• Uncategorized

    Celebrate National Vegetarian Week

    by  • May 20, 2013 • Favourite things, Kitchens, Shopping, Storage, Uncategorized • 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 • Kitchen design, Kitchen furniture, Uncategorized • 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 →

    Two sinks, one tap & a clever little mat

    by  • May 13, 2013 • Finishing touches, Kitchen news, Sinks and taps, Uncategorized, Worktops • 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 →

    Black and white kitchens and accessories

    by  • April 29, 2013 • Appliances, Favourite things, Finishing touches, Kitchens, New designs, Shopping, Small appliances, Uncategorized • 0 Comments

    Today I have some gorgeous black and white kitchens to tempt you. What do you think of this monochrome kitchen-diner? The light-hearted artwork and cat wall art are a nice touch.

     

     

    The curvy chairs and the semi-circle worktop soften the look in this monochrome kitchen and make it feel very inviting.

     

    White crockery and black and white family photos stand out against the black feature wall, in this modern, monochrome kitchen

     

    If you don’t fancy a black and white kitchen scheme, how about some black and white kitchen accessories?

    Read more →

    Spring cleaning

    by  • April 27, 2013 • Uncategorized • 0 Comments

    I thought I saw the sun there for a moment, and it was enough for me to get my mop out and start thinking about organising under the sink!

     I’m not a natural cleaner (as my husband will attest, wholeheartedly) however, I do sometimes feel the need to organise, and from that stems a natural need to clean at the same time.

     I do like a gadget though, so my partner in crime for this spring clean was the new Click ‘n’ Clean system from Dunelm Mill. 

    The Dunelm Mill Click 'n' Clean system

    Dunelm Mill’s Click ‘n’ Clean system features many attachments

    Read more →

    Celebrate National Bread & National Coffee Week

    by  • April 22, 2013 • Appliances, Favourite things, Gadgets, Kitchens, Small appliances, Uncategorized • 0 Comments

    Did you know today is the last day of National Bread Week? No? And to think if we hadn’t pointed it out to you, it would have passed  you by. The purpose of this week is to celebrate the ‘roll’ that bread plays in our daily diet.

    If you love your daily bread, then you ‘knead’ to make room in your kitchen for the Dualit Architect 4 slot toaster. The side panels are available in a variety of colours, including lime green and bright pink and you can change them yourself. So, you can update your toaster and add a splash of colour to your kitchen, whenever you fancy. Of course, it has everything you’ve come to expect and love from Dualit, too, including extra wide slots, a warming facility and defrost function

     

    Dualit 4 slot toaster in citrus yellow

     

    If you’re sorry to hear that National Bread Week is nearly over, don’t despair, tomorrow National Coffee Week begins! To celebrate DéLonghi is adding eight new colours and a new coffee machine to its PrimaDonna range, including Mint Green…

    Read more →

    In praise of clear worktops

    by  • April 20, 2013 • Accessories, Appliances, Favourite things, Finishing touches, Uncategorized, Worktops, Ysanne's Kitchen Project • 0 Comments

    Much as I would rather they were kept pristine clean, my worktops have become totally chaotic of late. A whirl of cake making, regular home-cooked evening meals and a surfeit of kitchen gadgets and utensils, added to a fondness for Kilner storage jars has resulted in worktops that look like an over-stocked display unit in the John Lewis kitchen department.

     

    My latest favourite appliances – but do they earn their place on the worktop?

    My latest favourite appliances – but do they earn their place on the worktop?

    Read more →

    Kitchen idea: combining materials

    by  • April 19, 2013 • Kitchen design, Kitchen projects, Uncategorized • 0 Comments

    Mixing and matching kitchen finishes and materials is still big news in kitchen design, and this fresh and modern open plan kitchen diner is a textbook example of how to get it right. First up there’s the fantastic combination of lime green and zebrawood cabinets. I love the bank of zebrawood cabinets, with that flash of zingy lime green wrapped around them.

    Look down to the floor and you’ll see another clever combo of stone tiles around the kitchen island, with a border of solid wood flooring running around the whole space. This is a great way to introduce the warmth of wood without losing out on the hard-wearing and easy-clean properties of stone flooring.

    The island has been topped with yellow granite in the working area of the kitchen – around the hob and the sink – and then it switches to solid wood for a breakfast bar zone to marry up with the wood finish of the adjacent dining table.

    Other clever design ideas in this kitchen include the bank of floating lime green units, the unusual glass statement light above the kitchen table, and a boiling water tap so that the island doesn’t need to cluttered up with a kettle for making hot drinks.

    For more great kitchens to inspire you, head over to House to Home, like our Facebook page or follow us on Twitter.

    Heather

    Read more →

    Must read: Top 50 Kitchen must-haves

    by  • April 18, 2013 • Appliances, Favourite things, Finishing touches, Kitchens, Uncategorized • 0 Comments

    Last year our Top 50 coolest kitchen kit supplement proved so popular, that this time we’ve taken it a step  further. The Top 50 kitchen must-haves feature in our May issue, includes lots of fabulous extras, including design innovations, the latest appliances and beautiful accessories. It makes for essential reading.

     

     

    There was much discussion here, as we decided what to include.

    My list of kitchen must-haves and lust-haves, in case you’re wondering, would include getting the lighting just right, with mood and prep

    Read more →