Modern German Kitchen in Traditional Home

When they first purchased their home in Beaconsfield in 1993, they set about changing it to their taste, working through room by room, extending and modernising. This included the kitchen – out went the old and in came their new, with Shaker-Style units, tiled floors and timber doors with basket-style handles.

“It went with the house at the time,” says John, “but by 2013, we wanted a different look again – something cleaner, fresher and sleeker. We called in KBS as we have friends who have had numerous kitchens from them over the years. We were impressed with the recommendations, so decided to go ahead.”

Their designer was Sue at KBS, who worked with the couple to produce a more practical kitchen with a modern feel and lighter colours. The couple wanted a streamlined German kitchen which offered very good quality and would be easy to keep. “We looked at many makes but Hacker proved unbeatable at the price,” says Edie.

In terms of the work, challenges included removing the existing slate flooring, and then levelling the kitchen floor to accommodate underfloor-heating in some parts, but not others.

Laying the new floor also provided some challenges, as the couples’ new tiles were very large at 1200 x 60 cm each. They had to be laid extremely precisely (very ‘square on’), as any tiny deviation would be highlighted in the unevenness of the property’s walls. “But we were both very impressed with how Sue ran our job,” Edie says. “She has an excellent ’can do’ attitude which was so important with a job like ours. And no matter what I threw at her, or how late my decisions were, she was always very patient and professional.”

With work now completed, the couple are delighted with their kitchen’s new sleeker look. White goods are from Miele; The Hacker Systemat units all have plush doors with no handles (opened under the worktops with what’s called a ‘c-channel’). Colours are calming – with units in ‘Cashmere’, and the Corian worktops in ‘Clay’. There’s even a sleek Corian washing bowl with recessed drainer.

“All very different from that kitchen way back in the 1990s,” says Edie, “but we absolutely love it. Well done Sue and KBS.”