The kitchen dining room - Part 1

The Kitchen Dining Room - Parts 1 & 2

Welcome back to Oxford Gardens, where the work is now finally complete! You're joining me in my new kitchen dining room; the creation of which was a huge driving force behind the entire project.

Thoughts and Advice Post-Renovation

It can be tempting to try and completely furnish a home before you move back in after a renovation, but my advice would be to leave some gaps. Sometimes you need to see the space in real life before knowing exactly what will work.

Allow for rooms to evolve and change. Your initial plans may not work in reality, and to arrive at the very best scenario, you may need to explore a few different iterations.

The Kitchen Dining Room

I am thrilled with how this space has turned out, and it has really transformed the way we live in this apartment.

• One of the main reasons for the renovation was to create more space to host people, and I can now comfortably seat 8-10 people.
• I love how the small print wallpaper works in this large room, and the unexpectedness of a floral pattern in a kitchen.
• The downdraft extractor hob works brilliantly, and has enabled me to create a kitchen that doesn't feel too 'kitcheny'.
• I would recommend splitting up your hob and your oven, as it means you can remove food from the oven and place it on top without obstructing the hob.
• Never underestimate the importance of organisation if you want a room to function well; especially in a kitchen. I gave this a lot of thought in the design stages, and it has really paid off.
• The space between the back counter and the island is just over 1 metre and I wouldn't recommend going any narrower than this. It allows enough space for two people to move around, even when cupboard doors or the dishwasher is open.
• There is 82cm clearance at either end of the kitchen island to allow for comfortable movement.
• The wall of cupboards was one of the more complicated aspects of this room to design, but it was well worth investing the effort as it does the vast majority of the room's 'heavy lifting'.
• Including things such as a sink with a dish rack inside and a Quooker tap have given me back a huge amount of counter space.
• Opting to have the kitchen cabinets in a very dark colour means they 'disappear' and don't catch the eye too much, which really helps to make the room more of a cosy dining space.
• Pendant lights over an island are a great place to add a pop of colour and interest.
• Due to budget constraints, I couldn't have the same floors throughout - but I actually don't mind this. We have made it less obvious by using the same staining treatment on both the old and new boards to make them a similar tone.
• Remember that walls and floors are background elements, and will eventually have lots of things layered on top of them - so don't get too panicked about them.
• Throughout the apartment, instead of bright white ceilings, I've opted for warmer tones which I think has been really successful and helps to make the room feel cosier. I previously matched the cornice to the ceiling, but this time I have matched the colour of the cornice to the skirting.
• I like to have different materials for the island countertop and the kitchen cabinet countertop. Here, the island is topped with oak and the cabinets are topped with Calacatta Viola marble stone.

Note: Download the kitchen plans here.

Other Measurements for Reference in Your Own Projects

• Island length 214cm
• Island width 91cm
• Height of units 90cm
• Height of island 91cm
• Width of marble shelf running above the sink 20mm
• Width of oak top 30mm
• Height of marble splashback 75cm
• Dining table is 90cm wide by 270cm long
• High cupboards along the wall are 68.5cm deep
• Depth of marble shelf is 15cm
• Depth of units is 72cm

Sourcebook

Little Indian wallpaper 41, by Antoinette Poisson

Induction hob with downdraft extraction, from Gaggenau

Sink from ABI Interiors, with sunken dish rack

Tap from Quooker

Plain English Kitchen units in 'Burnt Toast' and wall of cupboards in 'Flummery'

Lighting design by Sally Storey

Bar stools from Litten Tree Antiques

Curtains: Miguel fabric in Stracciatella/Raspberry, by C&C Milano

Sofa in Zigguart fabric, by China Seas

Lamps from Mytton Antiques

Jacque Tati poster

Oxford Dining table, designed by Rita Konig for Oficina Inglesa

Seat pads in Lattice fabric in Raisin, by Galbraith & Paul

Pendant light from Quindry and parchment shades from Robert Kime

Ceiling in Clay III, by Paint & Paper Library

Kitchen cabinet countertops and splashback from Lapacida

My architect was Ross Duguid from Johnston Cave Architects