Case Studies

SOMETHING OLD, SOMETHING NEW

There’s only one thing Maxine Smith loves more than pottering around her kitchen working on new recipes, and that’s cooking alongside her grown-up daughter, Rachel. So when Rachel had a new kitchen installed by Intone Design a few years ago, mum Maxine was keen to follow suit.

“My daughter lives next door so we spend a lot of time together,” says Maxine. “We’ve been cooking together since she was tiny; it’s one of our favourite things to do. When she had a beautiful new kitchen installed, I felt really envious of it and that’s how it all started!”

A FRIENDLY APPROACH

When Maxine realised her own kitchen might be in need of an update, Intone Design were more than happy to help.

“I already knew Laura and the team because I’d been quite involved with the planning stages of my daughter’s kitchen,” explains Maxine, who lives in Warmington. “So I knew they were a friendly bunch. Laura came to visit my home with Lyn, the interior designer at Intone, and to be honest it felt like I was having friends round for coffee. It was so easy and they were both so helpful.”

“One of the biggest decisions concerning Maxine’s new kitchen was the colour of the units. Whatever she chose, it had to complement the racing green Aga which was staying put from the old kitchen. “I originally thought something like duck egg blue might go well with the dark green of the Aga, but the Intone team persuaded me otherwise. We’ve gone for black and grey which isn’t what you might typically imagine for a kitchen. Initially I thought, ‘Oh gosh, is this going to work?’ But now I absolutely love it!”

UPDATING A MUCH-LOVED FAMILY KITCHEN

Maxine had a very specific brief in mind because she was keen to incorporate some of the elements from her original kitchen into the new design. The Aga had to stay, as did the granite worktop which had graced Maxine’s kitchen island for more than 20 years.

“We’d had so many special family times around that island which is why I really wanted to keep the granite,” says Maxine, who has a grown-up son as well as her daughter. “We also hadn’t long put down a new tiled floor, so the kitchen units had to follow the same footprint as the original so that the flooring would still work around it.”

“We didn’t want too many cupboards above worktop height because previously the space was quite dark so we wanted to keep it really light and open,” says Esther. “It was a bit of a challenge, but with Laura from Intone’s help we were able to find a way to make it all work. We’re so pleased with the end result.

Maxine also wanted to make sure her fridge, freezer and bin were all out of sight and that the new kitchen would be tidy and ordered. “I’m one of those people who likes to have everything just right. I wanted my storage jars to fit perfectly in the cupboards, and for the shelves to be just the right height for my wine glasses. Laura designed the kitchen around all those requirements, and the result looks amazing.”

BREATHING NEW LIFE INTO A MUCH-LOVED FAMILY HOME

When Esther and Yan Franklin set about extending their pretty Victorian terraced house in Stamford, they knew exactly what they wanted to achieve. Not only had they lived in the house for five years, they also knew the property very well before that because it used to be Yan’s mother’s home.

“The kitchen at the rear of the house was a long, dark, narrow space,” says Esther, who lives with her husband and their little boy. “During lockdown, I spent lots of time in the kitchen on my own because there wasn’t enough space for us all to hang out in there. So the time came to extend into the side return to create a lighter, brighter space we could all enjoy.”

TAKING THE TIME TO LISTEN

“We had a really clear idea of what we wanted,” says Esther. “My husband is an architectural designer so he's really good with space. We knew we wanted a big island in the middle and units down one side of the kitchen, but we still needed some help to get the layout absolutely spot on.
“We approached companies like Howdens and Magnet, but they wanted to do what they wanted to do rather than really trying to address our requirements. Our builders recommended Intone Design, and from the beginning it was clear they were willing to listen to us and help create our dream kitchen.”

A DRAMATIC TRANSFORMATION

Getting the layout right for Esther and Yan’s new kitchen was absolutely key to the success of the project as they embarked upon transforming what used to be a dark, cramped space into a bright, light-filled kitchen-diner.
The couple wanted the island to line up with the hob which meant they had limited space into which to fit floor-to-ceiling storage cupboards, two ovens, a warming drawer and a microwave.
“We didn’t want too many cupboards above worktop height because previously the space was quite dark so we wanted to keep it really light and open,” says Esther. “It was a bit of a challenge, but with Laura from Intone’s help we were able to find a way to make it all work. We’re so pleased with the end result.

“I love the open feel the kitchen has now, and it’s so lovely to be able to have more than three people in the room at a time. That still feels like a novelty!”

ADDING PERSONALITY AND WARMTH

As a fan of Mid-Century design, Esther was keen to bring some additional warmth and texture into her kitchen by displaying some of her vintage finds. “I love visiting car boot sales on the hunt for bits and pieces for our home. I particularly like West German pottery and I’m always drawn to orange accents.”

There are a range of colourful, vintage ceramics on display as well as a pair of retro dome lights suspended above the dining table. These add a welcome pop of colour which ties in perfectly with the tones of the exposed brick wall.

THE ULTIMATE PARTY KITCHEN

Kate Roach and her husband John love a party. So when it come to redesigning the kitchen in their home in Wansford, Peterborough, the top priority was to create plenty of space for socialising.

"Between John and I we have four children, so we're always a large group around the table before we've even started adding friends into the mix," says Kate. "Our original kitchen was really small for the size of the house so we decided to knock through and double the size of the space. It works so much better and it's lighter now, too."

A FLEXIBLE APPROACH

And so the search was on to find the right kitchen company to carry out the transformation. Kate considered a variety of different companies at different price points, but when she visited the Intone Design showroom she immediately felt at home. "It was great to see the quality of Intone Deisign's units and when I met Laura I felt she was on my wave length. She has a really flexible approach compared to some other kitchen suppliers. There were so many decisions to make, but Laura had lots of great advice and said I didn't have to decide on everything straight away."
In fact, Kate loved the showroom so much she actually chose the exact same design as one of Intone Design's room sets. "I bought the lot," says Kate. "Right down to the same colours and even the same flooring!"

ALL ABOUT ENTERTAINING

Kate loves to entertain, so top of the list for the new kitchen was a big island unit for friends and family to gather around, as well as space for a large dining table. "We wanted a kitchen with real wow factor," explains Kate, "but I cook a lot so I also wanted all mod cons. So we've got a boiling water tap, waste disposal unit and warming drawers in the oven. There's also a wine fridge in the island to make sure we never run out of cold drinks!"

Talking of drinks, one of the most successful elements in the new kitchen is the bespoke drinks cupboard which houses Kate's extensive gin collection. "I'm a member of a craft gin club so I receive a new bottle every month," says Kate. "You want to display them, but you don't want to look like a pub! So my cupboard is the perfect solution. It's so discreet that when John first saw it he thought it was a wardrobe!"

A PLACE FOR EVERYTHING

As well as looking beautiful with its pale, shaker-style units and brushed steel handles, Kate's kitchen has been carefully designed to incorporate as much storage as possible. "We have a tea and coffee cabinet in which everything can be shut away out of sight," says Kate "And we've got a big pantry cupboard for food storage."

The only danger with having such a calm and elegant space in which to receive guests is that the rest of the house doesn't get a look in. "We have a beautiful lounge and dining room but they don't get a lot of use these days," says Kate. "Everybody wants to be in the kitchen!"

But luckily, that's just the way she likes it. "We had a fantastic kitchen opening party which was so much fun," says Kate. "It's such a great feeling to have this room exactly as I want it. After years of struggling away in a tiny kitchen, I've finally got the kitchen of my dreams."