HOMES
THE SECRETS
TO A
cool
kitchen
Peter Turner, managing director of Teesside-based interior
design studio, Cocoon and Bauer, has designed Michelin star
restaurants, five-star hotels and some of the most exclusive
addresses in the country. Now he shares his secrets with
Tees Life readers…
W
ith summer just around the
corner, I thought it would be
best to focus on planning the
main entertaining space within your home -
the kitchen.
January is the most common month for
kitchen renovations, but spring is a perfect
time to draw up plans as the light nights
enable you to better understand where the
sun will direct its rays and brighten up your
home.
For me, there are several elements I always
consider when planning any kitchen…
Firstly, the direction it faces. This is
essential when planning any room in the
house – warm golden sunshine originates
from southerly and westerly directions,
providing warmer tones as it shines through
your home.
Natural daylight, however, comes from
any direction where the sun isn’t, giving off a
bluer hue. This can add a beautiful, calming
coolness to a room. However, with the wrong
wall colour, it can make a space feel empty,
dull and cold.
In sun-drenched rooms, opt for cool
greys or light, neutral colours – and, if you
want to be a little more daring, try teals and
blues. For north-facing or dark rooms, use
light, warm greys such as Farrow & Ball’s
Skimming Stone, adding blocks of colour to
an island or bank of tall units.
A second key element when planning a
kitchen is its connection with the outside.
Fitting doors at the dining/lounge area frees
up space for the kitchen units, so opting for
a U-shaped kitchen will utilise the wall space
and provide a large circulation area in the
middle. For very large properties consider
installing an island to stop the area feeling
too cavernous.
If you fit the doors within
the kitchen area then have
the kitchen face towards
the garden, either in an L
shape with an island unit or
a bank of tall units along the
back wall with a peninsula
island unit in front. This is
important as it embraces
the light pouring in from
the outside but also helps
circulation through to the
other zones such as the dining
and lounge areas.
My last big tip for any
kitchen is to try creating a separate utility
room to hide any noisy or messy appliances.
This leaves your main kitchen to be clutter-
free - and the showstopper you desire!
Head over to our Instagram page (@cocoonandbauer) to see some of our recent
kitchen proposals and the understanding of our design process behind them.
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