This couple is looking to breathe life back into their seaside holiday home and refresh the kitchen. So, we’ve asked two designers to come up with ideas suited to their brief…

Janey Milligan and her husband Andrew, both retired and in their sixties, have owned a holiday home in a seaside village near Fife, Scotland for more than 30 years. They feel that its kitchen-dining-living area needs a refresh but are unsure where to start.

So, they decided to take part in our Drawing Board feature, where interiors experts come up with creative ideas for our readers’ renovations and design dilemmas. This time, KBB journo Rachel Ogden asked Jane Thyeson, a designer for Smile Kitchens, and Kutchenhaus’s senior kitchen designer Zivile Morkelyte, to help create an open-plan kitchen-diner with a coastal twist.

The space

The open-plan room is fairly square and measures 4.8m x 5m at its longest points, with a ceiling height of 2.4m. A vestibule juts in at the rear, one wall of which is formed by glass blocks. Opposite, the spiral stair leads to the upper floor landing.

The brief for the kitchen

• Janey and Andrew are keen to give their second home a complete revamp. They like contemporary design and seaside colours that evoke the property’s location. In terms of style, they have expressed a preference for anything interesting or quirky.
• The open-plan room has a spiral staircase in one corner that the couple need to retain for access to the upper floor, but otherwise the space is a blank canvas.
• The new design must keep the light, airy feel of the property. Janey would also like to include a media wall, as well as an effective lighting scheme.
• The couple are not planning any structural alterations, however they are open to ideas.

Designer one

Smile Kitchens’ designer Jane Thyeson has been designing kitchens for more than 20 years and has a degree in interior design. Her passion for interior design started young – inspired by BBC’s Changing Rooms – and she still enjoys watching design shows and reading magazines to keep up with trends.

Solution one

“Designing a holiday home kitchen requires a balance of aesthetics, functionality and durability. Janey and Andrew’s project is also about bringing the coastal surroundings inside while ensuring the space remains low-maintenance, and timeless.

“To create a natural separation between the kitchen and living area, I’ve suggested a peninsula layout. This allows the room to easily accommodate a corner sofa, leaving ample space for a media wall, and giving Janey and Andrew flexibility in their living space.

“For the cabinetry, I chose Smile Kitchens’ Vard range: a balance of classic Shaker style, with the modern twist of a slim-framed design. I’ve used the Duke shade for the base and tall units, and Chalk for the wall units; the colour scheme reflects their coastal environment, with the deep, rich blue mirroring the ocean and the lighter upper cabinetry keeping the space feeling open and bright. The painted finish allows for easy repainting in the future, and the cabinetry is hard-wearing, too.

“For a refined finishing touch, I opted for the brand’s 100mm Fold satin brass handles. Their slimline profile means they don’t overpower the space, making them ideal for a compact kitchen. The warm brass finish adds subtle elegance, working beautifully with both the dark base cabinetry and lighter wall units. The units are topped with 20mm Ice White quartz, which I selected for its easy maintenance and aesthetic appeal.

“Stain-resistant and durable, its soft tones and subtle veining echo the textures of the beach, reinforcing the kitchen’s connection to the coast. In contrast, an oiled oak worktop on the slim peninsula adds a warmer feel to the room. Blending beauty with practicality, the space feels connected to its coastal surroundings while remaining adaptable for years to come.”

Janey’s verdict

“This kitchen seemed a bit cluttered to us. We initially thought that an island or peninsula would be a good idea. However, we concluded it takes up too much space in the room. We also felt that the division made the sink position impractical for everyday use and that there would be too much congestion going in and out of the cooking/washing area.

“We like the base and wall units being different shades, but the overall colour scheme didn’t suit our tastes. And we did appreciate the large drawers, though, which make the kitchen look different from normal cupboard doors and provide easily accessible storage. The full-height cupboards keep the surfaces clear, too.”

Designer two

Zivile, or Zee, Morkelyte, senior kitchen designer at Kutchenhaus Sheffield-Meadowhall, has worked for the brand for more than three years. Originally from Lithuania, she moved to the UK as a child, discovering her love for design as a teen. She graduated with a BA (Hons) in Interior Design from the University of Northampton.

Solution two

“The property’s brief called for a quirky aesthetic as well as coastal colours echoing the seaside location. Drawing inspiration from this, I included a palette and design elements that I felt reflected the coastal ambience. For the kitchen base units, I selected Sky, a finish in our velvety Senso range with anti-fingerprint coating, paired with gold handles, evoking the clear skies and sea. This matt blue hue creates a fresh, airy feel.

“The upper cabinets are in Bergamo Oak from the Riva range, which introduces natural warmth. The handleless wall units maintain a clean look and ensure the kitchen’s upper section feels sleek and streamlined. For a touch of elegance, I included a glass wall unit at the end of the run, with strip lighting, so it works as a display unit while providing mood lighting.

“For the worktops, I chose a durable slimline laminate in Sand Travertine, which continues up the wall behind the hob as a splashback. This finish mimics the natural tones of sand and echoes the textures of coastal rock formations, tying the kitchen design to its setting. To enhance visual appeal, I incorporated an open unit to the left of the sink. This can function as a display area for books or decorative items as it faces into the lounge.

“I felt it was important to create a cohesive and harmonious look in the lounge area, so I’ve included a media unit, also in Senso Sky to match the kitchen, paired with slat wall décor panels. The panels continue up to the window wall, neatly hiding a cupboard door while maintaining access. This seamless and visually appealing aesthetic helps to create a sense of space in the room. The overall design feels fresh, vibrant, playful, and highly functional, perfectly capturing the essence of its location.”

Janey’s verdict

“We thought that this design looked very sophisticated. The colour scheme is fabulous, with the pale blue lower kitchen cabinets and rich wood finish for the wall cabinets echoing our coastal location. We also really like the glass cabinet at the end, but perhaps would not incorporate that as storage space is limited and it might make that cupboard less flexible.

“We liked that this design retained plenty of floor space, plus we had not considered a pair of two-seater sofas with a table in the corner. And, we can see that working very well. The media wall design is superb. We feel it brings the whole space together, especially with the wood slatting disguising the cupboard door. The wall-hung cabinets at the media wall help to make the room feel spacious but will be very useful, as well. Overall, this felt like the most flexible of the two designs.”

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