Our 20-year-old kitchen was falling apart and it was a health hazard. We were urgently in need of a new kitchen, but we were so uncertain and afraid to repeat mistakes of the past – and we don’t have money to throw down the drain. Over the years, I’ve collected many pictures from Tuis magazines. I wanted a Tuis kitchen. When I saw the exact butcher’s block that I wanted in a second-hand shop, I immediately bought it. So, when the first potential kitchen builder told me that I should get rid of my butcher’s block, we got rid of him.

Luckily, we met a kitchen designer, Mandy Rohland. When she arrived at our second meeting with Tuis magazines, I knew she was the right person to hire. She designed a kitchen around our needs and so that the space is optimally used – and, of course, there’s a special place for my butcher’s block. Now I have a kitchen that’s practical and beautiful. Every item has a place planned for it. It’s easy to keep neat and tidy and a pleasure to work in. The best is that I can watch the sunset through the big north-facing windows while I am preparing supper.