Designing and creating a contemporary and fuss free Kitchen.

Designing a new kitchen can be quite daunting and something that can take months to decide on. We finally came to a decision and feel we have been left with a kitchen that suits our needs and family lifestyle. The main focus for us was easy maintenance, fuss free cleaning and hardwearing, So here are a few tips on designing a contemporary and fuss free Kitchen.

We started renovating our house 2 years ago and the kitchen was the biggest task. What style cabinets? which shape kitchen? what worktop?

It really was a big task as we spend most of our time in the kitchen and I love to cook. We used Hutton kitchens as our supplier but my husband chose to design and fit it himself. We kept the sink and dishwasher in the corner near the bin and not too far from the hob. Using the triangle concept we made sure everything was in easy reach.

We decided on the style of kitchen first and felt as we had Bi-fold doors put in we needed a contemporary look. I heard many reviews and different points on having  gloss cupboards i.e. finger marks and not easily repaired when dented. We decided to go ahead anyway with White so as not to show marks and keep the kitchen light and airy. This worked brilliantly they are so easy to clean with a micro fibre cloth, You can see the dirt and there are no grooves for dirt to get caught.

A large Island is a blessing! There is a pop up plug unit on the island so you  can sit with a laptop or while cooking with a kitchen gadget. Refraining from putting a sink on the island was good idea no dirty dishes on display and running water near your appliances.  The cooker hob however was a great addition, for this we chose a Siemens induction hob which I love. Simply wipe clean and does not stay hot so safe to touch. No more lifting off fiddly hobs and having to soak them, just a simple wipe of the cloth.

For the Cooker hood we opted for the Faber Nest, Which is stunning and makes a great focal point adding lots of light. this clever little hood comes with a remote control which lowers  the hood and raises it back up after cooking.

We even found a similar light to match made with murano glass for our dining room table. But opted for plain glass pendants for some added light over the seating areas.

When choosing ovens we knew we wanted to have a bank of ovens in the wall. Its just easy, Clean and  Tidy with no bending down to get your cakes out. Opting for two ovens is a blessing when it comes to entertaining and also allowing you to cook a dinner in one whilst a cake is in the other. I’ve found this so much easier than heating one large oven and waiting for food to be cooked. Miele fitted our needs perfectly self cleaning and very stylish, with a matching microwave and a must have coffee machine. The technology in these beauties is second to none and I can’t wait to see more good results with my cakes.

Worktop is really important and again I wanted fuss free. Granite seemed the perfect choice and reasonably Light colour with some coloured graining worked well. It never shows crumbs or water marks and even when not wiped it looks clean. The perfect place for the wine cooler was in the end of the island, This wine cooler by Caple was just the right size to keep white wine and champagne at the right temperature to be drunk immediately. (very important in our house!)

We pondered for ages over whether to tile or use glass for the back splash, tiles get dirt in the grout, however I was worried about water marks on the glass. I needn’t of worried about this as micro fibre cloth and its gone no marks whatsoever. We even got the shade of colour matched perfectly to our Dulux paint in grey steel from DIY splash backs

The tap is from Franke with a light inside it looks great at night, and with the added nozzle works a treat.

The Seating area was a mission, wanting barstools and dining chairs and a sofa became quite confusing. With different fabrics and styles and we didn’t even have a table in mind.  We knew we did not want chrome round bottoms on the barstools they only gather dust. After some research we came across these stunning barstools from Ben Whistler. Not only are they modern they are so comfy too.

A two seater sofa from DFS  was a must for perfect little haven in the corner of the room, leather as its more hardwearing and darker in colour. I find myself sitting here quite a lot!

After some deliberation we chose to keep my Nans old Ercol table, a contemporary bit of retro with great memories. Its perfect in every way , the size is just right, it folds away for parties and its the soul of the room. We picked up some chairs from furniture land in the sale which match with the oak on the floor and doors and its worked a treat. A little bit of old in with the new.

Probably our favourite edition to our kitchen was The Spiral wine cellar. Whilst being a little extravagant it works perfectly with our travel lifestyles. We intend to fill it with wine and champagne from all over the world. It stores wine and champagne at the perfect temperature and looks amazing. Its a definite party piece!

The flooring which is Amtico in Traditional Oak is the most hardwearing product we could find. Its not too dark to show dust, not too light to show dirt and its warm and homely.

All we need now is to pull back the doors and sit down with a glass of wine. At last no dust and an easy fuss free kitchen. Perfect for the busy home lifestyle.

I hope you have enjoyed a look in to designing and creating a contemporary and fuss free Kitchen. I have not been given any discounts for this post, all opinions are my own and I can highly recommend each product. Thank you for taking the time to browse. x