'We wanted to create a warm retreat for our family'

Family is often the guiding force behind a renovation project – after all, we all want a home where we can relax and spend time together.

For many households, the motivation is for one kitchen renovation is to create a space where family and friends can come together to share a meal and where children can play or do homework while their parents cook.

To create their dream family kitchen, Olive and Hugo Guest – with the help of designers from Neptune – attempted to transform a former stable into a spacious kitchen/diner.

Designing the perfect kitchen

“We wanted to create a retreat for our family that felt warm and inviting,” says Olive Guest. However, their home, Glebe Stables, was far from this vision when she and her husband Hugo took over the property in 2020.

‘Until the 1950s it was the stables of the Georgian parsonage, Glebe House‘, Olive explains. ‘In the 1980s, Hugo’s parents turned it into an outbuilding: the hayloft was converted into two bedrooms, while the old stable below became the garage with a very large garage. small kitchen area. Where our new kitchen extension These were once the pigsties.’

Expanding space

Italian inspired kitchen with pink walls, wooden cabinets and red island

(Image credit: Neptune)

To realize their dream, Olive and Hugo planned the two-storey extension to create a new, bright and spacious space traditional cuisineplus two new bedrooms and a bathroom above.

‘We live in an area of outstanding natural beauty, so planning can take a lot of time,’ says Olive. ‘It took me about two years to get it building permit for the extension and another year for construction.’

Italian inspired kitchen with black toaster and toasting supplies on marble worktop with green and orange artwork on the wall with peaches and blue can

(Image credit: Neptune)

An island was a must-have

Italian inspired kitchen with pink walls and red island and sleek glass pendant lamp above the island

(Image credit: Neptune)

An essential part of creating their dream family-friendly cuisine was a multifunctional island.

“It would provide space not only for us to get ready, but also for family craft projects and for the boys to play. They are four and two years old, and we love cooking with them – baking cookies, rolling out pasta – and generally getting really messy,” says Olive.

‘Having a big one kitchen island The space and a small seating and dining area allow us all to live, play and work together in a way that doesn’t feel like we’re all on top of each other.’

Creating an Italian-inspired cuisine

Italian inspired kitchen with pink walls, wooden cabinets and red stove

(Image credit: Neptune)

When it came to cabinets, they were solid oak and painted wood Neptune’s Henley kitchen fit perfectly. It’s classic country kitchen style and the exposed wood of the base cabinets complemented the original Georgian building while embracing warmth color trends in the kitchen brought some much-needed character to the expansion.

‘We love how the kitchens in Italy are doing cheerful colors and lots of character, and we wanted to bring some of that to our home,” says Olive. ‘We also get inspired when we take the boys for walks on the local beaches. We love the oranges and patchwork greens of the unique cliffs along the nearby Jurassic coastline, which led us to choose the warm terracotta tones.”

‘There is also a letterbox red boat on Branscombe beach, and we love the idea of having a bold red color somewhere, which inspired the color for the red island.’

The space was completed with a subtle checkerboard terracotta kitchen floor. “It was truly a labor of love. I didn’t quite expect it would take six coats of sealer, but it was worth it,” says Hugo.

Add lights

Italian-inspired kitchen with wall cupboard, candle on the wall and lamp on Neptune marble worktop

(Image credit: Neptune)

For artist Olive and chef Hugo, natural light is essential, both for their creativity and for their work.

Having windows on three sides of the kitchen certainly brightens the room and the striking green window frames contrast with the walls and emphasize the natural light.

Softer gold kitchen lighting ideas lamps, wall lamps and glass pendants provide atmosphere and lighting. Concept how to plan kitchen lighting is essential in winter – it turns a cold, dark space into a warm and cozy place.

Living the dream

Italian-inspired kitchen with cozy sitting area with wicker armchair, abstract artwork and houseplant

(Image credit: Neptune)

“We used to not spend much time in the kitchen because there wasn’t enough space,” Olive explains. ‘However, our new kitchen-diner has exceeded all expectations; we now always come together here as a family.’

‘We are very proud of our home and have a long list of friends to invite to our Christmas celebrations.’