If you’ve ever had an internal conversation that goes something like, ‘I’m tired of my kitchen but there’s nothing wrong with it’, then Vivienne Cutler’s kitchen facelift story might just be for you.
When the decision to build an extension on the front of their Victorian cottage left their relatively new Chichester kitchen in need of more light, it was the catalyst for an unexpected kitchen makeover for interior designer Vivienne Cutler and her husband Matthew. ‘We lost a big window when we added the extension and it really impacted the amount of light the kitchen got,’ explains Vivienne. ‘Suddenly we were needing to have the lights on in the middle of the day and our Chichester kitchen, painted in moody Smoke, felt too dark.’
For Vivienne, who regularly shares design inspiration in her West Sussex home on her popular Instagram platform @viviennecutler, it was important to land on a look that felt fresh and unseen. Introducing a light colour was important, but it was only when she decided to create a two-tone scheme that things started to fall into place. ‘For the top half of the room, it had to be a clean white and so I went with Shell for the walls and ceiling,’ says Vivienne, ‘but I wanted a warm neutral for the lower cabinetry and spent months looking for the right colour. It was when I looked back at my Neptune colour chart and spotted Lead Light that I found the right solution.’ Even then, it wasn’t an immediate win. ‘It was only when I also painted the woodwork, doors and walls into the adjoining garden room in Lead Light that the room completely worked,’ recalls Vivienne. ‘The feedback was crazy on Instagram with some of my kitchen posts going viral. To this day, the most asked question I get, is ‘what colour is your kitchen’s cabinetry?’.’
While the kitchen’s layout stayed the same, the extension had created a wall where a window had once been. It allowed Vivienne to add simple panelling, cupboards on either side of the existing Everhot stove and a faux chimney to conceal the extractor. ‘It’s made a feature of that space,’ she adds. ‘You would never guess that just introducing a new colour scheme, adding some panelling and tiling a splashback could give the kitchen a whole new lease of life, but it has.’
The last – but important – touch in this makeover was new hardware. Previously, the Smoke-coloured kitchen had classic cup handles which lent a traditional country kitchen feel. But having introduced bronze hardware in her utility room, Vivienne was keen to carry the texture into the kitchen. ‘I saw the Armac Martin collaboration with Neptune at the Tonbridge store and loved the look,’ says Vivienne, who opted for the small sized bronze handles. ‘The updates made my vision come to life,’ she adds. ‘The original kitchen felt like a classic Neptune kitchen but with the new colours and hardware, it now has a contemporary feel while remaining a country kitchen.’
In practical terms the remodelling was straightforward. ‘We worked with two tradesmen, a carpenter and painter,’ says Vivienne. ‘And it was all done in a week when we were on holiday!’ Back at home, the new look kitchen quickly became a hub for family life while the room transforms into an entertaining space at weekends. ‘It is the heart of our home and where we spend all our time,’ says Vivienne. ‘It doesn’t feel like a separate kitchen but blends seamlessly into our living space which is just what I had wanted to achieve.’
Vivienne’s three key kitchen tips
- Layout. Think about how you will use the space and make sure it is practical. Is the dustbin near the food prep area? Is the pan drawer next to the stove? They are common sense considerations but can get easily forgotten.
- Storage. One can never have enough storage, but it is good to consider everything you will want to store at the planning stage, from cookbooks to worktop appliances. And then decide if you’d prefer open shelf storage or want everything tidied away in cupboards.
- Lighting. Lighting is how you give your kitchen a mood. We created a wonderful ambience in the room using a combination of LEDs tucked behind the cornicing and dimmable wall lights and spotlights.
To begin your kitchen journey, book your free consultation today or visit your nearest store.