With a kitchen that did not live up to the rest of their clients’ property, Dobsons in Cheshunt had a few challenges to overcome to deliver their dream design…
THE CLIENTS: A young professional couple with two children, who had moved to the property five years earlier and were looking to create their dream kitchen in their forever home.
THE PROPERTY: A detached 1970s property, located in a quiet Hertfordshire village, which had been extensively renovated and extended by the previous owner.
THE CLIENTS: A young professional couple with two children, who had moved to the property five years earlier and were looking to create their dream kitchen in their forever home.
Dobsons’s clients loved their Hertfordshire home, but unfortunately the kitchen did not live up to the rest of the property. A large supporting brick pier blocked the view to the rest of the garden and made the layout problematic. The new design also had to be in keeping with the style of the rest of the house.
After Dobsons had replaced the large brick pier that was blocking views of the garden and restricting possible kitchen layouts, it opened up many more design possibilities.
In terms of furniture, the couple were looking for a classic style that would age well, so a simple painted shaker kitchen was decided upon, with elegant lines and a splash of colour to the island.
The Stoneham Edwardian range was chosen with its smooth painted door in shades of Dove Grey and Vert Studio (dark green).
The impressive island is not only the centrepiece of the kitchen but also the hub of family life in this open-plan space. As the island is very large, measuring over three metres long, Dobsons’s clients were not keen to have joints in their worktop.
Finding the right material for this was tricky, but eventually Hanex Clara with its invisible joints was chosen, leaving a seamless finish. The island is used for both cooking and casual dining and incorporates a Bora venting hob, Miele wine cabinet and a Kaelo integrated bottle cooler.
The rear wall of the kitchen houses a bank of four Siemens ovens. This includes a compact steam and combination microwave, in addition to the full-sized ovens, to provide plenty of cooking capacity for when the couple entertain guests.
The sink also features a Quooker Fusion tap for instant boiling water. Curved units were used on this run, not only to provide interest and flow to the island, but to soften a potentially awkward return wall.
As a family of four, plenty of storage was high on the clients wish list and the larder that surrounds the Fisher and Paykel American-style fridge provides ample space for dry goods.
To complete the kitchen and complement the shaker furniture, stylish milled solid satin brass Henley knurled handles were added to give a luxurious finishing touch.
In addition to the kitchen, Dobsons also designed the layout of the adjacent utility room as often the door between the two rooms is left open.
This room was simpler to design, but now looks as good as the kitchen itself, featuring the same Stoneham painted cabinetry, in Dove Grey, and matching worktops.
About Dobsons
Dobsons is a family business, started by Frank Dobson in 1935 and now led by the fourth generation of the Dobson family. Originally a general builders and joiners, Dobsons first ventured into the kitchen market in 1990. Since then it has grown to be the core of their business alongside bathrooms, double glazing and home renovations. Dobsons has a large showroom in Cheshunt, Hertfordshire, which exclusively features Stoneham kitchens, their preferred manufacturer, in large room sets.
