Room to grow
It may have taken 15 years to get the kitchen of their dreams, but Carole and Robin Yallop certainly think it was worth the wait...
Home gallery
Within just three years of moving into their detached home in Surrey, Carole and Robin Yallop had outgrown the original, somewhat limited kitchen. "At the time, we had two little girls - Michelle (now 22) and Lisa (now 19) - who were growing fast. The cook zone had few work surfaces, nowhere to sit as a family, and was generally inadequate," says Carole. "But, for various reasons, we waited another 15 years before tackling the problem. And, once we had made the decision to go ahead, the floodgates opened!"
Local building surveyor, Rob Bateman, swiftly designed a single storey extension, and planning permission came through in a matter of weeks.
It took a further seven months for the structural work to be completed. Fortunately, their builder, Mark Channel, was able to organise the schedule in such a way that the family were only without a kitchen for two weeks. "He very cleverly knocked all the walls down around us, leaving a freestanding oven, stove, sink and washing machine," explains Carole, who is a human resources manager. "It was great fun cooking in winter, with no proper roof and my thick gloves and scarf on - but we were still able to prepare a meal most nights!" she smiles.
The new cook station, which is complete with an attached utility room, is now so large that it has virtually doubled the footprint of the original property. Sizeable glass panels in the roof allow the light to flood in, while sets of bi-folding glass doors lead out onto an Indian limestone patio, which surrounds the entire house.
It was Mark who suggested that they purchase a Howdens kitchen, as he had worked with them before. So, the couple chose units with solid oak Tewkesbury doors and worktops in Emerald Pearl granite, provided by Granite Marni Export Ltd of Newhurst. "We requested casual seating at one end, a dining zone in the middle and the food prep area at the other extreme, clearly defined by a large island," says Carole. Its vast surface is intentionally clear of any sinks, hobs or gadgets. The reason behind this idea was that it would allow people to sit around the island on stools, chatting with a glass of wine, while Carole could use it for food prep. The unit is very much the focus of the room, yet highly functional, too. On the cooker side, it contains three sets of drawers, and one end is fitted with a cooler for white wine. If guests prefer a fine red, there's also a dedicated rack.
Carole and Robin ensured that they thought through each decision carefully before going ahead. "We considered underfloor heating, but if anything had gone wrong with it, we would have had a lot of flooring to remove," continues Carol. "Instead, Mark suggested that we install a log burner and flue within the seating area, which worked well."
Mark used leftover London stock bricks to build the fireplace which houses the woodburner, as well as to frame the fridge freezer, cleverly blending it into the scheme. Other finishing touches included painting the walls either side of the fireplace and around the range cooker in a vibrant red, and having a glass splashback tinted to match.
"Our new extension has made a huge difference, as we are a sociable family, and often entertain," shares Carole. "It was impossible for anyone to sit comfortably in our old kitchen, so I always felt a bit isolated when preparing a meal. Now, I've had to get used to 'cooking on show' while guests are visiting. But, at least if anything goes wrong, it gives us all something to laugh about!"
