Sponsored Content
Kitchen Tour: A Monochrome Home Hub Gets the Smart Treatment
This design benefits from sleek cabinetry, Silestone surfaces and smart appliances that allow full control of the space
Sponsored Content
Having an open-plan room large enough to combine your living and dining areas, as well as your kitchen, is the dream for many of us. However, it can be daunting to know how to really maximise that space and create a scheme that works well on every level, whether it’s as an everyday cooking zone, a room to entertain or as a place to relax. So, when John Paul and Arlene Cassidy had their house knocked down and rebuilt, leaving them with an 11 x 5.7-metre basement area, they called on Silver Birch Interiors to help transform the space into a kitchen that performed well on every level.
As keen cooks, the couple were eager to incorporate innovative appliances, along with a striking power wall of cabinetry and an extra-large dining table – but how to include all of those elements in a stylish and cohesive way? The answer was to combine sleek finishes with clever appliances from Siemens Home UK to create a bold design that works in perfect harmony with the multiple living spaces.
As keen cooks, the couple were eager to incorporate innovative appliances, along with a striking power wall of cabinetry and an extra-large dining table – but how to include all of those elements in a stylish and cohesive way? The answer was to combine sleek finishes with clever appliances from Siemens Home UK to create a bold design that works in perfect harmony with the multiple living spaces.
Photos by Silver Birch Interiors
Room at a Glance
Who lives here: John Paul and Arlene Cassidy
Location: Glasgow
Kitchen design: Alan MacGregor of Silver Birch Interiors
Appliances: Siemens Home UK
Create a sleek look with a monochromatic scheme
Having a sleek, stand-out kitchen was important to John Paul and Arlene, and was something that designer Alan MacGregor took on board when creating the interior plans. He suggested using a sharp monochrome palette in all three areas, with a dramatic combination of black and white, combined with elements of green and brass as accent colours.
The couple had asked that the plans incorporate a living, dining and kitchen area, and so Alan split the space accordingly, with a living and dining area to the left of the staircase down into the room, and the kitchen to the right. The capacious island unit separates the kitchen and dining spaces, while white cabinetry is topped with black Marquina Silestone as a stark contrast. Being such a generous size also means the island offers plenty of built-in storage.
Every detail has been thought of too, with black bar stools enabling guests to stop and perch at the island before dinner, while having the hob situated on the island and facing into the room ensures the couple can chat as they cook, rather than being closed off to their guests.
Room at a Glance
Who lives here: John Paul and Arlene Cassidy
Location: Glasgow
Kitchen design: Alan MacGregor of Silver Birch Interiors
Appliances: Siemens Home UK
Create a sleek look with a monochromatic scheme
Having a sleek, stand-out kitchen was important to John Paul and Arlene, and was something that designer Alan MacGregor took on board when creating the interior plans. He suggested using a sharp monochrome palette in all three areas, with a dramatic combination of black and white, combined with elements of green and brass as accent colours.
The couple had asked that the plans incorporate a living, dining and kitchen area, and so Alan split the space accordingly, with a living and dining area to the left of the staircase down into the room, and the kitchen to the right. The capacious island unit separates the kitchen and dining spaces, while white cabinetry is topped with black Marquina Silestone as a stark contrast. Being such a generous size also means the island offers plenty of built-in storage.
Every detail has been thought of too, with black bar stools enabling guests to stop and perch at the island before dinner, while having the hob situated on the island and facing into the room ensures the couple can chat as they cook, rather than being closed off to their guests.
Consider how you’ll use the space for entertaining
One of the items that topped the couple’s wish list was a dining table that would comfortably seat 12 people for when they entertained. Since a table of this size wasn’t the easiest item to source, Silver Birch Interiors designed and made a bespoke table to suit the scheme themselves.
A jumbo slab of Silestone in pale marble-like Desert Silver was used for the tabletop, which complements the corresponding island worktop and adds a luxe feel to the room. Nolte matt black legs continue the black-and-white theme, while opulent velvet dining chairs in forest green are the only splash of colour in the dining space. The same shade of green has been echoed in a painting that hangs in the living area, tying the three areas together nicely.
