After decades of designing kitchens for others, it was finally time for Shehryar Khan to create his own dream space in his first family home.

After six years of renting, the husband and wife team behind kitchen design studio Sheraton Interiors, Shehryar and Nadia Khan, finally bought their first property together. “We had put every penny we had into our showroom,” explains Shehryar, who has been designing kitchens for 20 years.

“As this is our first home, we really wanted to create something unique which would not only make us happy, but that would also symbolise my journey as a kitchen designer and where I am today,” he says.

It was love at first sight when they viewed the three-bed semi-detached property. It needed a lot of work, but had potential. Here, Shehryar explains how the luxury kitchen came together…

The brief for the luxury kitchen

From the outset, Nadia and I knew we wanted the main wall to house tall cabinetry, along with a sink placed between tall units. The star of the show would be a multi-functional central island, which would feature a cooking zone as well as a casual seating area.

We imagined something bold and exciting: a Mid-century modern space incorporating Japandi elements.

I also loved the idea of clean lines, symmetry and a monochromatic colour scheme. However, as a rebel at heart, I decided to break the status quo and introduce bold accent shades. All of the above meant this design ended up being a bit of an evolution.

We initially started with tall cabinets made from painted wood material in a slab style with handles, reeded painted wall units and island. But the design just felt so 2021. So, Nadia and I went back to the drawing board and decided to have that entire run feature the same slab-style painted beaded doors, including the base and wall units. We then changed the island to have a brass finish, which adds a glamorous contrast.

The kitchen island

I opted for push-to-open drawers with no channel rail or plinth. I then requested the fronts would be grained matched horizontally across all the drawers. The worktop on the island is interesting – I planned to make a real ‘wow’ statement.

The Xtone Paonazzo Biondo marble-effect sintered stone from Porcelanosa has a warm white base and striking veining that perfectly complements the kitchen and the materials I used. Not only that – while the build-up was 50mm all the way around, with waterfall edges on both sides, on the back of the island the units were reduced in height and width. This allowed me to create angles which not only serve as a stunning focal point but also as an overhang which can be used as a seating area.

The appliances

Being a bit of a tech geek, I also wanted to showcase how far the kitchen industry has come, incorporating technology within the cooking area and appliances.

The Liebherr full-height freezer has a built-in ice maker and is plumbed in, so you won’t ever run out. We chose a Quooker Flex boiling-water tap and an Insinkerator waste disposal unit. Not only are they practical, but the tap is more energy efficient than a kettle. Plus, the disposal unit helps deal with the problem of food waste.

For the cooking appliances, we chose a Miele compact steam oven with built-in sous vide, which you can also control via an app using your smartphone or tablet. Underneath this, we placed a built-in warming drawer. And on the other side of the sink, we chose the Miele M-Touch series conventional oven with steam functions.

For the hob, we wanted to move away from gas. So, we opted for the Bora classic 2.0 featuring two induction hobs, one teppan hotplate and two extractors. This was flush-fitted into the worktop giving us a seamless design. It’s also ducted under the floor, through our outside wall.

In the breakfast pantry we have the Miele M-Touch coffee centre, which gives us freshly ground bean-to-cup coffee every morning at the touch of a button. It’s definitely one of our most favourite must-haves.

Types of hob and how to choose the right one for your kitchen: click here

The final design

In the end, I feel extremely proud of my kitchen. Not only because it’s mine, but it also displays how far I’ve come in 20 years of being part of the industry I fell in love with.

I truly feel this scheme represents where I am in my journey as a kitchen designer. But most importantly, me and my family love using this space and it has made a real change in the way we live, feel, and use the kitchen on a day-to-day basis.

Photography: Nick Smith Photography | Styling: Alex Crabtree

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