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Pro Spotlight: Plan the Perfect Indoor-Outdoor Kitchen
When it comes to designing an inside-out kitchen, it's essential that you go with the flow, says this project manager
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Who: Oliver Rhodes, project manager at Maltwood
Where: London and Surrey
In his words: “The secret to a successful kitchen with a wonderful outdoor connection is a fluid flow from inside to out, which is achieved with clever design tricks preventing interruptions to the view.”
Planning a new kitchen extension or renovation can be an exciting project, yet also extremely daunting, particularly when you’re suddenly bombarded with endless decisions to make in a short amount of time. Unless you’ve got lots of renovation experience, plenty of time on your hands and a willingness to deal with all these queries yourself, it’s no surprise that these questions can feel like a minefield and a project can quickly spiral out of control.
However, with an independent project manager, like Oliver Rhodes of Maltwood, on board, you can be assured that your dream indoor-outdoor kitchen becomes a reality, without the stress. “As a project manager, I oversee the entire process from start to finish, I am the client’s eyes and ears, often seeing things they don’t and ensuring the right questions get asked to the right people at every stage,” he says.
Read on and discover how to ensure your indoor-outdoor kitchen is a successful project from start to finish.
Where: London and Surrey
In his words: “The secret to a successful kitchen with a wonderful outdoor connection is a fluid flow from inside to out, which is achieved with clever design tricks preventing interruptions to the view.”
Planning a new kitchen extension or renovation can be an exciting project, yet also extremely daunting, particularly when you’re suddenly bombarded with endless decisions to make in a short amount of time. Unless you’ve got lots of renovation experience, plenty of time on your hands and a willingness to deal with all these queries yourself, it’s no surprise that these questions can feel like a minefield and a project can quickly spiral out of control.
However, with an independent project manager, like Oliver Rhodes of Maltwood, on board, you can be assured that your dream indoor-outdoor kitchen becomes a reality, without the stress. “As a project manager, I oversee the entire process from start to finish, I am the client’s eyes and ears, often seeing things they don’t and ensuring the right questions get asked to the right people at every stage,” he says.
Read on and discover how to ensure your indoor-outdoor kitchen is a successful project from start to finish.
Go with the flow. Although Oliver’s journey into project management began in advertising, a very different industry than construction, he discovered that the principles he applied in the corporate environment set him in good stead for the construction world. “I originally set up my own contracting firm, which I ran for 10 years,” he says. “Then, three years ago, I decided to step away from contracting as I found I was dealing more with the business and less with the hands-on aspects I enjoyed the most – dealing with the clients, the design and the build team. So, I set up Maltwood, a completely independent project management practice specialising in residential home refurbishments and renovations.”
With a flexible approach to every project, Oliver can oversee the entire process, from gaining planning to finding contractors and managing the build, or he can step in at different stages of the project depending on what help is required. “As each project is so unique, so are our services. They are interchangeable to suit our client’s needs,” says Oliver.
With a flexible approach to every project, Oliver can oversee the entire process, from gaining planning to finding contractors and managing the build, or he can step in at different stages of the project depending on what help is required. “As each project is so unique, so are our services. They are interchangeable to suit our client’s needs,” says Oliver.
Blurring the lines. By opening up the back wall of your kitchen with glazed sliding or folding doors, you’ll not only achieve a light-filled space that’s inviting, but you’ll also create a better connection with your outdoor area. “With more of us opting for an open-plan layout where we can spend more time together doing daily tasks, it makes sense to locate this multi-functioning space at the back of the property, so the entertaining area can be expanded into the garden when needed,” says Oliver.
He also believes anyone can achieve a sociable indoor-outdoor kitchen, no matter how small a budget or property you have – it all comes down to clever planning and good communication. “As long as you’re clear about your budget with your architect or interior designer at the beginning, they will ensure the right design decisions are made to stay on target,” says Oliver.
Read on for Oliver’s top three tips for planning a successful indoor-outdoor kitchen.
He also believes anyone can achieve a sociable indoor-outdoor kitchen, no matter how small a budget or property you have – it all comes down to clever planning and good communication. “As long as you’re clear about your budget with your architect or interior designer at the beginning, they will ensure the right design decisions are made to stay on target,” says Oliver.
Read on for Oliver’s top three tips for planning a successful indoor-outdoor kitchen.
