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A Blue Quart Kitchen ...

... in an elegant pint pot of a flat. I've already written about this kitchen in Majjie's Blog - where I've included some "before" pictures - and I described how difficult the space was. It wasn't that the kitchen was particularly small (by UK small kitchen standards) but it needed to double as a dining area; it also had a sloping wall on one side ... because the flat is on the top floor of a London town house, tucked under a mansard roof ... and there was a tall sash window in this sloping wall with a very low cill.

The owners, Richard and Belinda, had some ideas but were having trouble coming up with a layout. They were thinking about bright blue doors for the kitchen units ... from IKEA, to keep the price down ... and then blowing the budget with really good quality worktops - granite or composite quartz. They also liked the idea of mixing modern and traditional - with modern steel appliances - and a white Belfast sink.

I tried a couple of layouts ... but neither worked very well ... so I also suggested looking at a Plan C. The problem with Plan C was that it required some made-to-measure units (so cheap IKEA units were out) and there was no room in the kitchen for the washing machine.

Luckily, Richard and Belinda had room in a bathroom cupboard to fit the washing machine. Putting a washing machine in a bathroom is a tricky subject and there are very strict regulations ... you need to check with a local electrician about what your local authority will allow. It's more likely to be acceptable in a separate cupboard within the bathroom (you shouldn't be able to touch the washing machine from the toilet, shower, basin or bath) ... and the switch/socket should be outside the room and RCD protected.

Plan C also used more of the feature sloping wall than we had initially intended ... but it was the only way to fit everything in. I put a row of low units under the window - to double as seating for a breakfast bar - and I moved the cooker onto the back wall ... and the sink onto the side wall opposite the window.

Richard and Belinda liked the new plan ... even though it was likely to stretch their budget a bit! And the new kitchen was eventually supplied by Alpha Interior Designs ... a supplier local to me in Nottingham. Dave, the proprietor, comes from London himself and still has family there, so he's quite happy to do the occasional kitchen fit down there. It can sometimes make sense for Londoners to use a non-local firm, because the overheads are much lower for showrooms in the Midlands. Richard and Belinda made a trip up to Nottingham, to meet Dave and discuss the kitchen ... and decided to go ahead.

The doors are bespoke, in a high gloss, blue paint finish ... fitted to white cabinets. Using white cabinets helps to keep the cost down ... and also gives a very fresh, clean look to the room. The blue and white theme is prevented from appearing too cool by the warm, real wood floor. Richard took these "after" photos and sent them to me. He said "It looks just like your plans! Thank you very much for your help."

 

Richard did very well taking these photos ... it's incredibly difficult to take pictures in a small kitchen. Here's the fireclay sink ... we went for a double farmhouse style ... more practical than a true Belfast sink
To the left of the sink is an integrated fridge-freezer. It was originally going to be a free standing, stainless steel model but Richard and Belinda decided that the integrated one would look better and neater.
Between the fridge-freezer and the sink is a little 150mm pull out unit - useful for cleaning materials
Here's one of my original CAD pictures ... so you can see for yourself how close it is to the real thing.
The boiler is, of course, inside the wall unit on the left ... and the little free standing microwave, on the right, is much more cost effective than a more expensive built-in model (you just need to ensure that it has enough ventilation). Putting double doors on wider wall units costs extra but it helps to give that bespoke feel to a kitchen and gives the illusion of more space in a small room.
Here's a top view of the kitchen - a CAD picture, of course - Richard can't perform miracles! I always think a top view really helps when looking at different layouts for a kitchen (if your supplier hasn't provided this view, do ask to see one)
Peninsular breakfast bars usually have units along one side and an overhang on the other side and at the end. This one has shallow units underneath and an overhang on all three open sides. It makes it less convenient to get at what's stored in the units ... but it allows seating for a larger number of people ... which was important in this kitchen.
Here's a close-up of the units under the breakfast bar. You wouldn't normally see this view of the unpolished underside of the granite (unless you're very short!). The granite Richard and Belinda chose was Star Galaxy - black with a bit of gold glitz. Nice stools too ... again their choice.
I continued with a base unit around the corner, on the sloping window wall, because I thought even that little bit of extra storage and worktop would be useful in this kitchen. The worktop is shallow, though, and it doesn't extend right up next to the window, like the old kitchen did. The low units under the window give extra seating for when Richard and Belinda are entertaining, whilst - hopefully - emphasising the architecture of the room; the angled wall and original tall window.
Richard and Belinda have tucked a little pan stand at the end of the window seat and there's a tv on the wall for everyday use. The tall narrow radiator completes the room - using as little wall as possible.
And finally here's another CAD picture of the whole room. CAD pictures have the advantage, of course, that I can make walls invisible!