When the Steins approached us with their plans, they already knew they wanted bespoke kitchen cupboards and were already removing the wall between their existing playroom and the kitchen/diner in their Victorian terrace. The plan was to realise their vision of a communal family space where they could cook, eat, relax and play. The family commissioned the services of Dan Gibson Architects, who we’ve worked with on a number of projects and can highly recommend.

Our team helped the Steins accomplish their kitchen dreams with an open-plan L-shaped scheme, featuring a central island which enables the family to keep an eye on their young daughter while they prepare meals. The resulting space is one which allows a fluidity and flow between the kitchen, diner, snug and garden.

Their bespoke kitchen scheme – starting adjacent to its entrance, on the remaining internal wall of the main house – begins with overhead storage above the clients’ freestanding Smeg fridge. Next to this, the tall run continues, firstly with a pull-out larder and additional storage above, then onto the double-oven combo with storage both above and below the Siemens appliances. At this point the scheme leads into a double base cupboard with open shelving above, which then tapers carefully towards the window on the external wall to avoid obstructing any of the natural light, essential to that side of the room. Turning at base level with a corner cupboard, the original chimney breast quickly begins to sit hard up to the window. In order not to break the scheme at base level with this feature, a shallow-depth cupboard allows us to continue seamlessly onto a three-drawer base unit made to sit precisely within the chimney breast. Above this, the wide Siemens induction hob is neatly nestled between the three drawers below it and a wall cupboard above, which both fills the chimney breast cavity perfectly but also contains the fully integrated extraction fan. Once again at base level, small, shallow open shelving allows us to wrap around the cheek of the chimney breast, with another external window positioned immediately after the breast. Meanwhile, below it we have the kitchen’s integrated recycling centre, with a wine fridge completing the scheme.

Central to the room is the kitchen’s main feature; an eye-catching island with tapered sides. It’s a common misconception that island units must be huge to have an impact: not so! The Steins’ island demonstrates that small ones can be just as impactful while still boasting numerous features and uses within a space. As well as shelving for an essential collection of cookbooks, this island is home to an undermounted, single steel sink and brushed copper tap from Franke, a fully integrated dishwasher by Siemens, and a powered two-seater breakfast bar. In fact, it proves perfectly that small can still be incredibly functional. The island is finished with a white Corian surface and a waterfall side.

Above this small but mighty island sit two copper pendants, which define the island’s placement while complementing both the tap and the cherry veneer selected by the client for their scheme. Working with the cherry is a cream, a warm yellow and a blue laminate. A matching yellow glass splashback sits above the hob and lines the remaining mouth of the chimney, while white Corian worksurfaces with curved up-stands echo the island. The look is completed with cream painted walls, white ceilings and a pale herringbone floor.