Into the blue

A carefully-designed scheme, as well as a bold splash of colour, has brought Catrin and Jono's extended kitchen to life

Need convincing about the benefits of going bespoke for a kitchen or joinery project? Let Catrin and Jono be your inspiration. Their kitchen extension was the largest part of a full renovation of their coastal home, set in the scenic Mumbles in Swansea Bay. On the wish list? Something bold, spacious, and, above all, practical.

Looking for a kitchen that would look and feel easy to use and live in, they enlisted the help of their builders, who constructed stunning plywood and Formica design with plenty of clever storage solutions woven in. The result is a bold centerpiece at the heart of their extended kitchen diner, a social hub for the family of four, and a creative space to live in. So successful has it been that Catrin plans to start her own interiors consultancy business. We spoke to her to find out how it all came together.

STEP ONE 1

FIRST STEPS

'We moved here in January 2018 to a very tired house - every room needed a bit of TLC. The kitchen didn't work for us. There was a tiny island with a small sink, and no place to put a fridge except against a hole in the wall. The ceiling was quite low over the kitchen itself, and the other half was glazed but leaky and draughty.

'We knocked the existing walls down, keeping the foundations but extending to the side, and adding a larger island. We built a wall up to the playroom to make a snug, reconfigured the utility, replaced the roof, added a front patio, and changed the bathrooms. We didn't envision doing such a big project but wanted a space we'd love.'

STEP TWO 2

LIVING IN

'We had very strong ideas of our own, so we approached a builder before an architect, visiting some of his projects and speaking to people who'd used him. He was open to ideas and had some of his own. He put us in touch with an architect, who drew up plans.