One of the items that topped the couple’s wish list was a dining table that would comfortably seat 12 people for when they entertained. Since a table of this size wasn’t the easiest item to source, Silver Birch Interiors designed and made a bespoke table to suit the scheme themselves.
A jumbo slab of Silestone in pale marble-like Desert Silver was used for the tabletop, which complements the corresponding island worktop and adds a luxe feel to the room. Nolte matt black legs continue the black-and-white theme, while opulent velvet dining chairs in forest green are the only splash of colour in the dining space. The same shade of green has been echoed in a painting that hangs in the living area, tying the three areas together nicely.
Go for a stand-out feature
One of the most striking parts of this room is the tall run of built-in cabinetry at the back of the kitchen. On seeing Alan’s initial design, the couple immediately fell in love with his choice of dramatic dark wood that offsets all of the white used in the rest of the space. “This darker colour helps to ground the kitchen,” says Alan, “and I chose walnut to tie in nicely with the staircase that leads down into the room.”
The cabinetry was built to sit underneath two rectangular windows, and as neither of these windows are symmetrical and couldn’t be changed, Alan cleverly created a design that would keep the overall look neat in appearance. Lining up the oven housings with the left window keeps it feeling precise, with the rest of the cabinetry flowing on from there.
One of the most striking parts of this room is the tall run of built-in cabinetry at the back of the kitchen. On seeing Alan’s initial design, the couple immediately fell in love with his choice of dramatic dark wood that offsets all of the white used in the rest of the space. “This darker colour helps to ground the kitchen,” says Alan, “and I chose walnut to tie in nicely with the staircase that leads down into the room.”
The cabinetry was built to sit underneath two rectangular windows, and as neither of these windows are symmetrical and couldn’t be changed, Alan cleverly created a design that would keep the overall look neat in appearance. Lining up the oven housings with the left window keeps it feeling precise, with the rest of the cabinetry flowing on from there.
Choose appliances with smart looks…
As keen cooks, the couple were eager to use Siemens appliances, as it’s a brand they had used before and trusted implicitly. Plus, as Alan points out, Siemens doesn’t only produce great quality appliances, it is at the forefront of design, which means that each piece makes a style statement of its own.
A good example of this is the appliance bank in the couple’s kitchen, with each piece boasting a sleek black glass exterior, while stainless-steel trims line up beautifully. Three ovens were chosen for John Paul and Arlene’s kitchen – a combination steam oven, single oven and an oven with microwave – and are set neatly into the large bank of cabinetry at the back of the room. Their long-lasting classic design and black steel fronts also blends seamlessly with the black units and splashback next to them.
Over on the island, a downdraft extractor was chosen to blend into the worktop and sit neatly next to the hob. “The ceiling heights in the space were too high to house a ceiling extractor,” explains Alan, “so we chose a Siemens downdraft design instead.” The high-tech hood stays hidden in the counter until you need it, efficiently cleaning the air from steam and odours, and providing better visibility with its energy-saving LED lighting. There’s no noisy motors to contend with when entertaining either, as this powerful extractor is pleasantly quiet.
As keen cooks, the couple were eager to use Siemens appliances, as it’s a brand they had used before and trusted implicitly. Plus, as Alan points out, Siemens doesn’t only produce great quality appliances, it is at the forefront of design, which means that each piece makes a style statement of its own.
A good example of this is the appliance bank in the couple’s kitchen, with each piece boasting a sleek black glass exterior, while stainless-steel trims line up beautifully. Three ovens were chosen for John Paul and Arlene’s kitchen – a combination steam oven, single oven and an oven with microwave – and are set neatly into the large bank of cabinetry at the back of the room. Their long-lasting classic design and black steel fronts also blends seamlessly with the black units and splashback next to them.
