"KITCHEN"

THE PROJECTTo help with the remodel of Poppenpohl Groups studio on Wigmore Street London we provided a replacement awning for their shopfront. The studio houses luxury kitchens for high-end projects, offering consultations and design services for clients across London and surrounding areas.THE CHALLENGETo match the design used in the remodeling each patio awning needed to be the same colour and be as discrete as possible once closed to match the buildings facade.THE SOLUTIONThe Weinor N2000 patio awning was chosen due to the fact it could be recessed into the building facade, and because it’s angular design lent itself well to the aesthetic of the shopfront. The project required two awnings with widths of 4400mm and 3500mm, and matching projections of 1500mm. The finish was anthracite with a dark grey fabric colour which matched the studios branding and overall impression of the building.

In a secluded corner of the Northern Highlands lies Skibo Castle, home to the Carnegie Club, an exclusive members club offering the best of Scottish hospitality & grandeur. Gratte Brothers designed and installed the new kitchen with Gavin McDonald Flooring. As part of the design, Gratte Brothers selected a range of Altro floors and walls to meet the exacting standards of the brief. Altro floors and walls are Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) approved meet all current European Union (EU) Directives on health and hygiene, making them particularly suitable for use in commercial kitchens.

In a secluded corner of the Northern Highlands lies Skibo Castle, home to the Carnegie Club, an exclusive members club offering the best of Scottish hospitality & grandeur. Gratte Brothers designed and installed the new kitchen with Gavin McDonald Flooring. As part of the design, Gratte Brothers selected a range of Altro floors and walls to meet the exacting standards of the brief. Altro floors and walls are Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) approved meet all current European Union (EU) Directives on health and hygiene, making them particularly suitable for use in commercial kitchens.

We travelled to London and sat with Sebastian and his wife Miriam who have just rejuvenated their kitchen area, so that it connects their home with the outdoors in a wonderful way by simply replacing and upgrading their rooflights.The old rooflights simply didn’t have the versatility that the family was looking for, so when it came to finding a set that offered them exactly what they needed, Sebastian and Miriam chose Vario by VELUX.Due to the position and functionality of the existing rooflights in the kitchen, the family quickly realised that it didn’t fit their needs, discovering that the room became hot during the summer months and because of nearby foxes, they couldn’t safely leave their façade windows open without worrying about inviting unwanted visitors into the home.“We moved here in the middle of winter,” Miriam explained, “So we didn’t understand how hot it became inside over the summer months. What we needed was ventilation to cool it down over the summer. We chose to replace the rooflights, as the ones that we had were static and didn’t allow ventilation and these are amazing for that.”Sebastian discussed how working closely with Vario by VELUX allowed the family to get exactly what they wanted and how they were able to create a home that truly met their needs. “Vario by VELUX were the only ones that offered bespoke windows that could open, and when you’re away, if it rains, they close.”“I did everything online. I went to the website where they have this Build Your Own 3D configurator and I chose the window I wanted, the colour I wanted and the size I needed. I would definitely recommend everyone to use Vario by VELUX for installation, delivery and to receive support and warranty, which is very important.”An incomparable differenceThe impact that the new rooflights have had on the family has been remarkable and really had a positive impact, as Miriam explains. “The contrast between a fixed rooflight and one that opens is incomparable really - cooking smells are out very quickly, you can cool the room down and it never gets too hot in here, it’s not just a bit of glass in the roof, it’s a bit of tech that you can use and integrate into your life.”“The two Unlimited Rooflights have really impacted the room with the amount of fresh air we get in there.”“I get up for work very early, about 6am,” Sebastian adds, “And before having these windows, the room was just hot and you could feel the lack of air, now, when I come down the window has been open and it makes a difference.”“It’s made the whole house cool. We now have a movement of air through the house that we didn’t have before. I think it’s a really lovely way to be connected to the outside - you see the seasons change, you can watch the roof splatter with raindrops - my daughter loves watching that when it happens - and the bifold doors plus rooflights really make this an integrated room with the garden. You have a bit of the outdoors inside here.”

