Interior designer Natalie Jahangiry is one of Ideal Home's new Open House contributors, sharing her thoughts on decorating a home to suit a busy family life while sticking to your aesthetic values, too. See the rest of her articles here.
After months of planning, negotiations (mostly with my husband), spreadsheets, research, doomscrolling and a lot of dust, our kitchen renovation is almost complete… and by almost, I mean a few inevitable snagging bits left to finish but when is there ever not?
Six weeks of trade work, and our beautiful new space is complete. I’ve said it before and I will say it again, I believe the kitchen is the heart of the home, and now I stand by that more than ever. Living without it during the renovation made us truly appreciate how central it is to everyday life. Having it back, and better than ever, feels wonderful.
Before vs Now
The problem
When we first moved in three years ago, to me, there were some fundamental issues with the kitchen. Although I updated it a few times along the way (read all about this in Kitchen Chronicles Part One) and everyone kept telling me it looked great, I always felt the positioning was a major drawback, tucked away in the darkest corner of the room.
The breakfast bar also cut the long extended space in half, which never quite worked from a layout perspective. We lacked storage, and I really missed having a kitchen island as a central focal point, but also from a practical aspect.
There were smaller frustrations too. The dishwasher had seen better days, and the sink was never quite big enough, and there wasn’t a great deal of kitchen worktop space for prep.
Overall, it just didn’t suit the way we live. And I say “the way we live” because every family is different, which is something I remind my clients of all the time. What works for one family won’t necessarily work for another, and for ours, there was always something that just didn’t quite click.
My solution
The way the kitchen now works day to day has completely changed how we live in the house on a whole. It is at the core of our everyday routine, and having a space that works harder for our needs has made our daily routine feel so much easier.
With floor to ceiling storage and surfaces clear, we can thoughtfully display the pieces and trinkets we’ve collected over time. We now have extra deep drawers that are fully organised, with space around everything meaning we can finally see what’s in each drawer and get to what we need easily.
Having the island running with the natural direction of the room actually elongates the space giving the illusion it's bigger without adding any sq footage.
The kids have their own dedicated area for toys and crafts, complete with a coffee table where they can create freely and a cosy chair to curl up in together and watch tv… although I have to admit, Tom and I have often found ourselves fighting over this chair and who gets to sit back with a cocktail on it while the other cooks.
And speaking of drinks, I now have my dream bar area and my much missed island back, while whoever is cooking can still be part of the conversation, thanks to the hob on the island and a much bigger fridge.
What was once the playroom at the back of the space, has been transformed into a beautiful adult dining area, with soft draping curtains, an extendable table that comfortably seats ten (as tested at Easter when we had family around), complete with my gorgeous new dining chairs.
The walk in pantry has become a dream in itself, a perfectly organised jar filled haven for all our essentials, finished with a newly formed archway.
My Favourite Features
While singing in the style of Julie Andrews “now here are a few of my favourite things”...
Pantry cupboard
A dream item I have always longed for, a double door pantry cupboard. Somewhere to tuck away the microwave, toaster and kettle, while neatly organising pantry ingredients and jars. A total game changer.
Did I design that entire run around it? Yes. Do I regret it? Absolutely not. If you have the space, I cannot recommend one enough.
Sink area
I wanted this side of the kitchen to have a real big wow impact, and I love every detail. From the glass fronted dresser units to the oversized sink, everything feels (and was) highly considered.
Paired with a tall traditional tap, scalloped sink, and a seamless splashback and shelf, finished with brass fittings and subtle wall lighting. It is exactly what I had hoped for, and more.
Deep drawers
On the island and along the sink run, we opted for large, deep drawers instead of multiple cupboards. Some include built in cutlery drawers, while others are organised with inserts for things like spices and pan lids.
I tend to favour drawers over cupboards, as everything is visible and easy to access once opened.
Brass hardware and lighting
In the past, I used to favour bold black fixtures and fittings. While I still love that look, my style has evolved. In the kitchen/dining areas I wanted to introduce a subtle heritage feel, so I leaned into brass, choosing deeper, more antique tones across the fittings.
