design et al are delighted to announce that Oakeve Interiors have been shortlisted for Kitchen Design over £50,000 Award in The International Design and Architecture Awards 2017.
The design brief was to create a fabulous, impressive, and luxurious ‘show case’ new home, engendering an ‘aspirational lifestyle’ choice for any discerning prospective purchaser. As the kitchen/ breakfast area/ family room was a vast area, totalling 1,250 sq. ft., the conceptual design of this one large, open plan living space had to provide connectivity between these specific areas enabling social dining, entertaining and modern living, whilst also delivering future homeowners with an ergonomic, practical cooking space with high-performance appliances of uncompromising quality. Sub-Zero and Wolf appliances, easily identifiable by their iconic and unique design by brand-aware clientele, were specified within the design for their unsurpassed superiority in food refrigeration, preparation, and cuisine. A holistic, comprehensive interior design scheme, utilising sumptuous, tactile fabrics and a complementary colour palette provided design continuity and a seamless flow throughout the living space.
Also included within the design brief was that this fabulous new show home had to be comfortable and welcoming and technologically advanced, therefore innovative technologies were utilised such as smart home technology and home automation solutions to assist the homeowners to manage their home more efficiently and effectively. A Control4 Multi-Room Audio System, a full Home Cinema System and air conditioning was installed within the family room to maximise the enjoyment, flexibility and functionality of this area and promote the wellbeing of the potential purchaser. The home cinema system was integrated into the Lutron lighting system, so that when the cinema was in use the lights would dim accordingly and could be controlled by either iPhone, iPad or other tablet/smartphone devices. CAT6 cabling was also provided to the kitchen and utility appliances for ‘future proofing’ of intelligent appliances.
In addition, with well-being firmly at the heart of an Oakeve Interiors home and consequently at the core of the design brief, leveraging natural light was of key importance so that the kitchen/ breakfast area/ family room was a bright, welcoming and inviting space. A significant expanse of bi-folding doors, large windows and a ‘starlit’ roof lantern was specified for the family room in order to capitalise upon the natural light that streams into the south-facing property. Furthermore, polished book-matched marble worktops, high gloss lacquered birds eye maple cabinetry, stainless steel appliances and grills and mirrored display shelving, all combined to reflect natural light and engender a feeling of well-being and warmth.
Ensuring a seamless flow and connectivity within this large, open plan space between the cooking, dining and relaxation areas was a key aspect of this project. This was successfully realised by utilising a combination of luxury, state-of-the-art appliances, with generous circulation spaces and large but proportionate kitchen cabinetry and kitchen island, resulting in the cooking area being perfectly sized for the room proportions. Bespoke, individually commissioned furniture in a complementary high gloss, bird’s eye maple veneer to the kitchen cabinetry was designed for the breakfast area and family room to ensure design continuity creating a sumptuous, seamless flow within this capacious open-plan living space. And to further enforce this association a complementary purple and pale grey colour palette was utilised.