Cross contamination is a concern for any food prep area dealing with raw meats. With the help of BioCote Technology (found in BioClad products) restaurants can ensure they uphold the highest level of hygiene within food preparation areas. The antimicrobial technology works 24/7 to eliminate the threat of harmful bacteria such as E.Coli. In addition to its proven antimicrobial protection, the BioClad antimicrobial cladding is extremely easy to clean.

Here is a great example of how to maximise the use of space within a very compact central London studio apartment.GEC Anderson supplied and installed the stainless steel worktop, incorporating sink and hob, as well as the oven housing above.

Stainless steel island worktop with deep edge (7), integral sink bowl and cantilevered end. L-shaped worktop supplied in one piece. Stainless steel worktops were also supplied to each side of the Aga and in the separate utility room.All worktops are in EN 1.4301 grade brushed satin stainless steel.

Stainless steel island top with cut-out for hob and deep edge profile (GEC Anderson edge 7). Various worktops, shelves and panels.All in EN 1.4301 grade brushed satin stainless steel.

GEC Anderson sinktop with single bowl within wet zone, cut-out for hob, integral upstand and custom edges.EN 1.4301 grade brushed satin stainless steel.

Weston-super-Mare’s Revo Kitchen & Terrace Restaurant has been transformed with high-quality floor to ceiling Kestrel Aluminium Folding Sliding Doors that maximise the views and create a fresh, airy space that allows natural light to flood in.

We met digital content creator and charity ambassador Sally, in her gorgeous detached house in the English countryside in Surrey. Sally, her husband Gav, their three sons, dog and cat live in a beautiful cottage with lots of outdoor space for football, dens and four chickens (all named Barbara). They’re an active, outdoorsy family who love embracing nature, from scuba diving to surfing Cornwall’s finest beaches.Over the years they have built two extensions to their house. In the most recent extension project, Sally chose to illuminate the end of her gorgeous country kitchen/diner with a Vario by VELUX bespoke rectangular rooflight, so we went to visit her for a cuppa and a lovely chat about her impressions and experience on the importance of daylight. Sally, what a bright and stunning space you have in here. Could you please tell us more about your extension project?"We love this house; it has plenty of space and we absolutely love the country lifestyle. We bought a house 12 years ago and that time it was much smaller. The first big extension we did was 9 years ago, but we didn't quite get what we wanted as the building restrictions at the time were very strict.The key thing for us was to bring the light in. A wall of glass made perfect sense, but as the extension has a flat roof, we also started to think about what was above. In a room like this, I think the roof should be seen as the fifth wall.”Your original plan was to put a glass lantern in the extension. What made you change your mind and choose a flat glass rooflight instead?“Initially we thought we would put a glass lantern in like everybody else and it didn’t even occur to me that I could have anything else until I was invited to a rooflight launch event by Vario by VELUX. At the event, I completely fell in love with the idea of having a rooflight in my house. I got all the information and, after I realised that even a modern flat rooflight comes with an upstand and you also get the height of the roof built in, which would also give the room the height we wanted, and that the cost would be less than having a lantern of the same size and with no breaks in the glass, choosing a flat glass rooflight was a no-brainer! What do you love most about owning a bespoke rooflight?“It’s so cool and yet functional. Rooflights brings so much more light in than you would get from a normal side window and the fact is that daylight does make you feel better, especially in winter. On top of that, the customer service was excellent, there is always a backup call from Vario by VELUX to make sure you are ordering the right window, they hold your hand through the whole thing and the whole process of designing and ordering was made fun and easy. They helped me with things like setting the window at a slight angle, so the rain just runs off and we don’t end up with a swimming pool situation on the roof! It’s a really hands on, personal service from a small team, but backed by a big name like VELUX so you know you can really trust them. It’s like the gold standard of roof windows.”How did you perceive the installation process of the rooflight?“The process was really simple, easy and quick. Our constructor was provided with all the information they needed to know, in order to put the rooflight in. Our bespoke rooflight was delivered in 6 weeks and we rented a small crane for a day to lift it in. The crane was literally tiny, it fitted through our side gate. Then it was simply a matter of dropping it into the opening and letting the builders do their thing to seal it in. I have to admit, I was a bit nervous on the installation day as the dog insisted on sitting under the opening and it was very windy, but it all went very well. That moment when the hardboard comes off and you get your first glimpse of the sky above, it’s just magic.”Do you think changing your house has improved your everyday life?“Extending the house, and how we use it, has changed the way we live, the way we work and the way we relax. Having an extension, an extra room, the flow and the light we wanted has definitely increased the value of the house but also the saleability of the house. How many older properties have flat roof extensions and haven’t put in a rooflight? There must be loads and they’re definitely missing a trick. We wanted to build personality and I believe that with the extension and bespoke rooflight we got exactly what we wanted. With more daylight and space, I feel more active, I feel more awake, I feel fresher, I get things done. It has definitely changed the way we live.”

