Inspiration

This Chichester kitchen is home to a family of five – solicitors Bryony and Nick along with their three little people, Edward who’s five, Imogen who’s two and baby Scarlett who’s just nine months old. Having lived in a modern property in Dorset, this young family decided to take on a project house in the same county in June 2017 and spent a year renovating extensively. They’ve rewired, re-plumbed and repaired the roof, they ripped up floorboards, took down walls and up-rooted more than 20 trees from the surrounding woodland that were blocking much of the natural light from entering the large sash windows. It’s finally a place they can call home.

‘I’d chosen in my head a few years ago that one day we’d have a Neptune kitchen. This whole project has been a long time in the making, but so has my dream Neptune kitchen. I’ve been quietly biding my time staring longingly at the pages of House & Garden and building my kitchen moodboard. Homely but high-end was what I was after,’ Bryony told us as we sat down to hear all about her home renovation. When the time came to begin thinking about getting her kitchen designed, she went along to a few other companies to be certain of her choice, before going ahead with her complimentary design appointment at Neptune Bournemouth. ‘Neptune was exactly the look I wanted. It is clearly high-end but there’s a relaxed quality and a nice level of detail. The balance is perfectly struck. Nick was more concerned with the materials. He came along to Bournemouth to be able to feel the kitchens. He appreciated the quality of the wood and the use throughout as well as the joinery. He said they felt like a cut above compared to others we’d seen,’ she continued.

Bryony only had eyes for Chichester (so much so that she even took it into her bathrooms too by choosing Chichester washstands). She’d been looking for a kitchen that felt very classic and was inspired by tradition, but also sought a sense of modernity too. Working with Lowenna as their designer, Bryony was very hands-on with the design process and had a clear picture of what she wanted it to look like and what she’d hoped it would include. On her wishlist was a large island with a sink, lots of full-height storage, multiple larders, a range-style cooker and an oak cooker hood. ‘I knew my wishlist was long but Lowenna knew exactly how to bring it all together for me. I’m not fond of countertop cabinets and wanted wall cabinets and the occasional curve, which Lowenna factored in too.’

When we asked how she found the whole process, Bryony’s answer was short and sweet: ‘There wasn’t a single bump other than us needing to save up. Neptune just want to make you happy – that’s what I think I noticed most. They sort everything, and you can tell they genuinely care about looking after you. I felt that the whole way through.’