Each month we’ll bring you some of the design dilemmas we face at Georgina Wilson Associates, and our expert solutions.
First up, one of our Layout Review clients in London had a banquette / breakfast nook attached to their kitchen island. This impacted the circulation around the island – an island is many things (buffet for Christmas, point of arrival, prep area) and if you attach your dining setting to one side of it, you completely destroy the innate flexibility and efficiency of the island. The attached banquette created very awkward circulation and cramped flow path around the kitchen area.
Our solution:
We recommended separating the dining table and placing it on the other side of the kitchen, to create an efficient kitchen experience. This also keeps the island free for preparation, socializing and occasional dining.
We heard from a client in Washington, US, who wanted to reconfigure a whole floor of their home into a master suite. Their vision was to turn three upstairs bedrooms into a large primary bedroom plus an office / guest room. On their wishlist for the large master bedroom was a walk-in closet, and they also asked to change the orientation of the room so the bedroom window could overlook a river view.
Our solution:
Using our Layout Review Service, we reconfigured the floor so that the master bedroom and walk-in closet were situated next to each other with open access to the closet. We located entry to the ensuite from the corridor rather than straight off the bedroom to make the floor plan more efficient. The guest room / office was a stand alone space accessible from the main hallway and we also suggested installing a skylight in the hall to bring a sense of delight to the centre of the plan.
From Germany, a couple in a historic property shared their compact kitchen with us – they were students from Georgina’s Kitchen Masterclass. They have two children and cook most meals at home, so efficiency is key in their kitchen. They were hoping to install an island or built-in eating area, and sent us an impressive hand drawn plan with their thoughts!
Our solution:
Building on the couple’s ideas, we suggested spreading out the work zones and moving the utility area – i.e. the oven and microwave – at 90 degrees to the work zones with the fridge freezer next to them. The existing hutch could be turned into a tall pantry or a storage area with freezer (or more frivolously, a home bar!) The client had already pencilled in a banquette and we thought of lengthening the bench to ‘claim’ more of the available space; the bench can also have storage underneath.
