Luxurious Pink & Navy Stoneham Kitchen

I can describe Sally’s kitchen as nothing less than deluxe. As I observed the freshly renovated room, I could appreciate how much time and consideration was put into the design. Natural light seeped in through the large, crittall-style doors resulting in a bright, open and welcoming space. Once we’d settled in and had a chat, I started to dig a little deeper to find out more about Sally’s experience with Gardiner Haskins Interiors and their Stoneham Kitchen renovation.

 

Sally already knew of Gardiner Haskins through a relative, and really got a feel for the company when she came to one of our cooking events. Upon visiting us again, she was able to come in and wander around the Bristol based fitted kitchen showrooms at her own leisure. After soaking up the surroundings and getting some inspiration she spoke to Alec, one of our expert kitchen designers, to get the process started.

“Alec asked lots of appropriate questions during our design appointment to understand what we wanted.”

The kitchen was originally smaller and in a galley type style. The plan was to extend it to the full width of the house and include a central kitchen island. This was hard to envision at first, but Sally was able to create a picture in her mind upon seeing an island unit in our showrooms. She also wanted a “free flowing” space which Alec helped her achieve with cabinets running along only one side of the kitchen to create more space on the other side.

It was clear that Sally didn’t shy away from pink tones. An excellent choice for the décor, really making the interior pop. From pink pineapples to beautiful bouquets, she had it all. So understandably, she fell in love with the pink island we had on display in the showrooms, and it simply had to be part of her new kitchen. To compliment the subtle pink, Alec suggested navy blue and gold to complete the colour palette.

The gold brings warmth to the kitchen, as well as a touch of luxury. The handles contrast nicely against the blue and pink cabinets and match the gold tap, chairs, lights and plant pots. To finalise the golden aesthetic, Sally has a gorgeous selection of gold cutlery, an upgrade from your standard silver knife and fork. It’s clear that Sally had put a lot of thought into the smaller details.

By making the kitchen larger, there is now a lovely crittall door looking into the lounge. This gives the feeling of an open plan space yet avoids cooking smells occupying both rooms. The kitchen also feels very social, a space perfect for “having friends round to sip wine while I cook dinner.”

As Carine took photos and Sally and I chatted away, we had a four-legged friend called Floyd trotting around. Sally’s friendly Labrador enjoyed taking regular intervals to sunbathe and made a fantastic model when posing for the photos.

By far, Sally’s favourite feature of her new kitchen is the built-in, double door pantry and from a glance inside, you can see why. The storage of her dry food is impeccably organised, either in glass containers or placed strategically in draws giving a minimal and uncluttered appearance. Additionally, the pantry fits the microwave, scales and coffee machine meaning space is freed up on the counter-tops and island.

The gold Quooker tap also gains brownie points. When Sally’s working from home and needs to jump on a call, she can make a quick cup of tea in no time using the hot water feature. It’s the small things that count.

Peter’s favourite feature would be the plug sockets built into the kitchen island. The intelligent design means they are hidden beneath the surface and need to be gently pushed in order to flip round and be revealed. When the sockets aren’t in use they blend seamlessly into the island. Sally even said, “everyone always asks me what this is!”, so it’s a big crowd pleaser.

 

Finally, they made the move from a traditional hob to an induction hob by Rangemaster, called ‘Nexus’. It’s far easier to use, clean and is generally safer which is convenient for when the nephews visit. The rest of the kitchen appliances are by Neff, a range our designers work closely with to supply our customers with the very best products.