Hello Summer!!
With the sun shining the last few days it has made my job even nicer driving around the stunning countryside of Buckinghamshire visiting the most beautiful homes it has to offer. Yes, I am very lucky! Often on arrival I am greeted with a refreshing drink and begin to casually chat all things kitchen. Of course those of you that know me know I do like to chat so end up touching on general accessories and interiors within the homes, after all as well as my job this is also my passion and I can’t help myself!
Driving back from an appointment the other day where we are hopefully going to be doing a complete reconstruction of their kitchen including joinery, a fantastic huge screen and french doors, I started thinking about all the amazing projects we have done over the last year where all my lovely clients for the first time are enjoying their new Willow Bank kitchens in this beautiful sunshine. After all this weather screams BBQ (I have had 3 this week) and again the hub of the home becomes the kitchen. Although the cooking becomes outside you still use the kitchen to prep, serve and (unfortunately) clear up! Throughout all this people are generally stood chatting to you, especially if you are entertaining. No embarrassed Willow Bank customers this year are excusing their kitchens, just showing off with their perfectly designed and functioning kitchens.
One of my favourite kitchens I think (although very very difficult as I love them all) but winning it from the amazing setting around the house, which I think will just be fantastic in this weather, is a kitchen we recently installed in Padbury just outside Buckingham. Now we did only do the kitchen here, the client had a very talented architect and a fantastic builder to help create the design and space. But the kitchen ….. yes the kitchen, It was just fabulous! The client I think had my exact taste and through the love of the Willow Bank showroom changed coming in to take a look and compare us against the likes of Howden and John Lewis. We were lucky enough to win the kitchen and so got to see the house come into its true beauty over the coming months with the kitchen being one of the last things installed, later part of last year I think now … goodness how time flies!
The kitchen itself was a huge space to which I designed the most amazing Island Unit at 2.4m x 1.8m (that is one big Island unit!) however it really did fit in perfectly which shows the space in which there was to play with. The client specifically didn’t want wall units which I think gives this kitchen that light and airy feel about it, with just a couple of shelves to perch lovely jugs etc. The use of colours here was just beautiful and not afraid to go daring, the Island Unit being Farrow and Ball ‘Brinjal’ is a bold colour but just looks fantastic, complimenting it on the surrounding cabinetry the client chose ‘Cornforth White’ which is such a soft colour and a beautiful grey. The worktop choice here was ‘Kashmire White’ which was just perfect with flecks of a purple almost identical to the ‘Brinjal’ on the Island. Being a family of 4 with 2 young children it was important to be a functional kitchen as well as gorgeous so as well as the practical breakfast bar in Oak we made these Oak drawers up with the initials of each family member where they can store bits and bobs of their own, it turns out this is the favourite part of the kitchen from the two childrenJ! The Aga makes this kitchen beautiful with the Oven and hob in the island making this kitchen practical; again ticking all the important boxes!
Anyhow, I thought I’d share with you my thoughts on this sunny day. I hope my clients are loving the kitchen just as much as I enjoyed designing it for them. Happy memories in your new kitchen! Xxx
Sarah
Willow Bank Designer xx