Linear Living

With a small baby, a house in chaos and a busy job, Zoe Rikkerink began to wonder what on earth she’d done.
 “We’d decided to replace the horrible plastic and aluminium conservatory
at the back of our house with a new extension, and to reconfigure the layout of the rooms to make space for a new kitchen and living area,” explains Zoe of the Victorian house she moved into with her husband Henk-Jan in 2006.
 “But all the structural work took much longer than expected, and I began to think it would never finish.”
Just as she was nearing the end of her tether, help arrived in the shape
of Roundhouse. “We looked at several kitchen companies,” recalls Zoe.
 “Roundhouse wasn’t the cheapest,
but we were very impressed with the attention to detail and engagement in the design process. It was a huge help, just when we needed it.”
Zoe, a project director for a technology network, and Henk-Jan, head of research for a financial services company, chose simple Urbo painted furniture with smooth, stain-resistant Silestone worktops to create the fuss-free look they had in mind. “Low maintenance was a key deciding factor for us,” she says. “We lead busy lives and would rather spend our time doing other things than cleaning the kitchen.”
Sales design consultant from Roundhouse Guildford, Paul Welburn, takes up the story. “The design is totally tailored to Zoe and Henk-Jan’s specific requirements,” he says. “The Urbo furniture is sprayed with three coats
of paint in our workshop and then hand finished on site, so it’s tough,
and the flat fronted design makes it easy to keep clean.”
The linear look is enhanced by a mix of handleless cupboards with oak detailing and tall sections with streamlined bar handles, designed to create a simple backdrop to the showpiece island. With its angled shape and bar section topped with raspberry glass, the island creates an eye-catching centrepiece in the room.
“I chose the pink glass to add a little lift to the room,” says Zoe. “I love the way the bar hides all the pots, pans and cooking chaos from the dining area.”
While Paul concedes the island shape is not the most conventional,
its design, he says, helps the flow of
the room and adds individuality.
 “The island mirrors the angles of the sloping roof and creates interest,” he explains, adding that the mix of surface materials emphasises its modern shape. “It also helps create natural walkways around the room, and means that when Zoe or Henk-Jan are cooking, they have a clear line of sight towards the dining area and garden beyond.”
Cooking, by her own admission, is not Zoe’s favourite task. “I find it a bit of a bind, to be honest,” she laughs. “So we wanted enough space for two people to cook at the same time – Henk-Jan and
I share domestic tasks – and the design works brilliantly. One can be cooking, the other emptying the dishwasher, and we don’t trip over each other.”
To complete the multi-tasking aspects of the room, a powerful extraction system, with a motorised hood can be lowered or raised at the press of a button, to suit who­ever’s cooking
at the hob. Other helpful features in the kitchen include two dishwashers – great when there’s a crowd – a Zip boiling water tap for endless cups of tea, and a timber-fronted tambour unit, which stores kitchen clutter out of sight and keeps the worktops clear.
While their son, Thomas, likes to run around the room with his friends during the day, Zoe and Henk-Jan wanted to be able to transform their kitchen into a more sophisticated space come evening. The soft greys and blues of the worktops and furniture create a tranquil backdrop, while plinth-level and in-floor lighting add night-time glamour.
“The simple furniture wouldn’t look out of place in a living area, so the room blends well with the dining and seating areas, and the bi-fold doors to the garden create a lovely feel in summer,” says Zoe. “It’s not a kitcheny-kitchen, but more of a living space. This is the room where we like to spend most of our time.”