This project had been in the pipeline for years. We first met Martin back in 2016 when we completed a very special bathroom for him. We discussed the kitchen back then but the timing had to wait. When I revisited to start talks back up the space had been expanded and some electrical works done but the area had been stripped and left like a building site for years. The project grew to include the hallway, downstairs cloakroom, utility area built in the garage, security enhancements, conservatory refurbishment, glass stair balustrades, landing woodwork, sun tunnel, two bedrooms, and an ensuite! We were there for fourteen weeks from summer to winter 2023. Martin was a fantastic host and we maintained an ideal working relationship throughout this huge project. We’ve kept in close contact since with various little add-ons or just general updates on how he uses the area. Like his bathroom, this kitchen had to have a ‘Wow’ factor. The floor was stripped back to the concrete slab, waste, water, heating, and power integrated throughout before being leveled, matted, and underfloor heating installed before being leveled again. Finished in matt white 600mm x 600mm porcelain. The gorgeous German-styled kitchen comprised a wall of units housing two full-height fridge freezers, a fan oven/air fryer, and a microwave oven. Copious storage surrounds them and Sonos speakers mounted atop with mood lights top and bottom to frame the area. The island was a feat of imagination and functionality. A goal post design boasting a beautiful 50mm Corian worktop over six metres long! Within this huge surface holds two full-size sinks with stainless bases, a Quooker pull-out tap with all the extras – boiling, filtered, chilled, and sparkling, his ‘n’ hers ice troughs, pop-up wireless charging stations with multiple plug and USB ports. A large five-ring induction hob with a fantastic, clean downdraught feature provides perfect visual open space but with ample extraction capability. Underneath this shroud of swirling white solid surface lies huge pan drawers dominating one side, with spacious cupboards along the other with mood lights spanning each length, of course fully adjustable to suit tastes. An integrated dishwasher hides away to take care of essentials, and a full-width wine cooler sits proudly at the other end and takes care of other essentials! My favourite feature which was an afterthought is the housing of a Sonos subwoofer inside the cavity between the wine cooler and the main island underneath the seating area. Using offcuts and some spare shelves we created a mood-lit, see-through feature niche and base tunnel to behold! The media wall was plastered to suit the glorious floating line of cupboard units perfectly. Mood-lit below to match the room and within them, they provide more storage but importantly include numerous (neatly housed) network hubs, main router, power outlets for all the many devices, smart home switches, and junction boxes allowing for any future adaptation of how the room works. Capped in the same Corian worktop it’s the perfect complement to that huge island. Slated wall and smart TV all with responsive mood lights to the screen, and a Sonos Beam to literally rattle the whole room! A powerhouse of designer heating keeps this space toasty. Lighting in a room like this is impeccably important. The spotlights in the ceiling are all dimmable Philips Hue Ambience bulbs so they can change from warm white (2700k) to ice white (6000k) they are activated by a lux-sensitive motion sensor and are turned on to suit the (up to) ten light configurations throughout the day and night. The feature drop lights over the island and the strip mood lights of the room are all powered by Philips Hue sockets so can be controlled from one app on your smartphone. There is a manual override dimmer switch dial mounted on the wall for the retro fans. Next to this is an Alexa Show 15. The feature technology assistant for the room projects its incredibly capable home automation ability for its users. Endless features including music requests, weather alerts, verbal lighting control, recipes, to-do lists, reminders, timers, and security camera feeds, fit perfectly in this truly contemporary custom design and built beating heart of this magnificent home – also known as the kitchen. Martin’s kitchen.