More people than ever are opting for open plan homes, knocking down walls and merge the kitchen with the rest of the home. It’s all about making the most of the space we have, using every square foot, that could be gaining space for casual impromptu entertaining, or creating space for children to play, while still having the kitchen at the heart of the home.
Most new builds embrace open plan space, but it can be challenging to incorporate this layout into older homes. Here are some tips:
A kitchen island is a must, they are multifunctional, defining the kitchen area from the sitting or dining area, offering a casual eating setting, while also provide a huge amount of worktop and storage space. Often kitchen islands with seating are incorporated in place of a dining room table completely.
Space permitting a separate utility room, or even small, allocated space – for example some previously unused understairs cupboard or garden room, is a great opportunity for housing appliances, to take them away from open plan living areas while also freeing up space. Really worth considering to remove noise of appliances like the washing machine and tumble dryer.
Continuing the same colour and style throughout will help join rooms in to one large open plan space. Go large, make it feel bigger, and help the home flow naturally. Carefully used flooring, lighting and furniture can also be used to create varying zones within your large open plan area.
With open plan space everything is in sight, keep things simple and clutter free. Invest in storage solutions. Open plan living is all about making space work simply and effortlessly.
We are proud that we have been helping customers plan their dream kitchens and bathrooms for over 13 years here at Pittville, Cheltenham. Since then, Pittville has continued to grow and we have continued our 5* reviews. Our bathroom and kitchen shop are opposite each other on Prestbury Road – and both have recently been refitted with a range of styled kitchens and bathrooms to suit all.
We believe that choosing to work with a independent retailer has a huge amount of benefits…
We’ve put together the top reasons that you should consider when it comes to choosing the design company for your project.
If you’re in the early stages of your home project, get in contact to see how Pittville can help and come and meet one of our designers for a free initial chat about your space and requirements and remember why you should buy your kitchen and bathroom locally…
So you’ve been the Pittville, Cheltenham Showroom, worked with our kitchen and bathroom designers, everything has been installed and you’ve got your new Pittville Bathroom or Kitchen styled to a T! Now what about the rest of your house? We’ve put together a few of our favourite home styling tips to help get you started…
Show off your personality!
Don’t be afraid to put a real stamp on your home! They say ‘home is where the heart is’ so let all the little quirks of what makes you, you spill out into your home.
Balance is good!
Consider each space individually and ensure you have decluttered enough to keep things streamlined (remember, less is usually more!) whilst having enough pieces on show to give your home the character you are after.
Shake it up!
Try mixing it up with different textures. You may have sleek stone worktops in your kitchen but perhaps you have a couple of fur throws over your dining chairs and some cool geometric wallpaper to add a third texture to the mix! This will not only help your home feel more balanced but will keep it from becoming too clinical.
Let the light flood in! But don’t be afraid of the dark!
We all know our homes look so much better when the sun light is streaming through the windows. Our advice is to take every opportunity to get more natural sunlight into your home, however, don’t be afraid to pair this with strategically placed dark pieces or paint colours. This can add some real drama and depth to your space.
Floating furniture
All to often our go to for furniture placement is to push everything up against the walls but this doesn’t always do justice to the space and can make conversation across the room tricky. If your space doesn’t feel like it’s quite working why not try finding a focal point, perhaps a coffee table or fireplace and anchor your furniture off that rather than automatically using the walls as the anchoring points. See what difference it could make.
Lindsay has designed hundreds of kitchens throughout her time as a designer but we thought we’d narrow it down and ask her about one of her recently completed projects. It was in Pittville in Cheltenham, near our showroom and needed to tie in with the clients period property but also have a timeless feel. Lindsay’s clients wanted to be able to use their kitchen for both entertaining guests and for somewhere to set up their laptop when working from home. And, of course, provide plenty of practical storage solutions.
What products did you use and why? We went for a British-made kitchen, ‘Carnegie’ from Masterclass as this was ‘Classic’ and in-keeping with the style of the property but also offered luxurious oak effect interiors and contemporary pull out solutions for the modern lifestyle. Silestone worktops, for ease of cleaning and durability, coupled with Siemens appliances complimented the design perfectly. My clients could not decide between induction and gas hobs so I included a flex induction hob alongside a smaller gas domino hob, for the best of both worlds.
What colours did you use and why? I decided upon a sage green and ivory colour palette. This was a lovely fresh take on a classical kitchen. It pulled in the colours from the trees outside the window and kept the room bright and spacious. I’d suggested two different colour worktops to contrast with the mixed colour units which I feel works particularly well, especially as the island is a real feature.
Where there any hurdles to overcome? How did you do it? As this kitchen was on the first floor of a Georgian building, we overcame a number of considerations such as access, sound-proofing and out-of-square walls! We also decided against additional ceiling lighting as we didn’t want to cause damage to the lath and plaster. Instead we were clever with positioning of LEDs above the wall units to light up the beautiful cornice and offer some diffused lighting when using the kitchen in the evenings.
Why is your favourite thing about it? I love the size and shape of the island and in particular the low level table with solid oak central leg. It offers a traditional alternative to a breakfast bar or contemporary table and is also a very practical multi-purpose space, with a hidden socket for a nice decorative lamp, it gives the feel of a luxury dining area.
What do your clients say about it? They love it!
Our twin showrooms face each other on Prestbury Road, 200 metres north west of Pittville Gates on the B4632 leading towards Prestbury and Winchcombe. Here you can find all you need to know about our Bathrooms, Kitchens, Bedrooms and Living Spaces services.
On street parking is available, some free, some paid for. Subject to available spaces, you are also welcome to park at the rear of the Bathroom showroom – for Sat Nav use GL52 2BU Malden Road.
