3 things I would do differently if I designed my own kitchen again
I should probably add … ‘with an endless budget’ to that title, because as with all renovations, there are time, and financial constraints that influence the final design. As an interior designer I probably shouldn’t even admit that I didn’t get it 100% spot on, but there’s no better test for a design than two small boys throwing food and riding scooters around the place.
Worktops - I would go for a Bianco Eclipsia Quartzite
I do love our honed Carrara marble worktops and i’m firmly in the marble fan club, I have zero complaints; I love the way they age and having sealed them (once in three years) they haven’t stained at all.
However, this is the only marble we could afford at the time and it’s quite plain, our kitchen could definitely take a much stronger veining to offset the white cupboards.
As well as being beautiful, Bianco Eclipsia performs like a granite too, so it is much more bulletproof than a marble.
Duct the extraction to outdoors, we installed a recirculation extractor fan because I was so fed up of mess and things taking a long time, that I couldn’t face them drilling a big hole in the wall. Cheap recirculating extractors are basically useless, and I would have appreciated great extraction.
Back in my early years as a designer I went on a kitchen extraction course (day out), as thrilling as it sounds! and there are some great products on the market that can improve your indoor air quality, and naturally, the more you spend, the quieter they are.
Grout - should have gone darker!
I really despise dirty grout, and in high traffic areas it is constantly looking unsightly. Going for a mid-grey would have worn a lot better over the years.
Having said that, our large format porcelain tiles look brand new, and they get so much wear.
