“We are building a new dream house and are now at the stage of deciding upon our kitchen. The area involved is to combine kitchen, dining and lounge/family area. Given the contemporary design of the house we are keen to choose a kitchen that is sympathetic to the style and timeless. We also love to cook and entertain at home, so the functionality of the kitchen is as important as the look. Having gone through the experience of previous fitted kitchens we are concerned about the smooth running of the project given the various parties involved, please let us know how the programming will work?”
Mrs Robyn Douglas, St Andrews

Licia di Pasquale is Senior Designer at Kitchens International, Glasgow 0141 404 7744 www.kitchensinternational.co.uk and provides the following design advice:
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If you plan to update your kitchen why not consult kitchen expert Kieron Bell first for some design advice?

Q: I have a Victorian house and plan to extend it to house a new open plan kitchen and lounge area.  I am thinking of installing glass doors onto the garden and incorporating a dining area and I want it to flow as one space.  I love the existing pantry, but we’re thinking of removing this to form a totally modern space, do you think this is a good idea?  Style wise we would like cream cabinets and possibly a black granite worktop with inset sink.  We also love the accent of real wood.  We’ve been looking at designs but are totally confused! -

Sarah O’Donovan, Sutton Coldfield, West Midlands (more…)

Callerton Kitchen by Kitchens International

The kitchen has long been considered the heart of the home, yet its role has been reinvented in recent years.  Now it is so much more than simply a room to cook in – it has become an extension of our living space.  An open-plan, multi-purpose space is one of the hottest trends in kitchen design, a room that blurs the boundaries between cooking, eating and entertaining, making it more of a hub than ever.

Stoneham Kitchen at Kitchens International

Open your kitchen out onto a garden, terrace or balcony and bring a feeling of light and space to your home all year round.

The positioning of the island gives a convenient working area, plus a pleasant seating area without interrupting access to the garden.  The Geometric Callerton kitchen, with Chelsea oak and painted alabaster doors, has strong curves that are contrasted with bold side units to create an impressive open-plan kitchen.

Geometric Callerton kitchen with Chelsea Oak and painted alabaster doors

Available at Kitchens International, from £12,000.

Are your needs most catered for by a cook’s kitchen or a host’s kitchen?

Cooks: Keen cooks will prioritise the functionality of their kitchens, since what’s important to them is that the space facilitates their favourite hobby.  If this sounds like you, then you should be choosing hardwearing easy-clean surfaces, both worktop and floor, with zoned areas for different purposes…

Hosts:  Hosts, on the other hand, will be more concerned with the suitability (more…)

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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