Our kitchen needed an update; it was the original ‘contractor’s’ kitchen from when the house was built just under 20 years ago. We live in a small house in a complex and the kitchen is therefore also very small at 9m2. We had to keep the original layout because any changes would have impacted other rooms.

We decided to go bold and chose dark cabinetry, a dark sink and a dark splashback, with solid wood Red Grandis countertops which my husband fell in love with a few years ago. I chose a tiling pattern that is a half and a quarter offset (repeating every four lines) because I wanted a pattern that is different to the norm and allows one’s eye to move around. I chose sleek handles to blend with the doors and good quality hinges and drawer runners (which are a pleasure to use).

We had the cabinet carcasses replaced in order to maximise storage space, which is crucial in such a small kitchen; our drawers are slightly wider, and the upper cabinets extend to the ceiling. I chose to have the electrical outlets moved higher so that they don’t interfere with the tile line and are slightly hidden under the upper cabinets. We’ve added undercounter rechargeable lighting (useful during load-shedding) and added a retro black-and-gold lamp above the work surface. I love using the large sink; it’s spacious and very easy to clean and maintain.

The entire project took only 11 working days, from gutting to final installation, and we feel we have achieved a great kitchen within our budget.

We are so happy with the outcome and truly enjoy being in our kitchen every day; when friends visit, we usually hear a “Wow! That’s beautiful and very different”.