At our initial meeting with Diane Berry, we made it clear that for us, whatever else it might be, the kitchen was a practical work space. Yes of course, we wanted a kitchen that looked great as well as being a place we could both eat and relax. But these things must, we emphasised, not come at the expense of what we saw as the kitchen’s primary functions: somewhere food was prepared and cooked. Additionally, as we didn’t have space for a separate utility room, the kitchen also had to be the place we could do our laundry.Prior to approaching Diane Berry Kitchens, we had met with a number of other kitchen companies in the Manchester area. However, none of them seemed to properly understand our brief. In one particular case we were urged to forget kitchen functionality and go simply for what was described as the ‘wow’ factor.
By contrast, Diane understood our requirements from the start; and after a few meetings with her, the design of the kitchen began to take shape. The outcome is a kitchen that is both practical and beautiful. It is a room we enjoy spending time in.
We can honestly say that there is nothing in the kitchen we don’t like, or that doesn’t work for us in the way we’d hoped. Of the things we like, however, the following especially stand out.
The ‘utility cupboard’ is certainly pretty special. What from the outside looks like a double-door kitchen cupboard, once opened reveals a space into which one can walk, with a washing machine and a tumble dryer on one side, and on the other, a microwave oven and shelving for various household products. It is a very neat and clever piece of design.
The island, which mimics the shape of the kitchen, has an almost two metre run of unbroken work-top on one side, providing a very easy to use work area; while on the other side of the island is an oak breakfast bar that gives the kitchen a really warm feel.
One of the other things we really love about the kitchen is that it is so easy to keep tidy and clean. There is a place for everything, but the kitchen doesn’t look at all crammed with cabinets and has a really spacious feel; while the glass doors on the cabinets, the glass splash-back, as well as the induction hob not only look amazing, they make cleaning very easy.
Everyone who sees our kitchen is impressed and it continues to impress us. We are more than happy with it. Indeed, the kitchen has exceeded all our expectations.
Many thanks
Mike and Carol