THE CREATION STATION

Stunning high-design kitchens and bedrooms often come at a price when the entire project (design, build, install) is commissioned to an interiors company.

There is an alternative and that is to employ a designer to design your dream kitchen, for example, using technical plans (often AutoCAD) that you can then have built by a carpenter/joiner of your choice. This method is not dissimilar to approaching an architect but instead it’s for the interior of your home. It’s also a cost-effective way of getting exactly what you want at a price that you have more control over.

As part of that service a 3D perspective is essential and the beauty of the hand-drawn one surpasses all computer aided design. Take a look..

http://www.squidoo.com/kitchendesignservice

Feast your eyes on the high end luxury of this eight bedroom house in Knightsbridge, London. If you’re itching to phone your mortgage advisor it’s yours at a snip of £37.5 million. I’m loving the split level configuration, the no-holds barred top spec materials and the fusion and blending of colour scheme and textures.  The interior designer definitely had a clear image in their mind as to who their target market was…film star, rock star, serial entrepeneur, trust fundee. But what’s letting this property down?

The kitchen! Masculine, linear, soul-less. The too-small dining table is the wrong shape for the space and would seem more befitting in a meeting room plus tiny lattice windows in the diner area. For a 7-figure renovation budget is this inspiring?

Thoughts?

I’m loving the laid  back but sophisticated feel of this open plan Parisian design (right.)

Equally the immense height and use of stainless steel in this American kitchen (left) reminds me of some funky bars I’ve attended in Durban, South Africa. The extensive use of wood veneer panelling makes a bold but calming statement.

Let me know what you think?

American kitchen architecture at its best

Parisian apartment

As much as you’d love a new kitchen the hairy scary stories of the credit crunch have left you running for the hills. Right? Wrong! We’ve been studying the patterns and behaviour of the consumer market and have found that people are determined “to see something for their money.”

As folk have lost trust in the banks and lost value in their stocks and shares, people are purchasing ‘investments’, that is products that will either hold their value or add value to their assets whilst they wait for the rest of the financial market to recover.

One of those ‘investments’ are premium quality kitchens and other sensible home improvements; that is improvements that will maintain or boost the value of your home and increase its saleability.

Steer away from high fashion trends that will soon look dated. Instead, choose classic materials, timeless colours and luxurious finishes and soon you’ll be enjoying the fruits of your investment on a day to day basis.

The June issue of the most relevant UK kitchen magazine hits the shelves tomorrow where you can feast your eyes on more cucina heaven. I love nothing more than curling up with a coffee and a new magazine (not that I get more than 10 minutes to myself before I’m disturbed by x, y & z!).

Beautiful Kitchens magazine is featuring one of our recent kitchens – one that Darren won a kitchen designer award for, which makes it all the more special. It’s a very sophisticated and elegant creation for a very elegant client of ours and consists of Soft Steel painted  cabinetry with American Walnut posts, a stunning granite called Labrador Antique, a contemporary glazed dresser to house the best china and a porcelain floor called Indian Silk which I’d never come across before, it’s so unique. All the materials blend so beautifully. See for yourself….

PINCUS Kitchen as Featured in Beautiful Kitchens Magazine