INTERIORS

5 expert tips to make your kitchen stand out

The most popular room in the house is having a revamp — but how to get it right? The author of a new book on unconventional kitchens gives her advice

The colours in this kitchen create a warm light. The units were custom-made from Formica
The colours in this kitchen create a warm light. The units were custom-made from Formica
The Sunday Times

Last year, as I renovated my first home, I started writing a book on kitchen design. As I found myself pushed in the direction of convention (“safe” colour choices, plenty of storage), I wondered if there was another way to design the most popular room in the house. A kitchen is a living and moving thing, people enter and leave it more than any other room, so I wanted welcoming colours, a convivial spirit and quirks. But when it was fully installed — oxblood cabinets, soapstone countertops and a walk-in pantry dipped in ochre paint — it still somehow felt austere. I added Venetian plaster textured walls, rugs, even more houseplants — still there was room to grow. Or so I thought.

As I wrote