From the earliest concept stages, this London architect wanted to be sure that his garden room extension could really be the family's main living room. They were not looking for the traditional French Pinoleum Blinds that usually go with Vale Garden Houses, but instead, a modern horizontal blind, to be fully concealed when not required. Complete in every detail, coving to hide the lighting, shadow gap to complement the Blindspace cover finished in matching paint material. The attention to detail, at the planning stages, has paid off well with this installation. hen taking the photos, the homeowner expressed her complete satisfaction with the way the blind had brought the whole room together. They were concerned that the inclusion of the large lantern would spoil the homely feel and use they wanted in this living area. The blind has meant that they can be comfortable in the room, at all times. They feel the blind is a huge success.

School kitchen flooring refurbishment Millfield School kitchen flooring has recently been subject to a significant makeover. The existing vinyl finishes were showing significant signs of wear and needed to be replaced with a new flooring that offered better slip resistance and durability without the need for frequent repairs.The services of specialist industrial flooring installers, Inca Flooring & Structural Ltd, were called upon to offer advice and guidance in selecting the most suited school kitchen flooring solution.Millfield School required a flooring solution that could withstand the test of time in a constantly busy kitchen environment. In order to fulfil the client’s requirements to the highest standards, the contractors recommended using Degafloor’s fast curing, slip-resistant Full Broadcast System with associated coving.Degafloor Full Broadcast is specifically designed to deliver outstanding hygiene, performance and safety even in tough environments such as commercial kitchens, canteens and food technology areas.The school kitchen flooring was installed across two kitchen areas. Due to the ultra-fast curing nature of Degafloor MMA and flexibility of the contractor, the entire project was completed over the Xmas break.

Making a development stand out is a priority for housebuilders, who want to attract buyers in an increasingly competitive marketplace. The kitchen is always going to be a key room for buyers, with the average Brit spending 253 minutes per week in the kitchen cooking meals. Add on top of that washing-up, cleaning, preparing packed lunches and even helping with homework, it’s fair to say that we spend a lot of time in the kitchen. So how can developers ensure they seduce buyers with a functional, striking kitchen, that also adds an element of luxury to daily life?

AL AL attach particular importance to functional design and to the fitting of made-to-measure kitchens. As the kitchen has become a living space where the family spends long hours, it is paramount to feel well and comfortable in it. And you can’t ask for more when your kitchen is convenient, is made with hard-wearing materials and reflects your personality.

There are lots of clever ways to make the most out of a small kitchen. A 4-square-meter kitchen can be a real storage space wonder, accommodating absolutely everything you need for living and cooking.

