The shaker kitchen

There was a lot wrong with this kitchen.....Very outdated style and colour. Gloomy. A window that wasn't blocked up when the extension was built. A wall facing breakfast bar nobody wanted to sit. And a long corridor of wasted space with patio doors at the end opening onto the front drive. But what potential! The owners wanted a simple bright kitchen with modern touches but a traditional feel. We chose shaker style units and a neutral colour scheme of buttermilk and taupe. We transformed the corridor into a utility area with a new downstairs toilet, a cupboard for the boiler and cleaning equipment, and a laundry area with a new washer/dryer. A diving wall zoned this off from the rest of the kitchen. The rest of the kitchen was redesigned to include more units and appliances and a more sociable breakfast bar with a solid oak counter. We increased the amount of light by adding ceiling spots, under cupboard and in cupboard lighting and diner style pendants over the breakfast bar. We kept the wall tiles simple but used dark grout and a combination of herringbone and brick effect patterns to make them stand out. The floor tiles are a light stone effect with a tinge of dark slate colours. We used copper accessories to add some more colour and warmth to the scheme.