We had spent a long time planning the kitchen layout. What to put where, how much storage we wanted, how the appliances should sit, seating and dining, lighting and how to tie the kitchen in with the utility.
We’d made plans on paper, the back of envelopes, online planners and CAD models. We’d scoured countless magazines for inspiration and tips.

There were a few bits we’d definitely agreed on. Two ovens. Why get a double oven when you can buy two single ones?! We certainly had the room and it didn’t particularly cost more. It also added symmetry. The sink too, was fairly set in stone. We’d accidentally stumbled across a monster by Villeroy & Bosch, a full meter wide and deeper than a regular counter. With three sinks built in. It was the sort of thing we couldn’t un-see and we resigned ourselves to finding it for the cheapest price. The hob we were a little less picky about but wanted to find another Smeg after enjoying our first one in Bristol. Ideally it would match the ovens too. Mainly we liked the knobs. Again, we had the luxury of no size constraints so plumped for a delicious flat glass gas hob with a large side burner. Bristol had taught us that five hobs is great but having a central big one is impractical. We went for a big fifth burner on the side this time.
Although we’re both fans of quartz and natural stone tops the cost over so much area was somewhat prohibitive. We had also thoroughly enjoyed the iroko wood from Bristol. This time though we agreed on a thin oak surface, lighter in colour and lighter on the eye at about 2/3 of regular thickness. Also, it’s the kind of material we can buy in and custom fit ourselves for cost cutting and an absolutely perfect fit. Old walls being less than straight and all that.

What of the cabinetry then? We had a look around the usual suspects (Wren, Neptune, John Lewis, Wickes…), dreamt too much of a custom solid wood jobby and settled for another Ikea. We had been perfectly satisfied with our last one; they’re all made out of chipboard unless you go for solid wood and if you’re handy with a saw you can bend the cabinets to your will. It’s also pretty easy to make changes on the fly with Ikea: just go to a store and pick up new parts! We tossed and turned about a shaker style but the main lesson we learned from Bristol was to have lots of flat, easily wipeable surfaces. So we opted for some flat white cabinets to match the walls instead.
The secret to a good Ikea kitchen is to make it not look like an Ikea kitchen. Whereas every kitchen cabinet maker in the world offers a flat white style, it’s the knobs which are the true tell. We therefore elected to source our own knobs from a third party. The cherry on the cake which draws the eye away from any poor icing.
The only thing left was to buy it all.