Ask any kitchen designer (worth their design salt) about the ideal kitchen layout and they’ll remind us of the work triangle between sink, oven and fridge; the three key points in your kitchen between which you carry out primary cooking tasks. Unfortunately for local couple Stuart and Tracey Fleming, their kitchen was badly planned and difficult to work in.
“The main problem was the position of the oven.” Stuart tells us. “It was placed in the middle of a row of units, with pots kept above that we could never reach. And because the oven was in the wrong place, it meant the fridge and the freezer were in the wrong place too. It just didn’t work, and that was one of the reasons we wanted to change everything around.”
Living less than a mile from the showroom in Shipston on Stour, the couple approached Bower Willis Designs based on an excellent reputation and their preference for working with local companies. “I believe you get a better personal service when working with local companies; if there is a niggle, they can pop back and fix it straight away. But there was very little that needed fixing, you couldn’t fault it”, Stuart tells us.
Thinking that they’d have to knock down walls to achieve extra space, the couple were delighted to discover that wouldn’t be necessary. “Bower Willis explained how they could move things around to work within what we had, rather than knock down walls, and they were right - we now have more space than ever.” Stuart explains.
In terms of design, the couple approached the process with a ‘totally open mind’. Each knowing what they wanted the kitchen to achieve in terms of functionality and features, the design process was led by Angela to achieve a contemporary space which is a pleasing environment in which to cook. Rearranging the appliances for effective workflow, it now looks great and performs effortlessly. The dead space tucked in the furthest corners of the cupboards has been brought to life with clever swing out Le Mans storage racks, and there’s a range oven which provides a focal point to the room and the families home cooking.
“We both love to cook,” Stuart tells us “I used to be a commis chef and we like to cook together. We both work so don’t get as much time to cook as we’d like, so cooking in the new kitchen becomes part of our evening, it’s not a chore.”
Avoiding the cost and upheaval of unnecessary building work, the whole process was undertaken in one month, from design and planning right through to completion. “The kitchen fitters worked very quickly and they took all the rubbish away with them. I was expecting a lot of work to do, but each day it was nice and clean and tidy. You couldn’t fault it. If anyone asked me where to get a kitchen done, I’d recommend Bower Willis Designs every time.”
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