The kitchen

The Kitchen

A kitchen wants to feel like a room rather than just a functional space. Often kitchens are used as an office, a playroom and a sitting room - and your designs should reflect that.

1. I always apportion budget to a really good kitchen table. We spend so much time gathering around tables that it's worth making sure the table will last a lifetime.

1. Given the amount of storage needed in a kitchen you often have to consider the existing architecture in a way you may not have to in other rooms. I try to work with that architecture rather than against it.

1. I try to find a reference colour in any existing materials in the kitchen, and then use that to choose fabrics for the room. For example, there's a red in my curtains that is echoed in the red chairs, and in the earthy colour of the floor tiles.

1. I keep my plates, cups and saucers a fairly neutral colour to give a good canvas, and then bring in colour through the fabrics, dishes, pots and jugs.

1. Mixing up the surfaces in a kitchen gives a nice sense of layering.