Family time has never been as special as it is in our new kitchen. We’re a small family, but our open-plan living space is filled with music, chatter and home-cooked food. And it looks amazing.
It wasn’t an easy ride; an endless succession of takeaways and microwave-meals is no picnic when you love cooking – and we spent a small fortune at the launderette. Then there were unforeseen hitches, such as the floor in the old dining room (so uneven that our builder had to plane the joists to get it level). Basics we usually take for granted, such as running water and four walls, were sacrificed for the summer, but it was finished on schedule and (almost) on budget.
Before the build, we dreamed of luxuries like a huge kitchen island and an American-style fridge freezer, but until the building work was finished we were anxious that our design was too ambitious. Thankfully, the appliances and furniture fit seamlessly into the larger space created by the side return extension. You might not think that building into a side return would create a dramatic difference, but the extra space transformed the look and feel of the house. Light floods in through the Velux windows in the extension, and the bifold doors create a fantastic effect, bringing the outside in.
The graphite grey units, exposed brick, concrete floor tiles and steel and black appliances give the kitchen a decidedly industrial look. My wife, Jo, and I are now adding touches of our personalities and retro-inspired aesthetic: mid-century crockery, a Barcelona chair, and a vintage 1967 keyboard and Steepletone record player, sourced for the dining area.
The appliances we chose, with Sania Pell’s help, have transformed our daily lives. We’d always wanted a double oven, but it’s handy to have a microwave too. We’ve got the best of both worlds – and saved quite a bit of space – by choosing Grundig’s GEBM34001X single oven in stainless steel and the Grundig GEKW47000B multifunction compact oven with microwave in black.
As well as looking smart together, the pair make cooking even big meals – or entertaining – simple. The black theme continues on the island, where we have Grundig’s GIEI824470X 80cm induction hob. As well as having a booster function, so you can heat food fast, the hob looks fantastic and the bigger size, which includes a flexi zone so you can use a long griddle, means we have lots of space to cook on. Jo and I have managed to prepare dishes together without getting in each other’s way, which is priceless.
The hob heats so quickly that we opted for a matching black induction kettle rather than an electric model.
If you’re in a hurry, the fully integrated Grundig GNV41810 dishwasher can clean a full load of dishes in less than an hour, while the freestanding Grundig GWN48430CX washing machine has an effective 40-minute quick wash setting.
But it’s the Grundig GSBS13310X American-style fridge-freezer that is my son’s favourite product: Eliott started at the local secondary school in September and he loves having his classmates round.
Having a happy bunch of 11-year-olds simply hanging out around the island, enjoying their food, helping themselves to iced drinks and laughing their socks off has really made our stylish new kitchen feel like home.
Designing a new kitchen with a stylist
Interior stylist and creative director Sania Pell worked with the Swan family to help them create a beautiful, modern kitchen with timeless touches. As well as advising the family on their appliances, cleverly mixing stainless steel products with key pieces from Grundig’s new, piano-inspired black range, Pell also chose accessories from the Conran Shop, Sue Pryke, Skandivis and Orla Keily.