Altro kitchen system provides a perfect fitAltro Whiterock White, Altro Stronghold 30“We chose Altro Whiterock because it provides an easy to maintain, hygienic surface that is ideal for kitchens and have up to date fire certification.”Ben Rodgers,Cladpro LtdIssueBannold are one of the UKs largest independent family run suppliers of natural hard landscaping materials. Based in Cambridgeshire, Bannold wanted to refurbish 1920 railway carriages to create a tea room for customers.The Carriage Tea Room had a dated wooden substrate that needed to be replaced with a modern hygienic clinical finish for the kitchen facilities. The walls were not a square flat surface and needed a flexible product that could be fitted into the space. Floors and walls had to be easy to clean and maintain and fit into an environment without a straight line.ApproachCladpro are leading Altro Whiterock Premier installers specialising in hygienic wall finishes, floor coverings and ceilings. They suggested the Altro kitchen solution for the kitchen carriage. All the walls were thermoformed and wrapped to fit the unusual shape of the carriage.SolutionAltro Stronghold 30 keeps staff safe, with Altro’s highest slip-resistant rating of (PTV 55, R12) even with common kitchen contaminants such as grease, oil and flour. With 3mm comfort underfoot and 10dB impact sound insulation, it makes busy and noisy kitchen environments more comfortable for staff. Combined with Altro Whiterock it creates a full sealed solution to maintain the highest levels of safety and hygiene.

This study aimed to compare levels of bacterial contamination isolated from surfaces in a busy kitchen situated in a UK care home. The study’s main objective was to compare bacterial contamination on the antimicrobial wall cladding with other surfaces in the kitchen. The care home kitchen had been fitted with BioClad PVC wall cladding at the time of construction in 2011. All walls in the rectangular-shaped room were fitted with BioClad from ceiling to floor. The antimicrobial performance of the wall cladding was to be appraised according to the findings of the study.

Stone: LUNDHS Antique® - honed surface.The freestanding kitchen island acts as a natural focal point in this open plan kitchen and is perfect for both food prepping and entertainment. The combination of the blue cabinetry and Lundhs Antique surface is a great match.

A&L Tiling Ltd are based in Caerphilly and offer a professional tiling service, which includes mosaics, bathrooms and kitchens. They are also members and award winners of The Tile Association. They were asked by their client to provide a splash back for a new kitchen renovation. 

The World of Interiors magazine. Each year they produce a Kitchen & Bathroom supplement - a highly influential guide to all that's best in these categories. It's not easy to get into. But this year Riobel's Trattoria kitchen tap gets a prime spot. And so does Victoria + Albert's Amiata.

Bowline in Renshaw Street, Liverpool is a new development; a combination of student accommodation and apart-hotel rooms. Liverpool City Council approved the demolition of the existing Renshaw Hall building and the construction of the hotel and an 11-storey block of student accommodation; 49 clusters totalling 357 bedrooms with shared kitchen/lounge; and 47 self contained studios. The students communal facilities include a sky lounge, private dining room, fitness studio, karaoke room, and cinema room.Multiple residents in a building means more food being cooked and a higher risk of kitchen cooking fires. The Firechief Kitchen Stove Guard was fitted in all kitchen areas to help keep all the residents in the building safer. A fire on an induction hob can start in just 1.5 to 2 minutes and a fire on a traditional electric hob within 6 minutes.

Chaos under the kitchen sink. Sounds familiar? The waste bin takes up too much space, cleaning agents and utensils clutter up the cabinet and lots of storage space is wasted. It’s important to make full use of this often-neglected space and tidy up one of the most used areas in the kitchen.

The Architects involved in the design of the new Marriott hotel at Aberdeen airport really understood the need for a solution for the kitchens which ticked all the boxes. Beplas’s Elite FRP was the product chosen to line the extensive kitchen areas because it holds the ultimate combination of fire rating, low smoke development, clean-ability and durability.

When it comes to specifying the best of the best, Leicht Contracts know from experience that design and accreditation go hand in hand. The high-end, German kitchen manufacturer was commissioned to design and supply nine luxury kitchens for Purelake Group’s latest development project, Park View Mews in Lee, South East London.

