poplar project, bridge of earn, Perth

Good morning all! Well here it is after months of thinking about it and not quite finding the time, a blog post all about my Poplar Project. We completed it in May 2023 after a few months of planning.  This project went pretty smoothly, largely thanks to a very organised client who got stuff arranged fast and effectively! You don’t want to linger when you’re remodelling your kitchen as anyone who has done their kitchen knows, living in the same house as your renovation can be stressful.  There’s only so many microwave meals you can eat before it gets really tedious.  Organisation and planning is key which is something I can help with!

So, on with the details of the Poplar project.  The space before was semi open plan, with a small opening between the kitchen and the family area.  It was being used as a play room but with no actual storage and felt chaotic.  The family found that it wasn’t a a pleasurable space to be in despite spending most of their time in there.

Here’s a pic of the room before:

The brief from the client was to create a more open plan space which clearly defined the kitchen from the dining and living areas.  She felt that there wasn’t space to do this and couldn’t figure out how to arrange the furniture to incorporate a TV/ lounge area/ dining space and extra storage all within this one space.  She was keen to add some character and felt as though the room was just a plain box.

Once the old kitchen started to come out

My first job was to come up with a concept or theme for the space; my client has spend years in Vietnam living and working, so this came out soon after we started chatting about her life and what was important to her.  She had some personal items that she really wanted to look at each day and have on display in some way.  We also chatted a lot about the function of the space, who uses it and when, and what did she see her and her family doing in there.  It’s important to think about the current function of spaces in your home but to consider the aspirations you have too.  Ask yourself, ‘in an ideal world, how would I enjoy this space?’ And try to visualise yourself there, and imagine what’s around you and how you feel.

The kitchen layout before was a simple U shape, with no zoning between the kitchen area and the rest of the room.  We talked about the pain points of the current kitchen; my client was constantly having toys brought into the kitchen and the kids would spread into it from the play area side of the room.  There wasn’t enough worktop space to use so preparing meals always got messy and disorganised.  There wasn’t enough food storage space either and no room for a utility so food storage and the washing machine were all squeezed into this small kitchen.

Proposed floorpan

After signing off the concept and colour scheme I put together a floor plan and started working on elevations for the space.  Each of my presented drawings justified the layout and there was a reason for each decision.  I decided to incorporate a breakfast bar into the kitchen in order to provide more storage, more worktop space and a bit of a zoning barrier from the rest of the room.

We also talked about and decided to make the opening between the two spaces larger, to reduce the awkward space behind the kitchen door where there was a radiator, as if the wall had been built purely to house the radiator…?!  The flow from the front door was also a bit awkward, the door swung into the kitchen from the hall and in the new design this would create an awkward flow into the room with everyone having to walk around the open door.  I suggested putting in a pocket door system here to have the option of the room being completely open or closed.  This option is great if you think you will change the function of the room in the future. For example when you have small children you want everything to be open and have sight lines all around the house.  But families of teenagers will tell you that everyone wants to close doors and have private space. Not to mention when entertaining or having parties it’s great to be able to open up the space and have a flow throughout the ground floor.  The pocket door is a great solution.

Pocket door solution!

One issue that did come up with the electrician was where a new light switch would go.  One thing to bare in mind with pocket doors is that normally the wall pocket part of the system is unable to house wires so light switches need to be on a different wall.  HOWEVER..! Our lovely electrician came up with a perfect solution for this in this room; he installed a ‘smart’ switch system which is basically a wireless light switch that’s connected to the bulb in the ceiling light - I know, mind blown!  It means the whole world of where your light switches can go is opened up completely and without the need for any mess or channeling walls etc. Imagine you could install those bedside light you always wanted without the need for an electrician?! The switch works using kinetic energy to the bulb and has a reach of about 80m. Amazing!

Wireless light switch attached with 3M tape - amazing

With all of the basics complete (concept/ colour scheme/ layout) we were able to move onto elevation plans and mood boards detailing products and items needed.  I decided to utilise the large windowless wall at the far end of the room to house a new storage unit for the TV and to be able to put toys etc out of sight.  This unit would also serve the purpose of being a display area for my client’s lovely items she had collected.  I created visuals of the storage unit to give her an idea of the final look as well as creating visuals of the kitchen.

We took the kitchen I had designed to Wren kitchens where final tweaks were made and we chose the finishes; worktop, cabinet type and colour, handles.  I’m not a kitchen designer so this step was essential; I can plan layouts and get to a nearly final point of what the kitchen will look like but ensuring it actually fits in the space and all of the appliances are correct was the job of the kitchen company.  This process was seamless and the kitchen was installed by the main contractor, John, who also completed all of the building work.  John was great in coming up with some other solutions to little issues that arose, for example we decided to move the wine cooler fridge from the end of the peninsula to the end of the run of tall cabinets and John created a small shelf just as you come in the kitchen pocket door to lay keys etc.  It also made sure the wine was the first think you could get your hands on as soon as you come into the kitchen! Essential for some!  We moved the wine cooler in order to increase the gap between the peninsula and the fridge opening to prevent his space feeling clogged when the fridge is open.

I specified ballerina dace pink paint by Dulux for the walls and ceiling in the living section and we used farrow and ball great white for the white walls, ceiling and woodwork in the kitchen/ dining room.  The purpose of colour drenching the living area in pink was to create a completely different feel in that part of the room.  The room is south facing so bathed in light all day.  The cocooning effect of having the ceiling pink as well ensured the room feels separate and at night with low lighting is a cosy and relaxing space.

As you can see the kitchen area has a different feel and the zones of the two spaces are now clearly defined.

The items we chose for the room all have a common colour theme of pink and navy but we also kept on concept with using lines and form all inspired by Vietnamese culture but in a Scottish context.  All the pattern in the room is inspired by the flora and fauna of the East and takes inspiration from Vietnamese design.

The blinds were made by a local curtain maker, the fabric mirrors the scallop shape used in the kitchen tiles and unites the two spaces.

My Clients previous loved furniture takes pride of place in the room now along with some new items.  It’s really important to me to have a mix of old and new furniture, to utilise items that clients love and incorporate them into the design in some way.  My client loves mango wood furniture which really adds a softer natural element to an otherwise bold and colourful scheme.

I hope you enjoyed reading about the process of putting this room together and would like to hear more about the projects I've been involved with so far.  You can subscribe to my newsletter at the bottom of the page to be the first to hear about what I've been up to or if you want to talk to me about your own project and see how I can help, give me a call or use the contact form here to arrange a free no obligation discovery call.  Looking forward to hearing from you.

Cat