The designer: Wayne Young and Daniel Moorhouse, Noble Signature Kitchens (www.noblesignaturekitchens.co.uk)

The story: The property was a new-build, which the client totally planned out down to the last detail. Between the client and the designers, they combined her thoughts with various suggestions and came up with her dream kitchen. Storage and access was essential, hence the various pull-outs and inserts.

Designer Q&A:

Q) What was your brief from the client?

The clients had moved from a small house to a purpose-built new home, allowing them the luxury of a kitchen tailored completely to their needs and tastes. They had prepared a thorough wish list in terms of the look and feel they wanted to create. They had some firm ideas on the design, including having the hob positioned on the island. The island also had to include an extended seating area to double up as a relaxation and entertaining area. Ultimately they wanted their new kitchen to have a sleek, modern feel.

Q) How did you set about answering that brief?

The room offered a large amount of space, without too many doors and windows in the way, so this enabled the design to come together nicely. The island was always going to be the focal point of the design and whilst it is generous in size, due to its simplicity of styling, it does not overwhelm the scheme. The clients wanted the room to be a key family living space as well as the hub for entertaining friends, so it was important to understand this but also the type of ambience they wanted to create and reflect their personalities.

Q) Which products did you use and why?

The Second Nature Remo range in a gloss white finish was a clear choice to achieve the crisp contemporary aesthetic, coupled with pure white Silestone quartz worktops and down legs on either end of the island. However, to ensure the overall interior did not feel too clinical, we worked closely with the clients on the colour scheme and lime green was chosen as an accent for the splashbacks, blinds and stools. This breathes fun and energy to the palette and adds character and interest to the scheme.

Q) What elements do you think make the scheme so successful?

I love the vast area of the Island, which provides not only a prepping and cooking area but also a large, sociable seating hub. It was very important to enhance the clean lines, so various pull-outs are incorporated to keep worktops clutter-free. The lighting also adds so much to the design, with the feature pendants over the island and LED strip lighting under the units and along both sides of the island. As always, the most important thing for me is that the client is happy with the end result. We fulfilled her original wish list and much more and she now has her dream kitchen and has told me that they use this room the most. I don’t think I could ask for a happier customer than that – it’s most satisfying to hear that this is the space the family choose to be spend most time in.

Q) Any advice for someone who may be planning a new kitchen?

Don’t rush the process. Spend time reviewing what works in your current kitchen, but more importantly, what really doesn’t work and causes frustration to you. This may be anything from the positioning of the ovens to lack of storage or worksurface. Consider the longevity of your new kitchen – it’s not something that’s changed on a regular basis so ensure that it is future proofed, not only in terms of how it looks and choosing a style that will not date, but also ergonomically and to meet the changing demands of the household. My final piece of advice to any client is to ensure you choose a designer that you can relate to and feel comfortable around.

The details:

Remo white cabinetry by Second Nature, www.sncollection.co.uk

Soft-close drawer boxes and hinges by Blum, www.blum.com

Worktops by Silestone, www.silestone.com

Appliances by Neff and Elica, www.neff.co.uk and www.elica.com

Sinks by Astracast, www.astracast.com

Hayley loves: The zingy lime green contrast against the crisp white finish.