Hey design-lovers, 

How do you design a kitchen that’s personal? It’s a great question, especially when we’re surrounded with an endless supply of off-the-shelf options that all look the same.

Our homes are a reflection of ourselves. It's almost too obvious to state but the things around us should be the things that mean the most to us. We like to think of a home or room as a living expression of the inhabitant via the things in it that are there because they bring that person joy; the postcard that reminds you of that holiday, your children's pictures, the oven gloves that once belonged to a grandparent, seedlings growing on the windowsill. It's what makes a place authentic, creative, and delightful.

When we're designing a space for a client, we're aware that we're providing a framework to be inhabited and personalised; it's a backdrop for their life at home. We start by getting to know the person, asking questions about what they like to cook, if they like to host and socialise at home, and how old their children are. When combined with their favourite woods or colours, sense of style, and preferences for appliances, we’re able to put together a comprehensive brief from which to base a design.

Here's an example of how we made it personal for Katherine and Alan, in their Seaside Kitchen...

Project: The Seaside Kitchen

Client: Katherine + Alan Scoffield

Location: Wirral

When we first went to see Katharine and Alan, we observed that they used their fridge as a kind of notice board to put up pictures by the kids, reminders, lists, cards etc... with magnets onto the metal face of the old door.

They had their hearts set on integrated appliances and for things to be neat, but we knew these drawings and treasured things were the secret ingredient that would personalise their kitchen and make it a space they'd fall in love with.

So we proposed a cork panel integrated into the cabinet fronts! The idea developed into a full band of cork, stained black to match the black front of the oven, to allow the family to curate an evolving backdrop of keepsakes, reminders, artwork, and cuttings. The things that tell their story.

Find out more about this case study, and to see all the photos here....

I hope this was an interesting look at how to make designs personal. If you'd like to talk to me about your own project, just click the link below to arrange a quick chat.

Cheers,

Hugh