Jeff Gok surprised

. barn in the Brecon Beacons

FEATT'RE NICHOLA OWEN . PHOTOGRAPIIY MARK BOLTON

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921,000ili{is$Y ]}H$}c}.:Heather and Jeff's choice ofSchwarz black hi-gloss furniturecreates a contemporary feel in theirconverted barn. Chunky Blanco

Zeus Silestone worksurfaces add

contrast for a smart, clean look

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The drawer's non-slip baseeather and Jeff Cook hadalways planned to turn thecattie shed attached to theirbarn conversion into a iiving

space, but after nine years the couple wereno nearer to achieving their goal. It was thepressure of a fast-approaching deadline thateventually spurred them into action. 'We

obtained permission to conven the cattlebarn when we bought the property, but weconcentrated on getting the rest of house inorder, so it went on the back burner,' explainsJeff. 'Illhen we saw that our permission wasabout to expire we decided to crack on withconverting the building into a kitchen.'

AGREEING ON A STYLEThe couple realised that although theirprevious kitchen was stil1 in good condition,

COOKINGAREAA large dual-fuel range

cooker and stainless-steelextractor hood, both

to thekitchen. splashback

mess canwiped away

the lack of space and equipment wasbecoming a problem. 'Our o1d schemewas a traditionat-style oak design thatlooked fine, but the room was small anddidn't have enough space for the appliancesthat I really wanted,' recalls Jeff.

However, the kitchen's size was aboutthe only part of the project that the coupledid agree on. They both own dval estateagencies in the same town, and when itcame to the kitchen design, the pair were stillcompeting. 'My priority was for the layoutto be practical because I do all the cooking,'says Jeff, 'while Heather's main aim was tomake it look stytish.'Almost inevitabty, Jeff'sfirst version of their new scheme was metwith disapproval. 'Jeff went to see a kitchendesigner on his own and I couldn't bear thelook of the design that he came back with,' )

SINKAREAA gleamingchrome Atiktap by Abodeserves a ProfiStarsingle-bowlsink by Suter

helps plates stay in place

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:"- oI#&roNAL ucHTING' 'A gian\spotlight from Dwell gives

the kitch\n a hovie set' feel and casts 'light onioihe island when required.Two Big Can stage-style lights fromWimbledon Lighting sit overheadand add to the glamorous effect

Advice from theOWNERS

DO make use oI corners.They can easily become 'deadspace' but installing tambourunits will allow easy access

to awkward areas and ensuresurfaces are kept clear.

DON'T neglect your lightingscheme. We like the large

ceiling spotlights but they'rerather more directional than

we'd envisaged. If we hadknown this, I think we'd

probably have put inanciltary lighting in places,

as sometimes you findyourself standing in your ownshadow when you're working.

DO add as many electricitypower points as you can fit in.You can never have enough

and youll be surprised at howmanyyou need. we also fitted

ptug points in the tambourcupboards so that our small

appliances can be usedwhere they are stored.,\t

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recalls Heather. 'So, we decided it would be bestif we visited the kitchen designers together.'

On a friend's recommendation, thepair made the trip to Leekes and sure enough,Heather was drawn towards the smart,hi-gloss black furniture that her friend hadsuggested she might like. She was confidentthat its contemporary design would look athome next to the exposed oak roof trussesand the beautiful surrounding BreconBeacon countryside. Jeff, too, felt the designwas the most practrcal choice.

PLANNING THE SCHEMEThe couple then met with Keri John Cardy atLeekes and eventually settied on a layout thatsuited them both, using the company's 3Dplanning software. 'You can see exactly whatyou're committing to,' smiies Jeff. 'It can behard to visualise the finished design on paper

but 3D pians make it a 1ot clearer.'The L-shapedlayout ensured Jeff had room to incorporateall the appliances he needed, plus a centralisland and ample storage, while Heather hadfree rein choosing the worktops and flooring.'We settled on white Silestone worksurfacesto juxtapose with the black cabinetry togetherwith pale floor tiles so that the units didn'tdominate the room,' explains Heather.

Despite having different priorities, Heatherand Jeff now have a kitchen that they bothlove. 'It looks fantastic,' smiles Heather. 'The

space works efficiently, too,'adds Jeff. 'We

didn't realise how much use we'd get outof the kitchen. We start and end our days inhere - it's where we eat, relax, and entertain.'According to Heather, designer Keri hasachieved the near-impossible. 'We're now theproud owners of a design that makes us bothhappy,'she boasts, 'which is no mean feat.' el

SHOP THE LOOK

CABINETRYffi Schwarz spray-lacquered units from theLucido range by Rotpunkt K0chen at Leekes.Prices for a similar kitchen, cabinetry only,start from f21,OOO

WORKSURFACESi..:l 66.. Blanco Zeus Silestone.Price per linear m f 555

SPLASHBACK,ffi Glass mosaic tiles, for similar,

try Gloss Black mosaic, Tile Choice.Price per sq m €22ffi Stainless-steel panel, Britannia f519

FLOORING# Porcelain tiles in Dawn Light, lmpronta.Price per sq mf39.75

APPLIANCES&tr Dual-fuel range cooker in stainless steel,Britannia f3.675$S Built-in microwave, Hotpoint €650ffi Chimney extractor hood in stainless steel,

Britannia €1,399H Built-in coffee machine, Hotpoint €940ffi Built-in warming drawer, Hotpoint f314# Fully integrated larder fridge,Hotpoint f5B9W Built-under wine cooler, Hotpoint f 939ffi Fully integrated double DishDrawerdishwasher, Fisher a Paykel f925

SINK AND TAPE ProfiStar undermounted single-bowlsink in polished stainless steel, Suter f798ffi Atik C-spout monobloc mixer tapin chrome, Abode f249

FINISHING TOUCHESiffi Salsa bar stools, Atlantic Shopping,each f52.50ffi Hanging scales, for similar, try eBayffi Utensil racks, lkea, each €10€ Floor lamp, for similar, try Giant Spotlight,Dwell €299ffi Big Can stage-style ceiling lightsin stainless steel, Wimbledon Lighting,each f89.50ffi Wall clock, for similar, try Black 1950s

wall clock, Newgate f66# Pointing estate emulsion paint,Farrow & Ball. Price per 2.51 €29.50

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5.8 m

TAMBOURUNITA worktop-mounted cupboardwith stainless-steel roller doorsallows the couple to hide smallappliances and tea and coffee-making equipment from view so

the worktops remain uncluttered

@ BeautrlT/K|TCHENS x( Athousetohome.co.uk/kitchen)ou canbrousehundreds ofbeautifulkitchens in eueg slle and colour {r