1. Continue the Materials
If you’d like a continuous feeling from inside to out, using the same flooring is a great way to create an element of flow. “An important aspect to consider at planning stage is whether the interior flooring surface you’ve chosen is suitable for exterior use,” says Oliver, who points out that this is the kind of experience and expertise a project manager can bring to a build. “I’ll always make sure my client thinks about this, even if planning the exterior space is a long way off. It pays to think ahead.”
In this project in Clapham, London, the owners chose an interior floor tile that also came in an exterior version, so they could use the same flooring inside and out. Although both the indoor and outdoor tiles look the same, the exterior tile has a slightly grainier and textured finish to ensure a non-slip surface.
See more of this project
If you’d like a continuous feeling from inside to out, using the same flooring is a great way to create an element of flow. “An important aspect to consider at planning stage is whether the interior flooring surface you’ve chosen is suitable for exterior use,” says Oliver, who points out that this is the kind of experience and expertise a project manager can bring to a build. “I’ll always make sure my client thinks about this, even if planning the exterior space is a long way off. It pays to think ahead.”
In this project in Clapham, London, the owners chose an interior floor tile that also came in an exterior version, so they could use the same flooring inside and out. Although both the indoor and outdoor tiles look the same, the exterior tile has a slightly grainier and textured finish to ensure a non-slip surface.
See more of this project
2. Create Seamless Connections
Another secret to a successful indoor-outdoor space is the use of sunken door and ceiling tracks to create a seamless link between the two spaces. By embedding the track of a sliding or bi-fold door into a concrete floor and ceiling, you can eliminate any obstacles and ensure the interior is on the same level as the exterior. Not only is this aesthetically pleasing, but it is also physically beneficial, too – think bare feet and smaller children running in and out.
Oliver brought his project-management experience to this stunning extension in Chiswick, London. The sliding door tracks lay hidden to create a smooth, polished concrete surface, while slimline drainage lays flush within the patio and spans the length of the door, offering a secondary barrier.
See more of this project
Another secret to a successful indoor-outdoor space is the use of sunken door and ceiling tracks to create a seamless link between the two spaces. By embedding the track of a sliding or bi-fold door into a concrete floor and ceiling, you can eliminate any obstacles and ensure the interior is on the same level as the exterior. Not only is this aesthetically pleasing, but it is also physically beneficial, too – think bare feet and smaller children running in and out.
Oliver brought his project-management experience to this stunning extension in Chiswick, London. The sliding door tracks lay hidden to create a smooth, polished concrete surface, while slimline drainage lays flush within the patio and spans the length of the door, offering a secondary barrier.
See more of this project
3. Remove Interruptions to the View
Often builders or structural engineers will look for the easy option to get a build finished, leaving beams in view or bulk heads interrupting the outlook. However, with a project manager, they will question any tricky design aspect to see if there is an alternative option. “Clients don’t always know that there is a different way of doing something and that’s where I can offer my experience,” says Oliver.
Take this project in Clapham, London, for example, where the original steels sat below the ceiling line and bulk head, interrupting the view to the garden and illusion of height. “Structural steels are, of course, necessary, however, with some clever thinking they can be made to work better in a space, such as in this kitchen extension, where we worked with the engineer to design and install steels that could barely be seen from inside.”
See more of this project
More: For more information and examples of Oliver’s projects, visit Maltwood’s Houzz profile.
This story was written by the Houzz Sponsored Content team.
Often builders or structural engineers will look for the easy option to get a build finished, leaving beams in view or bulk heads interrupting the outlook. However, with a project manager, they will question any tricky design aspect to see if there is an alternative option. “Clients don’t always know that there is a different way of doing something and that’s where I can offer my experience,” says Oliver.
Take this project in Clapham, London, for example, where the original steels sat below the ceiling line and bulk head, interrupting the view to the garden and illusion of height. “Structural steels are, of course, necessary, however, with some clever thinking they can be made to work better in a space, such as in this kitchen extension, where we worked with the engineer to design and install steels that could barely be seen from inside.”
See more of this project
More: For more information and examples of Oliver’s projects, visit Maltwood’s Houzz profile.
This story was written by the Houzz Sponsored Content team.
Whether you are completely refurbishing your home, enlarging through an extension or renovating your dream... Read More
Review by D Green:
Maltwood played a crucial role in supervising and managing the refurbishment of my house. Oliver was able to build the best team for my project bringing along kitchen designers, bathroom designers, la...More
Lovely projects and a very helpful topic to learn more about because I love indoor/outdoor kitchens!