Set square

The clean lines and flush - fitting design of Claire and James Slaughters kitchen suit their cutting - edge home to a tee.
Claire and James Slaughter moved from London to Ker.t so they could raise their children in quieter surroundings, but before they could enjoy their new home, they spent the first 10 months updating it. "This type of brick - built, Swedish - style bungalow was common in the 1960s and 70s in the South East, explains James. It was state - of - the - art back then and we still wanted it to look modern in 2020 but the kitchen was dated, so a complete overhaul was necessary.
The space, which was divided into two separate areas for cooking and dining, was gutted and an eight - foot extension was added to create one large open - plan room. An Aga inherited from the previous owners was the only thing no! to get the chop. We loved it so much, we decided to keep it; says Claire. You cant buy this particular model any more - its unusual to see one in such good condition in a modern setting:

FINDING INSPIRATION

The Slaughters spent the next five months carefully planning their kitchen. "We scoured showrooms for ideas and also cut out articles from Wallpaper magazine. explains James. Claire and I imagined a clean - edged, flush - fitting box, with nothing protruding from the walls. Walnut cabinetry that matched their existing dining table was also a must.
From here the couple enlisted Scott Nicholson from Chamber Furniture to create their scheme. We really liked Scotts ideas; recalls James. I told him our thoughts and we managed to come up with the perfect design without too much compromise. Claire and I also know someone whose kitchen was made by Scott some 15 years ago - it still looks impressive and was obviously built to last.

James and Claire wanted a k:tchen - diner that was child - friendly plus suitable for entertaining. They chose sleek handleless furniture to tie in with the modern architecture oi their heme and keep the childrens wandering hands out of the cupboards.
To make entertaining a breeze, the sink. Aga and hob, plus the food storage areas have been positioned close to each other in a classic working triangle formation. Even the dishwasher has been placed next to a crockery cabinet and cutlery drawer to ensure hassle - free unloading.
Slowly but surely, the Slaughters are realising their vision for their new home. "Weve still got the rest of the house left to do/ says James, "but at least weve got a great kitchen and dining space with big windows that draw the outside inside, so we can enjoy the rural location.

Advice from the OWNERS
DO look at your existing furniture for inspiration. We used our walnut dining table as a starting point and chose to match the cabinetry to it. Both elements look like theyve always been part of the same scheme.

DONT worry about small mistakes.
Our Gessi tap was much bigger than we expected but turned out to be a blessing in disguise because its now one of my favourite items.
DO spend time thinking about how you operate in the kitchen. Consider where your crockery and the dishwasher should go and where you want your food preparation areas to be. Also, plan all storage very carefully —we should
have installed a tall cupboard for brooms, the ironing board and so on. We now store them in the utility room.