The designer: Joanna Dereniowska at John Willox Kitchen Design

The photographer: Rory Raitt at Raw Format Photography

The story: Luxury kitchen showroom John Willox Kitchen Design is based in Ellon, Aberdeenshire and specialises in beautiful bespoke projects. Showroom manager, Joanna Dereniowska, was delighted to work with a local architect on his own home – a modern new-build property on former agricultural land, which was sensitively repurposed and promotes the use of renewable energy sources and the virtues of low carbon living.

Designer Q&A:

Q) What was your brief from the client?

Our client wanted a modern, industrial-style kitchen with an emphasis on low carbon products to help both home and daily life run more efficiently.

Q) How did you answer the brief?

Our go-to climate-friendly furniture of choice is by Rotpunkt and we recommended the Zerox FM door in Carbon, a fine matt dark grey finish. Plus, standard features include a range of integrated LED light options, which are compatible with today’s smart home systems so the homeowner can fully automate the property to further optimise the home’s energy consumption.

Q) Which products did you use and why?

We chose Rotpunkt Zerox FM cabinetry in a Carbon finish with handleless slab doors and drawers and Rotpunkt climate-friendly furniture, made of BioBoard Gen2, to ethically furnish the main kitchen living space.

Products made from sustainable materials have a much longer lifespan so the Rotpunkt kitchen has helped reduce this home’s overall carbon footprint as well as benefit from the re-use and recycling of materials.

The surfaces are by Dekton in Trilium 20mm, created with up to 80% recycled material, and every appliance has an A+ minimum energy rating. The Quooker Fusion square boiling water tap runs from a boiler under the sink, which maintains a constant temperature and uses far less energy while the Karndean LooseLay Hudson LLP99 flooring is made using a mix of high-quality 100% virgin PVC and recycled PVC, which is manufactured using salt, a sustainable resource.

Q) Was there any building or renovation work involved?

This former brownfield site was constructed as sustainably as possible to create a green living environment that lends itself to a low carbon lifestyle.

From repurposing old concepts and preserving existing architectural elements through to the introduction of climate-friendly materials and energy-saving product solutions, this home is green to the core.

The inclusion of an air source heat pump provides an efficient heat and hot water system, and when combined with the Mechanical Ventilation and Heat Recovery system, the entire home benefits from a constant supply of fresh air that is warmed and circulated as needed.

For optimum control, efficiency levels and solar gains, this low carbon smart home provides automation of the heating, lighting and blinds, which over time will start to work intuitively by becoming attuned to the home’s day to day behaviour. The blinds will react to the time of day and/or weather, the heating can be controlled remotely or via an app and lights are fitted with specialist dimmers enabling the bulbs to run at 85% capacity without impact to room visibility.

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

This has been a highlight of my design career to date, given the huge importance on green living and how society is making changes to help protect the environment. The unique combination of industrial luxe with sustainable furniture and appliances makes this a uniquely personal living space, which brings the best of the modern world to an ancient landscape in a beautiful, secluded part of Aberdeenshire.

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

Mindful consumerism continues to be a priority for anyone seeking to make a difference and address climate change in the home, with big ticket items like the kitchen helping to reduce environmental impact and promote a greener way of life.

I think this project shows that you can now be design-forward while being kind to the planet, reducing a property’s carbon footprint without compromising on style and performance.

Make sure you work with an experienced kitchen designer with great attention to detail and a specialist understanding of your particular needs – this is as important as choosing climate-friendly furniture for a kitchen that is sustainable by design.

Q) Any trend predictions for 2024?

We are noting that consumers want the freedom to make original product choices with an eclectic mix of contemporary materials and custom designed elements. Personal expression has therefore never been more important, as homebuyers seek to put their own mark on the built environment with beautifully curated homes, which are modern and designed to serve individual needs and style choices.

In 2024, sleek kitchen furniture will become less predictable thanks to a new affinity for quality raw materials that contrast or balance an overall scheme. Visual texture will be added through colour and light and when introducing tactile texture, the latest wood finishes, textured stone and metal will be favoured.

With calm, feel-good interiors setting the tone for 2024, all fixtures and fittings are doing the heavy lifting to evoke quiet luxury. There will be a strong emphasis on high-quality handles, sophisticated integrated lighting and democratic sizing to accommodate our changing needs for storage as flexible living encompasses work, rest, study and play.

The details:

Furniture and lighting by Rotpunkt

Interior fixtures and fittings by Blum

Surfaces by Dekton

Appliances by Neff, Montpellier and Miro

Sink and tap by Rangemaster and Quooker

Flooring by Karndean

Hayley loves: all the sustainable elements that this kitchen has used, which have created a stunning and luxurious eco-friendly design without sacrificing style.