Color guide

Faced with designing a kitchen for a new home, it's helpful to have some kind of starting point. You may prefer dark cabinetry because the room is flooded with sun all day long, or light colors because the space is small.

For the owner of this kitchen, a bolt of fabric was the inspiration. Judi Cote had a favorite floral fabric, which she wanted to use for the curtains.

"I've always loved strong colors and this fabric is a rich mixture everything in the kitchen revolves round it," she says.

Cabinetry is in a creamy buttery tone, the island is stained brown to look old and beaten up, and the walls are Pumpkin. All these tones are drawn from the colors within the curtains.

"I also wanted a traditional, wide-open, kitchen that would work well for children, dogs and our busy family life," she says.

Two special pieces an old Smallbone storage cabinet that the family has owned for about 10 years and the chandelier hanging over the dining table keep past happy memories in the kitchen.

Kitchen designer Shirley McFarlane says the kitchen was laid out to include these pieces. However, the ceiling, which slopes steeply up to a second-level balcony, also affected the design.

"Judi wanted the ovens and warming drawers on either side of the cooktop in a large hearth area, because it suited the way she planned to use the kitchen.

"However, with a steeply sloping ceiling above it, the hearth needed to be anchored in the kitchen, so it didn't look lost. We did this by taking the mantelpiece up to the height of the balcony," says the designer.

To give the kitchen a traditional look, the cabinet doors have beaded central panels, and the design incorporates several items made to look like pieces of furniture.

A freestanding cabinet at one end of the island has a checkerboard-patterned top that was custommade by a local artist. So the children can cook easily, this countertop is at a lower level than the top on the main part of the island.

The breakfast bar on the back of the island seats four. It is higher than the food preparation section of the island, and with turned legs, it too looks like furniture.

To ensure this large kitchen is functional, one corner has been designated as a special area for the children's use. It includes a secondary sink in the countertop, an appliance garage for a toaster and kettle, a coffee machine, the refrigerator and microwave. There's also a television on a pull-out swivel.

Story by: Trendsideas