The Eco Kitchen

Gillian wanted a kitchen that would reflect her enviromentally conscious values, whilst still offering maximum storage needed for all her kitchen items. Gillian had a pretty clear idea of how she wanted her kitchen to look and this was the main driving force behind the design.

Worktop Height

With the steps up to the rest of the room, we created bespoke low base units to keep the worktop at a useable height rather than the worktop for giants that was there before! This meant that we could put the hob facing into the room for sociable cooking. The dwarf wall kept the mess hidden from view as well as providing space for sockets and protecting the furniture from food splashes.

Working with the Light

Being quite a dark space, we put all the storage on the back wall to pull the main working areas into the lighter part of the room. We also created a new window through to the hallway where she was installing a skylight. So that we could still have enough storage, we used sit on units with tambour doors so that she could access them even with items on the worksurface were used, and extended the worktop space forwards to retain a sensible amout of prep space in front.

Storage

Gillian made a clear plan of where each item would be stored so that we knew that everything would have a home in this compact kitchen. We could also use the right internal drawers or dividers to help use this space efficiently.

Eco Choices

We looked at all the data sheets for each material choice to balance up which was the most eco material throughout its lifecycle that we could use. You can read about all the material choices that we made on this blog here

Designing an Eco Kitchen

Where possible, we used steel as a recyclable material for the sink, tap, dishwasher and fridge. All the appliances were bought at the highest energy ratings available as these have more impact on the carbon footprint of your kitchen than the cabinetry.

Peninsula Extraction

So as not to obstruct the view with a ceiling extractor, we used a vented hob with the vent extracting backwards under a bookshelf, rather than as a visible grill in the kitchen.

Kitchen Colours

Gillian wanted to put her personality into this space which is exactly what everyone should do, if you're putting a new kitchen in, it's probably because you're looking to stay for a while and so it's about making it your own. Initially we were looking at naked plywood doors but after a sample was made, this wasn't going to look smart enough for this small space - it is a structural material afterall, not usually left raw.

Working with the cabinetmaker, Gillian chose a simple maple veneer and a dye to give her the bolt of blue that would tie in with fabrics throughout the rest of the room.