An inviting Sweet Treats kitchen scheme with @makingspacesnet

What was this space like before and what was your plan to update it?

“Our kitchen is north-east facing, so we get a nice morning light in the summer. But throughout the rest of the day – and pretty much throughout winter – it’s rather dark in here. Pure, brilliant white walls, white kitchen and white furniture were literally the worst colours for this space, so it became somewhere I hated being, but I felt stuck about how to go about changing it.

Operation 1980s kitchen included banishing the pure brilliant white and opting for a warmer, softer white with cream undertones on the walls. This shade would also be used throughout the hall, stairs and landing spaces to create beautiful flow. I also wanted to paint the base cabinet fronts and update them with wooden handles and knobs, so it would look a bit like the old melamine kitchen fronts I grew up with.”

Which colours did you use to create this inviting scheme?

“Whatever colours I chose for this room had to work with an oak floor, and the taupe quartz worktop which we couldn’t afford to update. My chosen palette was Muscovado, Madeleine, Affogato, Linen Wash and Clay. The base cabinet fronts were painted in Madeleine as a nod to my mum and dad’s house, and Muscovado was used for the woodwork either side of the chimney breast in the small dining space.”

How would you describe your interior style, and how does your kitchen scheme reflect this?

“My interior style has evolved over the years, just like with everything really, but I would say that my true love is the 1970s design period. Born in 1978, I have such fond memories of my family whilst growing up in the 1980s – brown paisley carpets, wicker light shades, green velvet curtains, creams, tans and ochres, and lots of wood. My living room is painted in Little Greene Clay and Scullery, providing a nod to some of these elements.”

Explore our authentic 1970s paint colours

3. Listen to your house. Don’t move into a new build and fit a chandelier fit for a period villa with 3m high ceilings! Authenticity is key – something that enhances your surroundings and reflects who you are.

4. Interiors can seem pretty simple to some, and it’s true – those that can visualise find the process way less scary than those that can’t. It’s a question I ask all my clients as part of the initial consultation: “how good are you at visualising?”. As for those that struggle, working with someone who can help them do this can be highly beneficial.”