After living with a dark, compact kitchen, the owners of this home near Bicester found themselves longing for more space for their family of four. The couple have two young sons and wanted to extend their property to create a light-filled, open-plan space with a central island that would become the hub of family life.
“We wanted a large island in the new kitchen with enough room for all of us to sit at,” explain the homeowners.
While durability and functionality were key, style was equally important: “We had in our minds to create a kitchen with a Scandinavian feel to it with natural materials and an eye-catching worktop with waterfall ends.
“Having an island with waterfall ends was something we had always liked the look of in brochures and kitchen showrooms, so we were keen to recreate this in our own kitchen. We also wanted additional areas of the kitchen space to be covered in the work surface so it would really stand out against the oak cabinets.”
The positioning of the island was also important as they wanted it to be a social space where they could chat to friends and family while they cooked. “We didn’t want to feel as though we had our backs to guests – or more importantly, our two boys who love nothing more than getting up to mischief when our backs are turned!”
Extending the ground floor gave the family a new open-plan space that features a kitchen, lounge and dining area, with large sliding doors and a roof light that lets in plenty of natural light. The Nordic Oak kitchen furniture from Magnet and pale oak Invictus LVT flooring provided the Scandi-style look that the homeowners were aiming for, but the worktops that they were shown just didn’t quite fit the bill. “We wanted something more unique and special looking so we found The Granite House, Bicester,” the homeowners continue.
The independent worktop supplier showed them various surfaces including CRL Stone’s new Arabescato Vagli, which they instantly fell in love with. “It had the dramatic look we wanted and had the appearance of marble/natural stone without the maintenance headaches. It also felt more unique and premium compared to the standard offerings that the kitchen company had suggested. And price wise, it worked out around the same, but we got the design we wanted.”
Arabescato Vagli is a bold and beautiful marble-inspired quartz surface that features dark and dramatic veining set against a classic white background.
Like all the surfaces within CRL Stone’s award-winning Quartz Collection, Arabescato Vagli has been meticulously engineered to create a superior quality, non-porous surface that is durable and strong. Stain-, scratch- and heat-resistant, CRL Quartz also benefits from being easy to clean and maintain and is incredibly hygienic too, which made it the perfect choice for this busy family.
As well as being used to create the homeowner’s dream island with waterfall ends, Arabescato Vagli also features on the splashback and on the floating wall and larder shelves.
“We really wanted a floating quartz shelf instead of bulky wall cabinets,” the homeowners continue. “The same goes for the shelf inside the larder unit. We love how it looks when the doors are open and practically it’s easier to keep clean compared to a wooden shelf.”
Originally the homeowners wanted the island to measure 2.8m in length. However, due to the constraints of the extension space, they had to scale it back to 2.4m. “We were worried it would feel too small but now it’s in, we’re glad we reduced the size as it’s perfectly large enough.” They also installed a BORA X Pure cooktop extractor system, which sits flush to the worktop.
The Granite House, Bicester installed the worktops within a day, and the homeowners couldn’t be happier with the results. “It all came together perfectly, despite choosing to source the worktop ourselves.
“We love the waterfall end of the island that you see as you first enter the new space. It has a dramatic marble look that contrasts nicely against the kitchen units and flooring.”
The floating shelf is also another favourite feature, and the new space has really enhanced family life: “We can now all enjoy the new kitchen as a family without tripping over each other. There is space for us all to sit and eat at the island for breakfast or lunch. And, as it’s open-plan, we can be in the kitchen cooking dinner, and the kids can be playing or watching TV but we can still keep an eye on them to make sure they are behaving!”