A cliché maybe, but if our house has aheart then it must be the kitchen.
We believed, prior to building, that in our family the kitchen was the focal point of the home. We chose to have a big kitchen at 28m2 (strange to think that the first apartment Micke and I had many years ago, was 27m2!....and now our kitchen is larger!)
We wanted to have a kitchen with plenty of space to prepare food and where our guests could enjoy a pre meal drink. We didn’t want open plan, but it was important that the kitchen was easily accessible from the rest of the house. The solution was that we put in an old veranda window together with a double door, between the kitchen and the dining area/living room. When standing in the kitchen, one doesn’t feel isolated, while at the same time having the possibility to close the doors if needed. Perfect solution!
As our house breathes that special romantic style from the turn of the century, it was important that the kitchen had the same style. We chose to change the standard kitchen to one from Kvänum. Our kitchen was painted on site and that was important to us. We were completely convinced that we should have a white kitchen, but when we visited Kvänum’s Show room we saw a kitchen in a light green shade. We fell “head over heels” and dared to go for it. A choice we haven’t regretted, not for a second!
We wanted a walk in pantry. And that was also painted green. The kitchen walls have white paneling. We had the same in our old summer house kitchen and it felt completely right. We used a door, found in the summer house attic and it fits perfectly.
For the floor we choose terracotta. Bought at Qvesarum.
The antique floor comes from either a French castle or vineyard. The floor colouring gives a warm tone, it has a soft and comfortable surface when you walk on it bare footed. A little fragile, but if it has lasted hundreds of years in a French castle then surely it will last us our lifetime.
We have a kitchen island with an induction cooker and we are happy with that. I don’t think we would have been happy with just an ordinary hob.
In the kitchen island we have an extra sink, which I strongly recommend. We are often several in the kitchen, and it’s good to have the possibility to rinse the vegetables without having to chase other helpers away!
We chose stone for our worktops in the whole of the kitchen. It is granite, not totally smooth, but has a slate like finish. It looks good, but maybe not the most practical. You must rub that little extra when you are cleaning it , but it’s worth it.
We chose a fan, which in one way breaks the design trend, however we are happy with the choice. It is austere, elegant and hyper modern. I believe it brings together the country style with the modern age in which we live.
Similarly we chose to have stainless steel equipment. I like the “original feel” which stainless gives, compared to white, which for me feels like plastic. Neither did we want to have a built in fridge and freezer, as it felt artificial. Besides, the stainless suited the sink unit, which we also chose stainless.
The dishwasher is raised and built in.
Built in because we chose a machine of another fabrication and were frightened that the stainless would clash colourwise. Raised because it is just so easy to load/unload, and that it added to the kitchen aesthetically.
Beside the dishwasher we have a stainless unit, underneath the kitchen window. When one stands by the sink you can see the street and keep an eye out for visitors. It is a nice position for the sink unit, simply encouraging you to stand there! The oven and micro is high level. It is a comfortable working height.
The kitchen roll holder is from Indiska, which has raised a few questions. It isn’t so easy to find one that fits this type of kitchen.
We have a dining area in the kitchen, where we, as family, sit and eat, sometimes also with our guests. As well as eating, the dining area is used for homework, tea drinking with the children’s friends, games, newspaper reading, baking etc.
We have an old, rather large leaf table, bought from an Antique shop in Stockholm’s Old Town.
Much cheaper there than here in Skåne. The kitchen sofa is from the same shop and has room for many small bottoms! The chairs come from our old summer house which we demolished when we built Humlebacken.
The white cupboard was ordered at the same time as the kitchen. It is from Kvänum, the same quality with a slightly different look. A cupboard with lots of space for glass and porcelain. We really needed this as we have so few high level cupboards.
We really love being in our kitchen. That’s where we spend most of our waken hours. It is so wonderful with a big kitchen, where there is space for everyone, even the cats! They prefer the kitchen sofa, jump up on to the window ledge, or as here on the right, on top of the cupboard.
Our kitchen is truly the heart of our home, even if that is only a cliché!
