Modern Chic Grey Stoneham Kitchen

A chance conversation set Ray and Sandy on the path to a brand-new kitchen

Relaxing at home one evening, Ray and Sandy  found themselves vaguely wondering whether they could knock their galley kitchen and next-door dining room together. From their initial chat, the idea quickly took hold,
 

“Once the genie was out of the bottle, it wouldn’t go back in,” says Ray, “We decided we’d add a small extension too, so we’d have a big, L-shaped room combining kitchen, dining and entertaining space, and with doors out to the garden.”

The couple soon formed some clear ideas. They wanted a simple, modern kitchen, with new appliances, handleless cabinets, a chic grey colour scheme, and a low-maintenance, matt finish. They checked out various suppliers but none seemed to offer quite what they had in mind, so when a friend mentioned Gardiner Haskins Interiors, they decided to visit their Bristol showroom. They were greeted by designer Alec Yull,

“We just went into Gardiner Haskins one day to see what was there,” says Sandy, “Alec started talking to us, and he was brilliant, listening to our ideas and offering really sensible advice.”

On their first visit, Sandy and Ray took an in-depth look around the showroom and spotted the Stoneham Kitchens Latitude kitchen furniture and marble-look quartz work surfaces that ticked their boxes. The next step was for Alec to visit their home to measure the extended room and start the design work. Sandy was initially certain she did not want a central island, as she felt it was a waste of space,

“Alec explained that an island would give us extra storage and work area,” she says, “He was right, and we ended up with the largest island we could have, which uses our space well. He advised against having the sink on the island, as it would always look messy - again, that was a good decision.”

Over a few weeks, Ray and Sandy met with Alec a couple more times at the showroom, and their plans took shape. Tailored ‘must-haves’ like a space-maximising corner pantry for foodstuffs, and docking drawers for charging phones, cycle torches and sports watches tidily, have been incorporated into sleek, handleless cabinets in contrasting pale and darker grey tones. On their final visit, Ray spotted Stoneham’s beautifully finished bar pantry unit,

“I absolutely loved it,” he says, “It needed slide-away pocket doors to function properly as it’s close to the window, and they were an extra expense, but I’ve got no regrets. It’s fantastic when we entertain. People always comment when they see it and it adds a quality feel to the kitchen.”

The bar pantry features a top-notch walnut interior that is repeated in open walnut shelving, drawer interiors and the stylish, smoothly-shaped, walnut breakfast bar,

“I was hesitant about having the breakfast bar in a strongly contrasting material,” says Sandy, “Alec reassured me that the different design elements would all work together, and he was correct. I’m really happy with it now – it’s got a lovely, furniture-like feel and breaks up the grey tones.”

The couple chose a neat wine fridge and a Quooker kettle tap, for boiling, chilled, and sparkling drinking water. Their new Neff appliances include eye-level, multi-functional electric ovens, a warming drawer and a slick, easy-to-clean induction hob. They liked the idea of a downdraft extractor that rises from below the work surface, rather than a wall or ceiling-mounted style, and Alec showed them a smart, clear glass model,

“We’d only seen solid black ones before that we weren’t that keen on,” says Sandy, “This was ideal as it’s so low-key, and it’s one of my favourite gadgets.”

The kitchen was installed over about two weeks, by recommended contractors, and Ray and Sandy speak highly of the team,

“They were great to have around and the attention to detail was excellent,” says Sandy, “There was a small miscommunication between them and our builder at one point, but they just sorted it out between themselves with no fuss.”

The new kitchen is now the centre of Ray and Sandy’s home and the room they use the most,

“It’s changed how we live, and we’re so pleased with it,” says Sandy, “Alec was fantastic, very knowledgeable and not afraid to say if he thought we were making the wrong choices. I’ve recommended him, and Gardiner Haskins to a few people and if I was doing this again, I’d just go straight back there.”

Cabinetry

Stoneham Latitude

Worktop

Carrara Misterio, Polished Quartz

Sink

Franke

Tap

Quooker Tap with Cube

Hob & Glass Draft Hood

Neff

Flooring

Karndean, Stone Effect