From lighting to sockets, switches, taps and brackets, they complement the colour scheme beautifully and bring a more refined, timeless feel to the space. I did incorporate some black to tie in with the rest of the house, but brass remains the predominant finish throughout.
Walk in pantry updates
Before the renovation, we transformed what had been a dumping cupboard under the stairs into a walk-in pantry. The original doorway remained, however I had always swooned over the look of an arched pantry entrance.
One of my favourite features in the new kitchen is the newly formed arch (woo hoo!), now complete with a proper light switch, something we didn’t have before. I also love the addition of the matching worktop, which ties everything together beautifully and elevates the space even further.
Pull out spice rack
On the island, we also have a pull out spice rack, which works brilliantly. It keeps everything in plain sight, rather than having bottles gathering dust at the back of a cupboard.
Steal My Design
Want to steal my design? No problem. I’m opening up my little black book of the products and suppliers I used to create my very own kitchen.
Supplier and product lists are usually something we charge clients for, but for you dear reader… I’ll make an exception. I know, I’m too kind. Here you go:
- Kitchen Units - Vård range from Smile Kitchens in Clay (their own colour) and colour matched red with Graham and Brown Divine Damson - use my code "natsdesignstudio_" for £100 off your Smile Kitchen order.
- Countertop Dresser Units - Bespokely made by Callaghan Interiors
- Kitchen Worktop & Splashback - Porcelain worktops, Fior di Viola by Sapienstone, supplied by Cullifords, templated and fitted by Purple Granite
- Handles & Shelf Brackets - Fleur Cup Handles, Greenwich Knobs, Greenwich Pull Handles, Westgate Cupboard Latches and York Flush Shelf Brackets all in Burnished Brass by Hendel and Hendel
- Sockets, Switches & Wall Lights - Antique Brass Plugs, Antique Brass Toggle Switches, Antique Brass Dimmer Switches and Brewer’s Brass Bramley Wall Lights from Dowsing & Reynolds
- Island Pendant Lights & Splashback Lights - Noho Glass Ribbed Dome Pendant Lights and Noho Pleated Slope Swan Neck Wall Lights from Industville
- Sink - Butler & Rose Large Fluted Ceramic Butler Kitchen Sink - 795 x 500mm from Tap Warehouse
- Tap - Deco Claridge Traditional Pull Out Kitchen Mixer Tap in Aged Bronze from Lusso Stone
- Dining Room Light - "Florence" Triple Drop Pendant from Spark & Bell
- Dining Table - Transformer Round Table in Walnut from Transformer Table
- Dining Chairs - Halston Dining Chair in Blush Pink & Walnut from Cult Furniture
- Curtains - The Lucy Curtains with Double French Pleat in Burlywood Birch by Three Girls
- Pink Armchair - Hampshire Loveseat in Dusky Pink from Dusk
- Coffee Table - Heidi Solid Oak Oval Coffee Table in Light Wood from Dusk
- White Goods - Hisense Hi6 HEH8432BSCWF 83cm Induction Hob, Bosch Series 4 MBA533BB3B Built In Electric Double Oven, Hisense PureFlat RF749N4SWFE Multi-door American Fridge Freezer all from AO.com
- Styling Items - In particular Large Rattan Vase, Faux Eucalyptus, Burnham Storage Jars, Scalloped Placemats & Compota Dinner Set from Layered Lounge, Brass Salt & Pepper Mill Set from Hudson Home and Alexandra: Carafe & 2 Handmade Cocktail Glasses Set from Lagom Glassware
- Jars, Drawer Organisers & Containers - In particular Wood Drawer Knife Block, Large Square Wooden Drawer Organiser, OXO SoftWorks POP Mini, Stackable Rectangle Storage Container, 8 Compartment Wooden Drawer Organiser, Ribbed Glass Storage Jars and Acacia Ribbed Glass Jars from Dunelm
