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Let there be light

Philip and Karen Eaton had originally moved to their 1800s family home in Repton, Derbyshire, to ensure their family enjoyed fantastic schooling. So, as the children grew older and they were no longer shackled by the demands of educational catchment areas, the couple considered upping sticks. But, as Karen's mother had already moved once to be close to them, they opted instead to stay put and renovate.

The kitchen was the first project Philip and Karen wanted to tackle as, with just one son yet to fly the nest, the room didn't need to cater for a busy family anymore. An existing conservatory was part removed to allow the kitchen to be extended with a large pitched glass roof, bringing light flooding in. The original kitchen housed a small table where the family used to congregate to chat, eat and do homework, but the new extension allowed for a separate dining area to flow from the kitchen. "We wanted access into the garden from the kitchen through French doors, and a central island, but no dining space as we had been able to create a separate dining area," Philip explains. "We wanted a feeling of space and a good flow in the downstairs area of the home and a clear demarcation of the use of the rooms."

Having completed the building work for the extension, Philip and Karen commissioned designer Paul Osborne of Osborne of Ilkeston (handmade kitchens) to transform their hopes for this new space into a reality. Choosing the right company to meet their needs was a simple decision. "Although we had looked at various local companies, Osborne of Ilkeston has a great reputation in the area and had been recommended to us by a number of people. I definitely preferred to trust word-of-mouth recommendations rather than company puff," Philip recalls.

The couple's key requirements were a long island unit with plenty of work surface to bake, chop and cook, plus a large Aga. Paul Osborne, along with designer Kate Hughes-Dyer, the design maestros behind the entire project, created a central island as the workhorse of the kitchen. Their vision was of a layout that minimised travel, but made the best use of the room's generous dimensions.

The island houses everything the couple could need to create a meal; it has chopping boards neatly stowed away underneath, vegetable drawers to store fresh ingredients, a large Belfast sink for prepping food and plenty of storage for dry ingredients and the cooking utensils that need to be close to hand. Paul even made an open display area for pots and pans at the end of the island, which has been framed with ornate turned legs.

When it came to the appliances, a modern twist was certainly injected into this pretty space. A large American-style, stainless steel fridge-freezer sits adjacent to the island while Miele domino hobs are sited in the island itself topped with an intensive island extractor with integral halogen lighting. "Top of our wish list was an Aga, but we also wanted all of the modern conveniences of a contemporary kitchen, so we decided to introduce cutting edge appliances here as well. I love that quirky mix of old and new," explains Karen.

With the cabinetry itself, Philip and Karen took a more traditional route, choosing a classic inset Shaker-style door from Osborne of Ilkeston's Chateaux range. Mixing pine with hand painted units helps break up the run of cabinetry; a move that Paul Osborne says was essential to creating the right ambience for this room. Meanwhile, clever internal storage makes use of every inch of available space inside each cupboard. Finally, glazed dresser units with integrated internal lights were created to house all of Karen's recipe books and a pretty open plate rack sits just inside the French doors, which open out onto the garden. All the joints are dovetailed for extra stability, with inset hinges and extra-thick 28mm doors adding to the overall feeling of strength and permanence. Philip says: "We probably had some rather fixed ideas of the type of style we wanted, but the mix of green painted finish and wooden doors was an unexpected twist and I think it really gives the kitchen that eclectic, bespoke feel we were looking for."

New Year for the Eatons is a time to celebrate with family and friends. "I hate jostling with the crowds on New Year's Eve, so we tend to hold a small gathering at our house to welcome in the new year. This year, I'll be able to cater for everyone in style. Our dining room opens out onto our lovely new kitchen, so we'll be able to accommodate everyone comfortably. They'll even be able to sip their champagne while looking out onto fairy lights in the garden," Karen sums up.