At the time of entering the Renovation of the Year competition run by House Beautiful magazine Tara purchased a 30-year-old four bedroom detached property, near Chepstow, Monmouth in 2009 as a renovation project.
As part of the house renovation project the house required a new kitchen, Tara had spent many months planning the extension and kitchen design. The house was a good size overall but the kitchen was very small in comparison, there was nowhere sit and eat for a family. The kitchen units were dark and very outdated.
Tara decided to extend the property to make the kitchen larger and to install an all glass gable end with aluminium titanium bi-fold doors to open onto a very pretty garden, the kitchen and extension was definitely the first room to tackle on the project.
Tara had a very good idea of the design she wanted being in construction for many years and came up with some 3D images to help visualise the design. Considering the project was in 2015 we are still designing similar extensions and the same kitchen design with a mixture of wood texture and hi-gloss or matt units. The fascia’s and downpipes were sprayed the same colour as the titanium doors. The bi-folds were specifically designed with three panels of glass and not four as the manufacturer suggested. The three panes did not interrupt the views into the garden and matched the size of the existing sliding doors to the lounge.
Tara chose a design that incorporated handle less units with a combination of plain buff-coloured doors for the kitchen base units and a stylish wood-grain effect for the breakfast bar and the oven and fridge freezer casing.
The main feature is an L-shaped breakfast bar where families can gather to eat and chat. 'People can spend a fortune on a new kitchen,' says Tara, 'but I took care of our budget and organised the ordering and delivery and made sure everything was in place on time. The renovation cost approximately £35,000 with the kitchen costing approximately £6,000 (excluding appliances).
It was lovely to win a renovation competition as well as deliver the project on time and within budget.