KBB Review 2020 Lockdown Awards Finalist

“Your design had originality and creativity, I loved it – I voted for you!” 

Johnny Grey, International designer and kitchen guru, and designer behind ‘the unfitted kitchen’.

This money-no-object brief was for an imaginary professional couple, their three children and two dogs living in a lighthouse on the North Devon coast.  Their design wishes were to include the industrial style of Tokyo and the ethnic feel of Mexico.  The father’s mother, Brenda, was 78, arthritic and partially sighted, who visited regularly and, despite her physical limitations, liked to fully participate in the family life and activities.

I got to grips with creating a kitchen and living space for the family, a private bedroom and bathroom for Brenda and a utility room all on ground level.  I used the height to create a low-ceilinged mezzanine with central ladder access.  I designed triple-glazed huge skylights to flood the space with light and a view to the stars.  Also, for the kitchen there was a huge bespoke batterie de cuisine-cum-lighting rack above the island.  I chose a cedarwood finish for the interior walls and furniture with huge round flat handles as a feature and for Brenda to be able to see the furniture doors clearly.  I chose to put the hob cooking on the island with a downdraught extractor, circular prep station and circular stainless steel sink station with a red boiling tap.  Bar seating was placed opposite the hob, and a dining table in the centre of the space. The flooring was grey stone with rugs.

In the living space within the lighthouse circle there was bespoke curved seating, a staircase to the basement and the upper floors, a floor to ceiling screen on the circular floor and ceiling runners to be able to close off the kitchen somewhat to watch TV or a film from a projector. 

I had tried very hard to incorporate a ramp around the inside of the building for Brenda, but the dimensions were such that it was either going to be too steep for building regulations (and the quickest way to A&E!) or too shallow that she would have to duck after the first 360 degrees!

From the ‘client’s’ perspective:

International designer and kitchen guru, Johnny Grey, who was one of judges, had me blubbing when he said: “Your design had originality and creativity, I loved it – I voted for you!”  

And I like to think that Brenda would have voted for me!!!