• Kitchen design

    Kitchen idea: The hidden kitchen

    by  • April 5, 2013 • Kitchen design, Kitchen furniture, Kitchen trends, Kitchens, New designs • 0 Comments

    At first glance, this kitchen design from Molteni&C Dada impresses with its contemporary styling – sleek stainless steel cabinet doors and worktop, and acres of tall storage hidden behind those gloss white doors. But on closer inspection the kitchen offers far more than just good looks.

    Now you see it, now you don’t! Those glossy white doors reveal their secret function and fold out to hide the kitchen from view altogether. What could be better when your inlaws are due any minute and you haven’t done last night’s washing up?

    This really is the ultimate hidden kitchen. Would you like to hide your kitchen away behind closed doors, or is a space you’d prefer to show off?

    For the latest kitchen designs and plenty of inspiration, head over to our Facebook page or follow us on Twitter.

    Heather

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    Kitchen idea: unexpected kitchen feature

    by  • March 22, 2013 • Kitchen design, Kitchen trends, Kitchens • 0 Comments

    It’s not something you find in your standard fitted kitchen. Instead of fish being present as an ingredient in an evening meal, this particular kitchen has taken its owner’s love of fish to the next level with a built-in aquarium, clad in wood to match the striking island unit. Whether you think it’s more at home in a Bond villain’s glamorous hideout, or it gets your heart fluttering as you remember hat bathroom scene from Bazz Luhrmann’s Romeo & Juliet, it definitely makes a statement.

    As well as its decorative value, this unusual wall also serves as a way to divide up the open plan space, providing a visual barrier between the sofa in the living area and the working kitchen on the other side. I like that you can still see the action in the kitchen through the tank – I’ve seen a similar idea used in a restaurant between the dining room and the kitchen, and it made the venue and the dining experience one to remember.

    What do you reckon? Is this idea a great catch, or just a little bit fishy? Sorry… I  couldn’t help myself.

    Find more kitchen inspiration on the Beautiful Kitchens homepage. You can also join in the chat on our Facebook page, or follow us on Twitter.

    Heather

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    New! Gorgeous kitchens from In-toto, Mereway and Burbidge

    by  • March 19, 2013 • Kitchen design, New designs • 0 Comments

    My kitchen displeases me greatly. I won’t go into detail but I live in rented accommodation, which means I’m lumbered with whatever the landlord could find most cheaply without it looking too awful. So new kitchen designs provide a little light relief from the impracticality and aesthetic inadequacies of my own scheme.

    In-toto’s Mediterranean-inspired Vesuvian Brown Sierra range

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    Delicious food deserves a beautiful kitchen

    by  • March 16, 2013 • Accessories, Favourite things, Kitchen design, Kitchens • 0 Comments

    What is it about this weather that makes me feel so hungry all the time? Is it a throwback to our hunter-gatherer forefathers. Is it my body’s way of ensuring I don’t starve when there’s nothing left to hunt? Am I storing up fat for leaner times? If that’s so, I’m guessing I’ve got enough here for a very long cold snap!

    Whatever the reason, I’m constantly hungry at the moment and so I’m baking and cooking like it’s going out of fashion. My current favourite recipes all come from Jamie Oliver’s 30-Minute Meals. Not getting home until 7.30 during the week means I want something fast yet tasty.

    Jamie's 30-Minute Meals - a saviour for working men and women

    Jamie’s 30-Minute Meals – a saviour for working men and women

    I’m not sure where we decided that there was no time in our day to prepare a proper, healthy meal then sit down with our families and talk over the day. The recent horse meat in ready meals scandal has, apparently, cleared the supermarket aisles and if we’re clever, we’re all rethinking ‘easy-to-cook’ recipes.

    With an induction hob and a hot water tap it’s entirely possible to prepare pasta from pot to table in just 10 minutes. A simple fresh tomato, clam and prawn sauce takes moments to prepare and is delicious.

    The other option is slow cooking. I’d never used a slow cooker until recently and I can say without word of exaggeration that it has transformed my life. I get up 15 minutes earlier, chop a few veg, sear some meat and pop it all in my slow cooker and when I get home the house is filled with glorious cooking smells and I’ve got a beautiful stew that’s ready in an instant.

    Slow cookers - delicious food without the effort

    Slow cookers – delicious food without the effort

    But I think it’s less to do with speed or ease and more to do with environment. It’s clear that the kitchen itself has to be at the heart of a change of attitude when it comes to our cooking and eating habits. After all, who wants to spend time in a cluttered, old-fashioned, poorly functioning kitchen? When even the smallest space can look as good as this…

     

    Even the smallest space can look gorgeous and function beautifully

    Even the smallest space can look gorgeous and function beautifully

    That’s why it’s so important to take your time when planning your new scheme. Talk to the experts, whether you’re opting for a B&Q kitchen or one from an independent showroom, the designers are there to help you make the most of your space so use them! Your finished kitchen will be better for it…

    Ysanne

     

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    Kitchen idea: kitchen in the round

    by  • March 15, 2013 • Kitchen design, Kitchen furniture, Kitchens • 1 Comment

    For a cook that likes to be at the centre of the action, you can’t get much better than this kitchen which has been designed in the round. More than just your standard kitchen island, this horseshoe-shaped arrangement houses the majority of the kitchen, including the range cooker and not one, but two sinks. It’s the perfect illustration of that much-used term “at the heart of the home”.

