Melly & Jamie’s kitchen

Melly and Jamie love having people round. Family gatherings, long dinners with friends, a glass of wine at the island while something's cooking away in the background. They needed a kitchen that could keep up.

Living in a detached family home in West Sussex, they wanted a space that felt just as comfortable on a quiet evening with the dogs as it did when the house was full.

The finished design does exactly that. Maine Cashmere cabinetry wraps around the room, while a Maine Chalk island takes centre stage. It's rooted in classic shaker styling, but feels fresh, relaxed and ready for modern family life.

You know those homes where everyone naturally drifts towards the kitchen? This is one of them.

The large L-shaped layout sits within an open-plan space that links the kitchen, dining area, living room and garden. It's easy to move around, easy to chat and easy to be part of whatever's going on.

The island does a lot of the heavy lifting. It provides seating for the whole family, somewhere to serve food, somewhere to catch up over a coffee and somewhere guests naturally gather when they're told to "make themselves at home".

Behind the scenes, everything is exactly where you'd want it. Multiple cooking zones make hosting easier, while the ovens, sink, dishwasher and refrigeration are all within easy reach. The pop-up extractor disappears into the worktop when it's not needed, leaving the island clear for everything else that happens here.

And that's quite a lot.

Cashmere and Chalk are one of those combinations that just work.

The Maine range Cashmere cabinetry keeps the room feeling warm and welcoming, while the lighter island brings contrast without trying too hard. Open a cupboard and you'll find crisp white interiors that make finding things surprisingly easy.

The customer-sourced worktops add real personality to the space. The bold veining catches your eye straight away, while the waterfall edges help turn the island into the room's centrepiece.

It's elegant, but still feels like home.

Good lighting has a funny way of making a kitchen feel completely different depending on the time of day.

Pendant lights help anchor the island, while under-cabinet lighting and dimmable spotlights allow the mood to shift from practical to relaxed in seconds. Bright enough for cooking. Soft enough when dinner turns into another hour around the table.

It's those small decisions that make the biggest difference once you're actually living in the space.

For keen cooks, storage was just as important as appearance, and there’s plenty of it here.

Generous larder units provide plenty of room for ingredients, appliances and everyday essentials, while multiple internal drawer packs help keep everything organised and easy to find. Corner swing-out shelving ensures no space goes to waste, and integrated bins and appliances maintain the kitchen's clean-line confidence.

It's a practical kitchen disguised as a beautiful one.

Melly and Jamie now have a kitchen that feels completely in tune with the way they live.

It's where family gathers, meals get cooked, friends stay longer than planned and everyday life quietly unfolds. The island gets used. The storage gets used. The carefully considered layout gets used.

And that's probably the biggest compliment you can give any kitchen. It doesn't just look good in the photos. It works brilliantly in real life.