Hehku Heavenly Spaces have recently completed a stunning kitchen transformation of an East Surrey home, finished with beautiful quartz counter-tops from Caesarstone.
Hehku were approached by the homeowners to create a luxurious space that reflected the family’s love of cooking and entertaining. Prior to the refurbishment, the kitchen lacked the ‘wow’ factor that the family aspired to, as well as suffering from a lack of natural flow to the space.
As part of their kitchen design, Hehku incorporated two large central islands, topped with Caesarstone quartz countertops, with curved ends that softened the space and encourage social interaction. The homeowners were keen on transforming the kitchen into a room where their shared joys of cooking and food preparation, as well as entertaining, could equally be met. The two islands answer this brief by providing separate functions in the kitchen.
The large central island features a curved breakfast bar overhang formed from Caesarstone’s 4030 Pebble quartz countertop surface, with kitchen bar stools to neatly tuck under. The raised seating provides a subtle transitional space for informal socialisation between the food preparation areas and more formal sit-down dining.
The other island provides a perfect space for cooking, with new appliances including gas hobs and a near-silent fan extractor providing the family with a space where they can indulge in their favourite pastime. Both islands feature cabinetry from Störmer’s kitchen range, finished in three contrasting colours for a dynamic aesthetic. The combination of three finishes (Athen Stone Gloss, Florenz Ash Silver Grey and Largo Nero Grey) with Caesarstone’s Pebble surface, a mid-grey shade with darker tones blended for a natural finish, produces an appealing colour contrast that brings the area to life.
The unique oval shape of this island was reflected in a protruding ceiling soffit directly above the counter-top, with a gentle cool backlight capturing attention. This alteration in the ceiling line draws attention to the kitchen island beneath it, ensuring this island worktop becomes a point of focus within the room.
The Caearstone quartz kitchen countertops also provided technical benefits for the room; for the large sink area, inlaid with a steel sink from designer manufacturer Blanco, features subtle drainage grooves laid into the counter tops. As quartz counter tops are non-porous, this delicate detailing technique provides an understated, yet elegant, solution to any water spilled around the sink. As the Pebble quartz worktop is also stain-resistant, the family can be confident that there will be no water-marks or damage to the counter-top.
The use of Caesarstone’s Pebble quartz was not limited to the food preparation and service areas; the material was also used to form the shelf off the family’s ‘technology station’, where the array of gadgets could be conveniently charged with pop-up sockets without interfering in the main food preparation area. Pebble provided a design continuity between the technology station and the more functional spaces, while the placement has ensured this corner of the kitchen has become a firm favourite of the family.
Hehku worked closely with the family in ensuring that both the larger concept as well as the finer details matched their ambitions, this included ensuring top of the range appliances from Siemens Home, and NEFF Bake It Yourself ovens were easily accessible and a key feature of the space.
The transformation is startling, and one that the clients were delighted with. A member of the family commented: “Undeniably the kitchen transformation has breathed new life into the house we were thinking of moving from, this is now a home we wish to remain in for many years to come.” Such sentiments demonstrate how an effective kitchen redesign, with appropriately selected materials and finishes, can significantly improve our homes.