Over on the island, a downdraft extractor was chosen to blend into the worktop and sit neatly next to the hob. “The ceiling heights in the space were too high to house a ceiling extractor,” explains Alan, “so we chose a Siemens downdraft design instead.” The high-tech hood stays hidden in the counter until you need it, efficiently cleaning the air from steam and odours, and providing better visibility with its energy-saving LED lighting. There’s no noisy motors to contend with when entertaining either, as this powerful extractor is pleasantly quiet.
…and smart technology
The Cassidy’s kitchen has also incorporated appliances with lots of smart features to make the couple’s lives easier and give them added controllability and freedom. With the Home Connect app, available with selected Siemens home appliances, it means the couple can turn the ovens on and off remotely and adjust the temperature and settings of the hob from wherever they are. Plus, with functions like these it means they can entertain guests without having to go back to the kitchen every few minutes.
The pair can also set their ovens to warm up before they’re home and cook their meals to their own personal taste. And it’s not only the sleek design that helps save time when it comes to cleaning – activeClean®, Siemens’ automatic self-cleaning technology, means you can simply press a button and the oven cleans itself. In a process known as ‘pyrolysis’, the oven heats up to a very high temperature which causes the food remnants inside to turn to ashes – once cooled down, you can simply wipe out the oven with a cloth.
That’s not all! The multifunctional room also benefits from electric blinds and underfloor heating to keep the open-plan space nice and warm. “John Paul and Arlene were quite open to using smart technology,” says Alan, “and it’s something we often like to display in our showroom. The Siemens’ Home Connect app is very clever, and the recipe section is really useful, as is the Alexa connection. We use it for our coffee machine when making client’s coffees and it’s become a great talking point!”
Find out more about Siemens’ smart home technology here.
Tell us: What smart home tips will you be stealing from the Cassidy’s home?
This story was written by the Houzz Sponsored Content team.
The Cassidy’s kitchen has also incorporated appliances with lots of smart features to make the couple’s lives easier and give them added controllability and freedom. With the Home Connect app, available with selected Siemens home appliances, it means the couple can turn the ovens on and off remotely and adjust the temperature and settings of the hob from wherever they are. Plus, with functions like these it means they can entertain guests without having to go back to the kitchen every few minutes.
The pair can also set their ovens to warm up before they’re home and cook their meals to their own personal taste. And it’s not only the sleek design that helps save time when it comes to cleaning – activeClean®, Siemens’ automatic self-cleaning technology, means you can simply press a button and the oven cleans itself. In a process known as ‘pyrolysis’, the oven heats up to a very high temperature which causes the food remnants inside to turn to ashes – once cooled down, you can simply wipe out the oven with a cloth.
That’s not all! The multifunctional room also benefits from electric blinds and underfloor heating to keep the open-plan space nice and warm. “John Paul and Arlene were quite open to using smart technology,” says Alan, “and it’s something we often like to display in our showroom. The Siemens’ Home Connect app is very clever, and the recipe section is really useful, as is the Alexa connection. We use it for our coffee machine when making client’s coffees and it’s become a great talking point!”
Find out more about Siemens’ smart home technology here.
Tell us: What smart home tips will you be stealing from the Cassidy’s home?
This story was written by the Houzz Sponsored Content team.
Siemens is a premier household appliance brand, which sets new global standards in terms of technology,... Read More
Siemens is a premier household appliance brand, which sets new global standards in terms of technology,... Read More
More Stories from This Brand
How to Design a Kitchen That the Whole Family Can Share
Design a multi-generational kitchen where everyone can come together comfortably to cook, relax and even work.
Full Story
Beauty With Brains: Smart and Sleek Kitchen Updates for 2020
Invest in high-end, innovative kitchen technology to save time and money, impress guests, and boost your hosting skills
Full Story
4 Tricks to Designing a Practical, Yet Stylish Kitchen Island
Find out how to plan a kitchen island with extraordinary capabilities and phenomenal good looks.
Full Story
Wow, gorgeous. Love the black and gold. I'll add it to my ideas for my future kitchen.