Renovation Diaries Part 3 For the past two issues we ve been following Looeeze Grossmann, founder of The Used Kitchen Company, on the journey of planning and carrying out her dream kitchen renovation and now that it s complete, it s clear the transformation from a dated room to a modern space was worth the wait Words: Georgina Townshend Photography: Jody Stewart Styling: Sally Smith I can t believe we now have a functioning, modern kitchen! And, if I do say so myself, I don t think I missed a trick. I dreamt about this space for so long a decade in fact and now it s complete, and it s simply perfect for my family and I and our lifestyle. I wanted it to be practical but look striking, all while being a sociable space. The island layout works so well for all of that much better than the old, awkward U-shape we used to have. The new kitchen is from Halcyon Interiors and their designer, Graham Robinson, helped immensely with the final look. Halcyon Interiors was The Used Kitchen Company s first client and that was the beginning of our long, successful partnership. When I initially visited their showroom and met Graham, more than a decade ago, I knew I wanted him to design my kitchen one day. I didn t realise the day was going to take 10 years to arrive. Graham is extremely creative and understood exactly which look I wanted to achieve. He suggested matching a ceramic worktop to the units, which he said would result in no joins and the handleless, contemporary look I was after. From the start, Paul and I had always planned on having an island, and it has not disappointed. We decided to have a very large induction hob as a key feature on there. I went for one that heats up everywhere, which makes a big difference as you aren t restricted to zones for pans. One of my favourite things when cooking is the pull-out drawer behind me, with all my oils and herbs in it s just so easy having everything to hand. I also love having u Before After NOVEMBER l KITCHENS BEDROOMS & BATHROOMS 123 123-127_KBB302_Renovation Diary.indd 123
KBB l HOMES THE FACTS Who? Looeeze Grossman with husband Paul and sons Oli, 22, Charlie, 20, and James, 17 What? Kitchen renovation Where? Finchley, north west London Time? Around three months big drawers for my crockery and saucepans within the island. It works so much better than cupboards. You can pull out each drawer individually and easily see inside. On that note, I now have so much storage. I added tall units at the end of the kitchen, next to the freezer, so now things such as vases, glasses, and other bits and pieces all have a home. And I am a big hoarder of platters and large dishes, so I did need an awful lot of space to keep these, too can you believe I have managed to fill it all already? In terms of the other appliances, I went for two ovens and a combi microwave model, so three in total, which I admit I thought was a little over the top at first. But, honestly, it s fantastic. If I m entertaining and have a couple trays of vegetables and dessert on the go, I still have plenty of room. I would recommend having ovens side by side, so they are at eye level it makes it a lot easier. My old kitchen had two sinks, and while that was useful I now have one large one which works just as well. We also installed a hot-water tap which was on my wishlist and ditched our kettle. It s great for tea and coffee drinkers, but also fab for cooking when you need a little hot water to add to something or to boil pasta. For the décor, I stuck with the dark grey as planned. I was worried the handleless drawers and cupboards would get dirty, but the finish is actually very effective at hiding fingerprints. We completed the look with large concreteeffect floor tiles that were imported from Italy. Looking at my kitchen now, I tell you what it was worth the wait. I absolutely love it. It has made a huge difference in the way the house works for us, as we now all spend so much time in here. I can t believe it s mine! 124 I wouldn t change a thing. I spent so long preparing, thinking about what I wanted and what would make a good kitchen, and taking inspiration from the ones I sold, I just knew what would work for me. KITCHENS BEDROOMS & BATHROOMS l NOVEMBER 123-127_KBB302_Renovation Diary.indd 124
Storage was important for Looeeze, and before giving the go ahead on the design, she made lists of everything that would need a home in the kitchen. Cabinetry, Halcyon Interiors; worktops, ceramic, supplied by Halcyon Interiors. Large cupboards mean Looeeze can easily store away her items to create a clutter-free look. Hot-water tap, Quooker. The area where the dining table sits is wider, so it made sense to have the seating area in there. It also wouldn t have worked by the window, as it would have made it too narrow to get round it. Barstools, Atlantic Shopping; pendant light, Angelo s u Lighting; dining table, Fishpools. NOVEMBER l KITCHENS BEDROOMS & BATHROOMS 125 123-127_KBB302_Renovation Diary.indd 125
KBB l HOMES DESIGN EDIT It s been fantastic following Looeeze s journey, from the checklists she created when planning to the joy she now has using her dream kitchen. Georgina Townshend, features editor 1 2 3 4 5 1 Northern Acorn pendant light in grey, 435, Nest. nest.co.uk 2 Mauna Loa quartz worktop in black, 280 per sq m, Radianz. radianzquartzeurope.com 3 Elise stainless steel gas-lift barstool in Putty Grey, 159, Danetti. danetti.com 4 Regent toaster in Traffic Yellow, 199, Red Candy. redcandy. co.uk 5 Mole s Breath estate emulsion, 45 per 2.5 litres, Farrow & Ball. farrow-ball.com The two tones of grey on the cabinetry create a sleek look with an interesting point of contrast, allowing for a clear distinction between the levels. Tiles, Total Look Design Watford; ovens, Siemens. 126 KITCHENS BEDROOMS & BATHROOMS l NOVEMBER 123-127_KBB302_Renovation Diary.indd 126 16/10/2018 16:42
SOURCE BOOK Kitchen design Halcyon Interiors 020 7486 2080, halcyoninteriors.com Flooring Total Look Design, Watford 01923 729966, totallookdesign.co.uk Hob and ovens Siemens 0344 892 8999, siemens-home.co.uk Bi-fold doors Southern Windows 020 8459 5085, southernwindows.co.uk Sink Blanco 01923 635200, blanco.co.uk Taps Quooker 0345 833 3555, quooker. co.uk and Dornbracht 024 7671 7129, dornbracht.com For full stockist information, see page 154 Looeeze knew she wanted an open-plan kitchen-diningliving area, as she didn t like being isolated and alone in the kitchen while cooking. Sofa, Darlings of Chelsea. Sliding doors, for similar, try IQ Glass, were installed in the living area to let in as much light as possible. KBB NOVEMBER l KITCHENS BEDROOMS & BATHROOMS 127 123-127_KBB302_Renovation Diary.indd 127 16/10/2018 16:42