    This puts the cook firmly on the stage with their audience around them, and the kitchen layout directs the flow of kitchen traffic away from the main food preparation area (a large American style fridge freezer is located outside the circle). With curves enjoying their moment in kitchen design right now, this kitchen enjoys all the benefits a curvier layout offers – making a statement, protecting hips from sharp corners, channelling traffic.

    If you had the space, would you consider cutting your cabinets loose from the walls, and taking a circular layout for a spin?

    Don’t miss any of our posts – join us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter. And for loads more kitchen advice and inspiration head over to House to Home.

    Heather

     

     

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    Must read: A touch of colour

    by  • March 14, 2013 • Kitchen design, Kitchen furniture, Kitchen makeovers, Kitchen trends, Kitchens, New designs, Uncategorized • 1 Comment

    The kitchen, in my first flat had plain cream walls, tiles and cabinetry. I thought it was very boring and so I painted the cabinets bright blue. I was very pleased with the result. Now, ten years and two house moves later, I have another cream kitchen. Reading the ‘A Touch of Colour’ article in our new April issue, reminded me of my first kitchen and how proud I was of my bold, vibrant colour scheme.

    The article is packed with beautiful kitchens with bright hi-gloss finishes and traditional painted cabinetry in subtle hues. If you’re thinking of adding colour to your kitchen, read this first.

    My favourite is this Homebase kitchen, painted in French Blue-Grey.

    But perhaps you’ll prefer the Harvey Jones scheme in purple and damson, or the Mereway Kitchens design in soft Willow Green?

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    Kitchen idea: integral seating

    by  • March 8, 2013 • Kitchen design, Kitchen furniture, Kitchen trends, Kitchens, Storage • 0 Comments

     

    Take your cue from classic American diner design and save yourself space in the process with built-in banquette seating in the kitchen. Perfect if you can’t squeeze in a traditional dining table and chairs or are a fan of a bit more open space in the kitchen, or if don’t fancy perching at a breakfast bar or island to chow down at mealtimes.

    This elegant solution comes courtesy of Roundhouse – combining a smart bespoke Wenge table with seating upholstered in natural cowhide. And not only that but the seats double as storage with practical pull-out drawers concealed in the benches.

    I’m definitely a fan – I love sitting down at a table to eat, and banquette seating offers the intimacy of a dining table and chairs, but in compact form. Plus, adding one to your own kitchen guarantees you the best booth in the house, everyday. Now where’s that waitress to take my order?

    For plenty more kitchen ideas and inspiration check out House To Home, join us on Facebook, or follow us on Twitter.

    Heather

     

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    Virtually paint your kitchen

    by  • March 3, 2013 • Kitchen design, Kitchen furniture, Kitchen makeovers, Kitchen trends • 1 Comment

    Have you ever started to decorate a room and halfway through started to question if you’ve picked the right colour?

    Tester pots are fab but not always the best guide. And if you’re redoing your kitchen, you’ve got quite enough to think about beyond the walls.

    My new favourite online tool is DecorateNow‘s Colour your Room.

    Bland galley kitchen? Let’s get colouring!

    Not sure what your kitchen would look like with some deep red walls?

    Add a splash of sleek scarlet

    Or maybe you’d prefer a hit of sunny yellow?

    Now here’s a bright idea…

    It’s a great way to experiment with colour without all heartache of suddenly realising electric blue isn’t for you…

    Find more interior inspiration on the Beautiful Kitchens homepage. You can also join in the fun on our Facebook page, or follow us on Twitter.

    Rachel

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    The big idea: statement kitchen splashback

    by  • March 1, 2013 • Kitchen design, Kitchen projects, Kitchen tiles, Kitchens • 1 Comment

    This contemporary kitchen from the Linear range by Harvey Jones,is calm and understated. Keeping it simple in matt white and dark brown, with a plain splashback and simple floor tiles it would be a minimalist’s dream, but for those that like things a bit more decorative it’s been given a whole new look with these eye-catching splashback tiles.

    Suddenly this kitchen’s got itself a boho edge – especially when teamed with school-style bar stools, parquet flooring and a utilitarian light fitting.

    The mix and match tiles create an explosion of pattern – think 1970s with a Moroccan flavour – and it’s amazing what an impact they can have on the overall look of a smart, pared-back kitchen.

    Do you hanker after a minimalist aesthetic or are you partial to pattern?

    For more kitchen inspiration head over to House to Home, and come and join us on Facebook or Twitter for all our latest news.

    Heather

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