Our client in Faringdon had a typical style galley kitchen in that it had wall hung cabinets, a garden facing sink and a door to the garden.
Also typically for a galley kitchen there was little room for more than two people, limited cupboard storage and multiple internal doors including an under-stairs storage unit, the hallway and the dining room. There was no utility area so the washing machine was in the kitchen, whilst the other white goods were kept in the garage, only accessible from outside.
Sound familiar? On top of all that, the client had particular problem areas they wanted to address:
• a lack of work surface
• the room was very dark, despite the glass panelled door, because there was only one small window
• no interaction between the kitchen and dining room.
This client was in need of change, the galley kitchen had to go!
What the owners said before the work
“The kitchen was miserable, there was no space it was just a ‘go through kitchen’ with stupid storage; The corner units were a nightmare as you had to reach round, we couldn’t even close one of the cupboard doors because they were narrower than the depth of the plates!
We went to four different kitchen designers, and came back with only their ideas, simply revamping the existing space with new cupboards and worktops, they really couldn’t envisage our ‘dream’ and simply said no to some of the things we wanted like drawers and lift up cupboards.
J & S House of Design’s experience with engineering and interior design meant that as they measured the space they understood not only what we wanted but how we could have it, to create a new space giving us exactly what we wanted within the existing foot print of the house.
When we saw the life-like PDF we felt we were already sitting in the kitchen.” – Bernadette, Faringdon
The galley kitchen’s new design layout
We understood the client needed more space, and that they were not considering an extension. Of course the first thing to do was look into the structural details of the areas involved. The garage backed onto the kitchen, so some space was sacrificed here as a utility room, and an island replaced the full height wall to the dining room, opening up communication between dining and cooking spaces. This incorporated a breakfast bar, giving the perfect vantage point to take in the efforts of the ‘chef’ and the beautiful garden.
From a build perspective the only real challenge was the steel work required to support the back wall to the house. We wanted to add a bi-fold door across the entire kitchen wall to let in as much natural light as possible and connect the house to the garden. As you can see from the photographs this worked perfectly and had beautiful symmetry with the new bi-fold door we added between the dining room and garden.
How the new look was achieved
Clean lines and the right proportions were important, the extractor fan and all beams are hidden in bulk work and underfloor heating removes the need for radiators.
Down lighters on dimmers and coloured LEDs under the breakfast bar were added to enable ambient light for atmosphere, colour and tone.
The two tone colour palate of nougat and stone grey Silestone worktops work well for a clear, soft look but also gives the kitchen a design presence.
The stools for the breakfast bar and island are Italian and ideal for the owner, who has titanium rods in her back and so needs a full supportive stool. Our client’s specific needs were also seen to by ensuring that all the storage is drawer as opposed to cupboard based so the items come out to the user, rather than the user having to go into the cupboard to fetch what they need.
Looking back at the client’s goals we can proudly say we tackled all the problem areas and even added a few extra bonuses too:
• the island goes around the wall towards the dining room, providing even more surface and storage space
• two bi-fold doors now flood the kitchen with natural light
• removing the full height wall encourages a natural flow between the dining room and kitchen.
What the owners said after the work
Imagine having space for the little things you never even realised you missed, like flowers…
“We had to be educated, we didn’t want the wall removed but when Jim showed us what life could be like without that full wall we knew it was the right thing to do. I would never have given up my gas hob but now I have the induction I will never go back to gas. It is so quick and so easy to clean. In fact the kitchen is a joy to clean as with all the storage space the surfaces are clear and you just wipe, which is the loveliest thing. I work in food safety so always have my eye on cleanliness but on a daily basis, I love, love, love my kitchen. I have everything I wanted like the utility and even things I didn’t realise like I now have space for flowers, I never could have vases of flowers in the old kitchen as there was nowhere to put them.
There was no stress at all throughout the project, with a fantastic team and excellent project management. We still have this normal looking small four bedroom house from the outside but people come through to the kitchen and say OMG have you had an extension?”
Perfect your own galley kitchen
At J&S House of Design we have over 60 years of combined experience. We design kitchens, bedrooms and bathrooms around the client’s specific needs and the way they want use the spaces they have. We are happy to arrange a consultation, either in your home or at our new showroom in Kingston Bagpuize, Oxfordshire. Do give us a call for more information on 01865 596768 or use our contact form to ask us your question.