A durable, slip resistant solution with minimal disruption for a development kitchen area in a popular Michelin star restaurant in Padstow, Cornwall.Located in a beautiful Georgian townhouse in the heart of bustling Padstow, Paul Ainsworth at No 6 has three dining areas, including private dining for smaller parties as well as a space overlooking the attractive development kitchen.Vebro Polymers has delivered fast-cure vebrospeed Quartz, a high performance yet aesthetically pleasing floor coating system for the development kitchen, an operational space that is also visible to diners. The area had previously been a functioning kitchen with a less-than suitable pre-existing floor finish that required refurbishment.Chosen in the blend Starry Night — an attractive yet functional charcoal grey shade, vebrospeed Quartz has been installed over plyboard designed to level the pre-existing floor finish under a fast turnaround with minimal disruption to the restaurant’s operations.Ideal for areas like kitchens where there is heavy foot traffic and wet spills can easily occur, vebrospeed Quartz is a highly durable and slip resistant, UV-stable quartz flooring system based on fast-cure MMA (methyl methacrylate) technology.Not only is the installation seamless, unlike alternative kitchen floor coverings such as tiles, coving has also been installed to the perimeter of the floor area, in order to ease cleaning regimes and maximise hygiene.In most scenarios, vebrospeed Quartz is ready to walk on in 60 minutes, which is highly advantageous for restaurants like Paul Ainsworth at No 6, where downtime has a direct and immediate impact on turnover.

The Haggerston West & Kingsland development is a residential housing scheme undertaken and operated by the renowned L&Q group. Several blocks of buildings were featured within the project. A community kitchen was included within Block B. Project architects, PRP specified the kitchen to be in stainless steel and GEC Anderson were awarded the task of supplying and installing the required units as well as the various electrical and gas appliances. The fully stainless steel kitchen was laid out in a symmetrical configuration and includes two sink areas, base cabinets, wall cabinets and drawer units. All units were lockable.Other areas of the project were also supplied by GEC Anderson, including the nursery and baby change facilities. 

GEC Anderson were recently chosen to work with Robin Lee Architecture in a highly creative multi-level residential apartment development in London’s Bayswater. The design process was lead by Architect, Robin Lee but was closely followed by his client and included significant collaboration with GEC Anderson who supplied and installed the stainless steel kitchen, including the associated appliances.To some, the kitchen may look to comprise standard or modular units but, in fact, every piece was individually and meticulously designed so as to maximise its functionality and use of space but also to provide it with its own unique and interesting visual features. A series of niches and shelf spaces were included to really maximise the use of space and to imbue the kitchen with creativity.

Our antimicrobial wall cladding was specified for the multi-million-pound project to develop four commercial kitchens at SW19 to serve the thousands of guests, players, and VIPs who attend The Championships each year. Working alongside a number of contractors, we were heavily involved in the refurbishment of the kitchen and food preparation areas, where over 1000m2 of cladding was installed in Spring of this year.

