomorrow).

    Of course wood does have its issues – undermounting sinks with wood can be problematic as it can expose the ends of your timber to water ingress on a regular basis – but used well and treated regularly it can add real character to a room and will last for years. If fact, I think that wood can improve with age and use, giving it a patina that speaks volumes about great food and family get togethers.

    A ceramic inset sink is great alternative to an undermounted sink with wood wortops

    A ceramic inset sink is great alternative to an undermounted sink with wood worktops

    Frame your cabinetry with a richly coloured stave worksurface

    Frame your cabinetry with a richly coloured stave worksurface

    Pale wood tops look beautiful against painted cabinetry

    Pale wood tops look beautiful against painted cabinetry

    This country-style kitchen has extra deep wood island worktops and a rich dark wood table

    This country-style kitchen has extra deep wood island worktops and a rich dark wood table

    Add a wood breakfast bar to give warmth to a modern scheme

    Add a wood breakfast bar to give warmth to a modern scheme

     

    The key to any good wood worktop is in the pre-treating and subsequent caring. Oil it well as soon as it is installed and for at least once a week for a month afterwards, then once a month for the next few months, then top up as required. A good way to tell if your wooden worktop needs treating is to drop a little water on it and if it sits on the surface in a bead then your top is still waterproof. If the water starts to soak in after a short while then you need to get that oil out and give it a good going over.

    Ysanne

     

     

     

    Read more →

    Two sinks, one tap & a clever little mat

    by  • May 13, 2013 • 0 Comments

    My perfect country kitchen would look pretty much like this, with hand-painted cabinetry and a large ceramic sink positioned in front of the window, so I could enjoy views of my garden.

     

    However if you dream of a sleek, modern kitchen, then the new Flavia sink from Villeroy & Boch would fit right in. It’s made from Ceramic Plus, an engineered ceramic that’s capable of withstanding extreme temperatures and whatever you throw at it. It’s available in three sizes and 16 colours and teams a draining board, waste bowl and large sized sink.

     

    The Flavia sink

    Or how about the Vantage Sio, from Astracast? Glass panels completely conceal the sink when not in use, to form a streamlined and sleek appearance that blends into your worktop. The glass panels can be used as a chopping board, giving you a bit more workspace. Ideal in a small kitchen.

    Here it is open….

    Astracast – Vantage Sio

    and here it is closed…

    Read more →

    What’s a zoneless hob?

    by  • May 11, 2013 • 0 Comments

    As the appetite for induction grows, so does the technology. Prices are coming down and every time you turn around another feature seems to have been added. The current favourite is continuous zones. Essentially, the workings below the glass of the hob have been designed to cover larger areas, as opposed to the more traditional circular cooking areas. Because induction technology is essentially a magnetic connection between pan and cooktop, this means you’re not hampered by fixed cooking areas. While previously induction hobs followed the circular, four-hob pattern of traditional cooktops, appliance designers realised there were so many more options when your technology doesn’t depend on a heat source coming from the hob – rather it is the connection with the pan (whatever its size) and the magnetised workings below the glass top. So, you can use a small milk pan or a large fish kettle pretty much anywhere on the hob surface without having to worry about where exactly you put it.

    The new Neff FlexiZone induction hob

    The new Neff FlexInduction hob

    The latest offering from Neff  the Neff FlexInduction zone has an enlarged area of hob, housing four induction coils which work either independently or together dependent on the size of the pan detected, with a variety of control options, including the Neff  Point & Twist control, a sleek beveled dial which uses a magnet to attach to the hob. To use, simply ‘point’ at the area you require by dipping the dial, and ‘twist’ to rotate through the selection of power settings. At the end of cooking, the dial can be simply removed, leaving a smooth surface for cleaning and a stunning finish.
    If you’re worried about your pans not working on the hob, Neff have also introduced four tailor-made FlexInduction accessories –  a Teppan yaki, an oval roaster, a steam rack and griddle pan.

    Ysanne

    Read more →

    Must read: Glass Doors

    by  • May 9, 2013 • 0 Comments

    I’m not a very good, or a very keen cook and I particularly don’t like spending hours in the kitchen when the weather is nice outside. So having a run of  folding-sliding doors which I could fling open and let the sun and light in, as I slave over a hot stove, is hugely appealling.

    Which is why I couldn’t wait to read the Beautiful ideas for Glass Doors feature in our June issue – on sale now.

    There are six pages of inspirational ideas, showing you how to let the outside in. We’ve included

    Read more →

    Future cool – Electrolux Design Lab entries 2013

    by  • May 8, 2013 • 1 Comment

    Always at the forefront of design, this year’s Electrolux Design Lab top 100 entrants are an eclectic mix of form and function. Submissions by young designers from more than 30 countries clearly demonstrate that the future is coming to a kitchen near you… sooner that you might think. My personal favourites of this year’s concepts responding to the brief of  Inspired Urban Living include:

     

    Rota-Cook by Welsh designer Elgan Gryffudd Roberts

    Rota-Cook by Welsh designer Elgan Gryffudd Roberts

    The Rota-Cook by Welsh designer Elgan Gryffudd Roberts. It’s a ‘rotational cutting and storage board’ that, the designer claims, will allow the user to socialise, cook and eat healthily at the same time. It has integrated touch sensitive controls which allows for adjustment of individual induction hotplates or as a whole unit. It also features a clever detachable chopping board and neatly folds up after use for ease of storage.

    Zhi Ying Chai’s My Diet Plate is not just a slimming aid, it’s intended as the starting point for a conversation about food. Download the My Diet Plate app to select the potion sizes for a variety of meals and then sync to the interactive, personalized plate. This clever clip helps to explain how it works http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qdEh-kKLo3Y.

    My Diet Plate by Zhi Ying Chai

    My Diet Plate by Zhi Ying Chai

    Perhaps if I had my food and portion sizes chosen for me each day it might encourage me to eat less cake… maybe!

    My personal favourite, though, is the Kitchen Train by Ahmad Abedini.

    The Kitchen Train by Ahmad Abedini

    The Kitchen Train by Ahmad Abedini

    Beautifully designed countertop appliances that fit together to create a compact and harmonious one. The kitchen Train is made up of a microwave, juicer, blender, mixer, coffemaker, toaster and even vacuum cleaner that all fit together  to become one interconnecting package. An app also lets you communicate with the Kitchen Train, allowing it to send you reminders about the next stage in the cooking process , so it’s not just beautiful it’s useful, too. In terms of earning its place on the worktop, it’s got my vote…

    Ysanne

     

     

     

     

    Read more →