Designing a kitchen: What really matters by Cathy Morris, Kitchen Designer at Sapphire Spaces
With many years’ experience designing kitchens, Cathy believes the best results come from looking beyond the kitchen itself.
What I consider when I start designing a kitchen
When I start designing a kitchen, I'm thinking about much more than where the cupboards and appliances will go.
Of course it has to function perfectly, but I'm also looking at the architecture, proportions, light, views and materials — and how the kitchen will sit within the rest of the home.
Whether it's a new build, renovation or an existing kitchen, these are some of the things I consider very early on.
Start with the architecture, not the kitchen
I always look at the room as a whole before I start filling it with furniture.
Where does the natural light fall? What are the important views? Are there architectural features we should celebrate rather than compete with?
In a large space, there's a temptation to assume you need more kitchen. Often you don't. The space around furniture and cabinetry can be just as important as what we put in.
And if we're involved early enough in a new build or renovation, we can sometimes suggest changes to windows, walls or doorways that make a considerable difference to the finished room.
Understand what you're drawn to
Clients often show me images they like, but I'm interested in why they like them.
Is it the warmth of the timber? The simplicity? The contrast between stone and cabinetry? The fact that it doesn't particularly look like a kitchen?
That helps us get beyond copying a particular look and create something that feels right for the property and the people living there.
Consider materials together
This is one of my favourite parts of the process.
A cabinet finish can look completely different beside the worktop, flooring, wall colour and furniture. Natural light changes it again. I prefer to create a palette rather than select individual finishes.
You don't necessarily need lots of different materials. Often a limited palette, chosen really well, creates a much stronger result.
Decide where the eye should go
Not everything in a kitchen needs to make a statement.
If we have a beautiful piece of stone, an exceptional island or an architectural view, I want to give it room to breathe. If everything is asking for attention, you lose that sense of calm.
Part of designing a high-specification kitchen is knowing where to invest in something special — and where to be deliberately subtle.
Look beyond the kitchen
With open-plan living, I don't design a kitchen from one viewpoint.
What will you see from the dining table or sitting area? How does it connect with the garden? And what does the kitchen look like at night when nobody is cooking?
Sometimes we'll conceal appliances or create cabinetry that feels more like furniture so the kitchen sits comfortably within the wider space.
Make sure it works
None of this matters if the kitchen is frustrating to use.
I'll ask where everyone gathers, how you like to cook, what you want immediately to hand and what you'd rather hide away. Those details affect everything from appliances and storage to circulation.
Clients don't need to arrive knowing the answers from a design point of view. That's my job. I need to understand what you're drawn to, what matters to you and how you want the room to feel.
From there, we can create something that works beautifully, belongs in the home and still feels right many years from now.