Jessica's home renovation and extension. Please see below a brief overview of Jessica's renovation journey in a blogpost:I’m not going to lie, renovating in a pandemic with no kitchen, was extremely stressful at times, particularly during the long stretches we were home-schooling, and it’s not something I’d want to repeat, but it definitely could have been worse, and we survived it.We bought this house six years ago and I have wanted to do the kitchen side return extension ever since Day One, but we had to wait and save, and then finally in September last year (2020) the day finally came, and we started the renovation. For reference, this is what it looked like when we bought the house. We did do a budget makeover in the interim by painting the cabinets and replacing the handles, but by the time we came to do the major building work we had doors hanging off, shelves collapsing, and the major lack of storage meant things were stuffed in and precariously balanced on top of each other and ready to topple as soon as anyone dared to delve in. I shared lots of my inspiration and ideas for the new kitchen before we started. I knew from very early on that I didn’t want to spend a huge amount of our budget on creating a fancy architectural kitchen extension. For me, the space inside was what was most important, and I just wanted to make sure we were maximising that to its full potential. We hired architect to draw up just the plans for us. I had initially wanted a pitched glass roof to run the length of the side return extension, but council planning regs and the unusual way our house is laid out, put paid to that idea. Our local council had recently introduced a height restriction of 2.5m at the boundary when extending more than 3m at the rear. Which we weren’t. Or so we thought! What we hadn’t realised is that the existing kitchen had already been extended and that counted towards the allowance, so the restriction did apply. This caused a lot of stress at the time, as we were so worried that the ceilings were going to feel low and dark. The good news is that as soon as the Vario by VELUX rooflights went in, all our worries melted away, and it’s not something I even notice or think about now.Another thing we did was speak to our neighbours about a third-party wall agreement. This was pretty key for us, as the buttress was on our side of the wall and if we had to build around it we would have lost at least half a metre of the side return. What we needed to do was take it down and build up right up to the boundary (saving as many of the London stock bricks as we could in the process). Luckily our lovely neighbours agreed, as this really did make a huge difference to the internal space.The LayoutI have had a lot of questions about many different aspects of the kitchen, but I think the thing I have been asked about most is the dimensions and the layout. We extended out 1.5m at the rear and around 2.5/3m to the side, bringing us to a total of 5m wide x 8m long. I think our layout is fairly unusual for a kitchen, and it seems to have inspired lots of people to try and do the same in their own kitchen renovations. The good thing about waiting almost six years to renovate your kitchen is that you get plenty of time to mull over what your dream kitchen might look like. The Design  knew I wanted to go with a seamless sleek, understated design and let the other materials do the talking, so I settled on the Urban kitchen, with slab doors. I worked with a kitchen designer to fine tune the space, and that’s where it really comes into its own, because they think of all the details you wouldn’t necessarily think of, and they know exactly how much space you need to allow you to move around your kitchen comfortably. The area around the island and peninsula was a tricky one to get right, because we didn’t want to interrupt the flow too much, but having lived in it for the last few months, I can confirm the kitchen designer got it spot on. We also included a fluted glass cocktail cabinet in our kitchen design, which houses all our glasses and drinks bottles and sits on the dining/entertaining side of the kitchen.The Vario by VELUX rooflightsOur previous kitchen had very little natural light and as a result none of us ever wanted to spend any time in there. So getting as much natural light as possible was a major priority in this renovation. We planned for two large rectangular rooflights along the side return (as we knew we needed a steel in between) and a square one towards the rear. Once we got planning permission, I asked our architect to tell me the absolute maximum amount of glazing we were allowed, and then headed straight for the Vario by VELUX website to design bespoke rooflights to the exact size we needed, using every last bit of glazing we were allowed! The bespoke nature of Vario by VELUX means you can tailor your sizes exactly to your needs. Using the 3D configurator online, you can also choose the frame colour, the type of glazing, and whether you want them to open or not. We have two 2.3m x 1m Rectangular rooflights (one opens) and a 1m x 1m square rooflight. Our builders had never worked with them before and were really impressed by the ease of fitting. The moment they went in, was the moment we really start to get excited about the new space. Even with screed floors and bare brick walls in November, the light was incredible in there. Now it’s finished, one of my favourite things is to work in the kitchen and watch the light as it changes and moves throughout the day. Even watching the rain is epic.

A total of three kitchens were supplied by GEC Anderson to this prestigious residential development, just off London’s Portland Square. CIE, who were commissioned to provide the kitchens, chose GEC Anderson to supply and fit the stainless steel worktops. GEC Anderson were the natural choice for CIE as they had worked many times with them in the past. The detailing specified by CIE included upstands (edge 10) to all wall junctions, combined with a plain edge (7) to exposed edges. The large worktop coverage made access and installation into the tight mews homes quite challenging. The unique features of each kitchen, including columns and cutouts also made the accuracy in the measuring of the worktops very critical. Supply and installation of the worktops was handled by GEC Anderson.

