The starting point was style direction. The client wanted to know whether a 1960s home should lean traditional or modern, so we created two complete design options to compare properly:

• Option 1 (Traditional): Shaker door in a 20mm solid oak frame, painted Chalk White, finished with a Wellington chrome knob and plate handle set.

• Option 2 (Modern): 18mm MDF Ultra Gloss Metallic Blue, designed to feel sleek and contemporary using PET/PVC gloss materials.

Both routes were liked equally, so we guided the decision using a simple principle: choose the style you don’t already have. If your current kitchen is Shaker, go modern. If it’s modern now, go Shaker. Combined with the new layout changes, the chosen route would feel like a true transformation rather than “more of the same”.

As the modern design developed, the original metal in-rail handless system began to feel too much for the space and the overall budget, even though the client loved the handless look. We kept that clean, handleless feel but refined the solution by switching to a J-Profile door style.

With budget available, the builders were also able to remove a supporting side wall, opening up the room for open-plan living and creating enough space for a breakfast bar, which had always been on the wish list if space allowed. Finally, we changed the corner wall cabinets to open corner storage, keeping the kitchen feeling more open and less boxed-in.