Small space, BIG IDEAS

Jenny and Kev Tumilty’s vision to create a family-friendly, open-plan space included showstopping tiles as the starting point

- KAREN WILSON

After buying our big three-storey Victorian home, we knew renovating it bit by bit would be a long  process. Having already tackled the bathroom, living rooms and bedrooms, I couldn’t wait to move on to the kitchen and breakfast room as I hated having two separate spaces where you couldn’t see the kids.

Planning the space

By knocking out the wall between the two rooms as well as a pantry cupboard, we were able to create one big space. It meant we could add an island, which was top of our wish list. We also replaced the door to the side garden with sliding doors.

Although we thought about knocking through to the utility and shower room at the back of the kitchen, it would have just been a longer room and I like having a separate utility. We also considered a side-return extension to make the room wider, but it would have been costly for just an extra metre. The new L-shaped kitchen layout is pretty similar - except for the new island and losing the sink unit where the new sliding doors are.

‘We wanted a sense of flow with a cohesive colour scheme’

Selection process