The Wilberforce Trust is a charity dedicated to helping and empowering those with sight and hearing loss and impairment in the York and North Yorkshire area to live fulfilling and independent lives. The Trust had tenants in community based supported housing and family homes around York but wanted to deliver an innovative ‘extra care’ housing scheme designed especially for people with a visual impairment and other disabilities; the first of its kind in the area.Wilberforce House offers 30 one-bed, open-plan purpose-built, self-contained apartments along with a Living & Learning Zone – providing education and leisure activities – a courtyard cafe and offices for the Trust itself, all set in four acres of accessible landscaped gardens, including a large sensory garden. The apartments utilise smart home and assistive technology personalised to their lifestyle needs.A consultant was employed to review the development’s plans with regard to fire safety. His report included recommendations for additional fire safety measures including the ability for cooker hobs to be switched off by an alarm, as kitchen fires are a significant risk with 50% of all accidental house fires starting in the kitchen. WHY THE FIRECHIEF KITCHEN STOVE GUARD? The initial solution proposed was costly as it meant hob alarms would need to be hard wired into each apartment’s fuse board. Damian Pocknell, Head of Housing, Facilities & IT at the Wilberforce Trust recalled having seen and read about the Firechief Kitchen Stove Guard and realised that this would be much more cost effective. The fire consultant agreed and subsequently signed off on the Kitchen Stove Guard as the approved solution.  

Real estate & logistics company, Logicor, installed two TopBrewers in their kitchen and breakout area.Logicor's sleek and modern London office was created with employee wellbeing at its core, and boasts an abundance of natural light and biophilic elements throughout.They chose to install two TopBrewers in separate islands in their kitchen and breakout area, offering their employees the perfect opportunity to chat, share ideas and collaborate with colleagues over a cup of their favourite TopBrewer coffee.

Stainless steel worktops, by GEC Anderson, were deployed in the refurbishment of the mess room at Roath Fire Station in Cardiff. The kitchen units were supplied by Steelplan Kitchens.The continuous, high quality, stainless steel worktops provide a highly professional look and feel to the busy area within this important emergency facility. The requirements of hygiene, durability and safety are met by the worksuraces that feature integrated sink bowls as well as upstands to walls.

Royal Windsor Quay is an exclusive riverfront development of sixteen townhouses, duplexes, apartments and penthouses.Because of the development's exclusivity, the style and quality of the kitchens were considered to be two of the most important features of the homes by developers, Hadley Homes. The aim was to design kitchens that would make a statement and be the focal point of the spaces.Says Jamee Kong, head of design at DesignSpaceLondon: The two townhouses and two penthouses were marketed as the most luxurious of the sixteen properties. A combination of Schiffini's Cinqueterre and One collections were used with a black polished granite worktop. The all black scheme, in a variety of finishes, created a sophisticated and striking look that answered the design brief.To create balance and to add interest, stainless steel appliances by Kuppersbusch were specified and single-piece stainless steel bridge-worktops by GEC Anderson were introduced in the two penthouses. The continuous stainless steel worktops, with deep edge profiles provide an important and bright focal-point to the penthouse kitchens.This was the first project we had worked on for this particular client and as a result of the success, we have been commissioned to work on two further developments, with kitchen installations due to start in the second quarter of 2011.GEC Anderson Managing Director, Martin Tye, comments: Use of high quality stainless steel in luxury kitchens provides a supremely practical yet, visually, stunning solution to worktop requirements and truly sets them apart in terms of form and function.The versatility and design freedom possible with GEC Anderson worktops makes them popular with designers and discerning users. For example, worktops can be produced in one piece and with edge profiles and sink bowl arrangements to meet exact user-requirements. Their unrivalled performance comes free.The bright and reflective stainless steel worktop finish adds light and spaciousness to the kitchen interior, whether used alone or in combination with traditional materials, such as wood and stone.

9 of Howe Green’s 5000 Series floor access covers were specified for Hotel Du Vin’s French Bistro in Cambridge, the 9th in its UK chain and the first with an open view style kitchen. The requirement was for an access solution that would ensure that essential services were hidden from public view but that they could be easily and quickly accessed for maintenance or repairs. The 5000 Series blend seamlessly with the flooring and are perfectly flush with their surrounding helping to prevent any slips or trips, ideal for a busy kitchen.