lady in black shirt standing behind navy kitchen island

Kitchen makeovers

A Two Tone Kitchen Makeover With Charlotte

Inspired by the casual and characterful look of Nordic styles, Charlotte wanted to create a bold, two-tone look that would create an impact, whilst complementing her country home. Explore how Charlotte worked with Howdens and her trade professional to transform her space into a practical and eye-catching area that makes her kitchen the hub of her home.

Blonde lady with red lipstick and black t-shirt

About Charlotte

Hair and makeup artist, Charlotte, lives in Hertfordshire with her husband and two young children. Her 1930’s countryside home has all the original features, which Charlotte wanted to keep when she started her home renovation. You can discover how she styled her home with Scandi influences on her Instagram page.

Explore more at @hollybushhome

The transformation

Small L-shaped kitchen with wood-effect cupboard doors and lime green tiles

Small and unstylish

With limited counter and storage space, Charlotte found that her old design was not practical or functional for her busy home and it was something she wanted to correct in her new scheme. The old layout was also too cramped and looked outdated, offering no where she could socialise with family and friends.

Navy island with white worktop and black bar stools

Two tone and on trend

By using contemporary colours, like grey and navy, with our shaker Fairford cupboard doors, Charlotte has created a two-tone design that looks modern and still ties in the with the rustic surroundings. She has included a large island, which offers extra storage and workspace, while also creating a place where guests can gather.

The design details

Cool colours

The cool-toned colours of grey and navy in Charlotte’s kitchen give the shaker cupboards a modern twist, whilst creating a calming feel that captures the essence of Scandi interiors. Charlotte has used light-grey for most of the design to keep the space looking bright and open. It also provides a neutral backdrop for the bold navy island, which creates a show-stopping centrepiece.

See blue kitchens

An eye-catching island

As well as creating an attention-grabbing focal point, Charlotte’s new island unit provides the extra counter space that she was missing in her old design. This piece of furniture also doubles as a great storage area, which includes a cutlery drawer and deep pan drawers that help Charlotte to keep this socialising area clean and clutter-free with minimum effort.

See kitchen storage

black win cooler on left hand side of navy kitchen island

Wine station

Having a multi-functional layout where Charlotte could entertain guests whilst cooking was a must-have for her new kitchen, and incorporating a wine cooler into the design helps to keep her space ready for parties and casual get-togethers. By installing this device into the island, it saves floor space and ensures that chilled beverages are close to hand when entertaining.

See wine coolers

Charlotte Galsworthy

“My favourite feature is my island, which fills up the large space and creates a striking look that draws the eye. It has also become a great social space where I can entertain family and friends and cook in it at the same time.”

Working with Howdens

Finding a fitter

Charlotte found a fitter through a recommendation made by a friend and was pleased to discover he had worked with Howdens before. Her trade professional was also an experienced kitchen fitter, so Charlotte was confident her design would be installed to a high standard. For help connecting with a tradesperson, contact your local depot.

Find a depot

Product choice

Having used Howdens for previous kitchen renovations, Charlotte knew that there was a great product selection available. This meant she could get everything she needed to complete her design from her local depot. The wide variety of on-trend colours and designs also made it easy to create a two-tone design in her preferred shaker style.

See shaker kitchens

Design service

The realistic CAD plans provided by her designer made it easy for Charlotte to visualise her new layout and make changes that better suited her family and lifestyle. Her designer was able to change the location of drawers and cupboards during the design process, so that they offered better accessibility and made the scheme more practical.

Discover our design services

Installation

As Charlotte’s fitter had fitted plenty of Howdens kitchens before, his experience meant the whole installation process went very smoothly. Her trade professional was able to keep the whole project running on time, which meant it stayed on budget. This also made it stress-free for Charlotte as the renovation was completed quickly and with minimum fuss.

Charlotte Galsworthy

“I absolutely love my Howdens kitchen. I’m very pleased with the quality, and how easy it was to plan and get exactly what I wanted for my new kitchen vision. Friends and family are always complimenting it saying what a lovely kitchen it is.”