When it comes to designing your third new-build home, you probably have fairly clear ideas of what works. “Be bold” advises Audrey Forrest, fresh from her house completion in East Lothian. “If there’s one thing I’ve learned from tackling these projects, it’s to follow your instinct and really go for the styles and looks you like” she adds.

After seeking planning consent to change the size and configuration of the house originally allocated to the plot, Audrey and Graeme set about dramatically changing its interior. While the Georgian-style exterior of the house had to remain consistent with other properties on the estate, the couple opted for an entirely contemporary interior. In keeping with their love of open-plan living, ideal for family life, the entire ground floor is designed to flow from one area to another, with the kitchen-living room at the centre of the home.
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After more than 10 years living in their family home in Aberdeen, the Reynolds family were ready to make some changes. “We wanted to open the place up” says Derek. “The children were growing up and are all very sociable, so we wanted a bit more room so we could enjoy the kitchen space together”. As a family of keen cooks, the new kitchen had to be functional, to make cooking and clearing up a breeze. The kitchen’s slick lines were carefully chosen – Derek hates fuss and frippery. “I like contemporary design and admire good modern architecture” says Derek. “I’ve always been drawn to the latest in gadgetry so it was natural to go for something quite cutting edge”. The new space is informal and welcoming, thanks to its bold use of the bright orange. “I wanted to have a bit of fun and not take the project too seriously” says Derek. Now it’s the perfect space for relaxing as a family or for entertaining a crowd.

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Swapping Hong Kong for Edinburgh is a brave move if you need lots of sunshine.  But clever changes to their new home means there is now little chance of this family going over to the dark side.

Walls were knocked down, the kitchen was moved from its original position to a new spot overlooking the back garden, and a scullery was created in the space that was left.  A double-height atrium adjoins the minimalist state-of-the-art kitchen, extending the hallway into an open, light-filled space.

Viv’s area of expertise is cooking, which she does from her sleek, handless Alpine-white Mowlem & Co walnut veneer kitchen from Kitchens International.  The breakfast bar, with its sculpted Corian work-top and sink, is a meting point for family and friends – and a desk for the kids to do their homework.  The black Aga adds a traditional twist to the clean lines.

Re-orientating the ground floor was a huge task, but one that resulted in a stunning new home.

“The new open-plan kitchen adjoins the atrium living room, creating an invitingly spacious area for the family to share.”

After 20 years of living in Hong Kong, Viv and Mark  Harris were excited about returning home to Edinburgh.  Except for one thing.  “We’d been spoilt by living in an apartment in Hong Kong with lots of natural light” says Viv.  “I was nervous that we would find our new house in Scotland dark and rather gloomy compared with what we were used to

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As a part of major building works, Kenneth and Catriona Stuart moved their kitchen one floor up to link in with their new two-storey extension.

Appliance Bank - built-in prolytic oven, warming drawer and steam oven, all by Siemens, have been positioned at waist height in a run of cabinetry to minimise the need for bending down. To the right of the oven, the fridge has been fully integrated behind a tall door to maintain the kitchen's sleek appearance"It was complete mayhem for aound eight months in total," says Kenneth. "However, compared to everything else that was going on at the time, the kitchen installation, which was done separately from the main contractor, was a relatively painless project".The new location for the L-shaped open-plan kitchen was one floor above the old one, in a former sitting room, complete with period plaster cornicing and a traditional sash and case window.With the new extension in place, the couple approached Kitchens International to design a modern scheme for the room. "We picked the company because designer Kieron Bell was in tune with our ideas and worked with us to evolve the finished design" explains Kenneth. "Kitchen's International's design software was a deciding factor in what is, after all, a major investment".Having chosen grey cabinets with a matt finish, Kenneth and Catriona decided to include an accent colour. Vibrant orange glass in a bespoke shade was incorporated into the island's raised partition and also forms an open shelving area on the far wall. The original pine door and window shutters were stripped back and their warm honey colour complements the vibrant orange glass perfectly.Keneth and Catriona had always planned to have a streamlined and understated kitchen with very little clutter, and this has been achieved thanks to designer Kieron's clever storage solutions and some smart finishing touches. The space below the island's breakfast bar, for example, incorporates a large area of handleless units for storing less frequently used items of kitchenware. Other subtle details include worktops with minimal overhang so that they fit flush with the drawers and cupboard doors, and boxed-in fluorescent strip lights that illuminate the cornicing.The central island is divided into two sections by a raised partition.

The couple’s choice of kitchen also gets the nod from their architect.  “The design is modern, simple and bold and sits well in what is now a generous, flowing, white space” smiles Nigel Somner. 

Both Kenneth and Catriona feel that the finished result strikes the perfect balance between 21st century design and Victorian architecture, and agree that their huge undertaking was worth the upheaval.  “We took a leap of faith undertaking a major building project and kitchen installation at the same time” says Kenneth “However, the end more than justifies the means”.

Having put up with an old fashioned pine kitchen in a small space for many years, Kate and Andy Niblock wanted more room for their familyas they grew older. By knocking the kitchen and dining room together and extending into the garden they could create a fabulous kitchen.

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Modern and quirky was how the Davidsons envisaged a new kitchen in their family’s four bedroom cottage in Aberdeenshire. Having visited no less than 14 showrooms and waded through an assortment of kitchen magazines, brochures and websites they finally went with Kitchens International because they came up with the good drawings.

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Susan and Lawrence Barr took 10 years to finally get round to doing up their kitchen and decided to use Kitchens International because they knew that the company offered a complete service. “Our plans involved removing two walls to create the open-plan kitchen-diner we wanted,” explains Susan. “We were right to choose Kitchens International as designer Diane Magee was there every step of the way, which was necessary as my husband was away a lot and I needed a company that knew what it was doing”

Susan wanted something that was easy to clean so went for sleek black cabinetry. Hi-gloss black RWK units from the Lugano range are combined with brushed, stainless steel, bow-fronted drawers, a curved corner cupboard and a breakfast bar. Grey-flecked white Corian worktops also prevent the room for appearing over clinical.

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