We are very lucky to be having a ‘through the keyhole’ look at Claire Jessiman’s gorgeous kitchen this month. Mum of two and wife of one, Claire blogs at Foodie Quine. Claire is a passionate Scottish freelance food writer, blogger, cookery demonstrator and tutor.  She loves Gin, Cheese, Peanut Butter, Rhubarb and Tea and is permanently looking for the recipe that can combine them all.

Over to Claire…

This time last year I headed off on holiday and waved goodbye to my old kitchen. No more honey pine cupboard doors and no more rotating pan cupboard from hell. That wonky carousel was sworn at on a daily basis. When we bought our house 15 years ago one of the main reasons I fell in love with it was the size of the kitchen. It was however somewhat dated and over the years we revamped bits and pieces – new worktops, flooring, sink, hob, tiles, redecorating etc but it was at last time for the biggie. A whole new kitchen.

I won’t lie. The process was very stressful. Every step of the way there were choices and compromises to be made. Life became a whirl of architects, builders, structural engineers, plans, building warrants and kitchen showrooms. We were also extending a wee bit, knocking through to join the dining room and kitchen, installing patio doors, moving internal walls and turning the existing office into a utility room. In for a penny, in for a pound. Rather a lot of pounds.

When we returned from a fortnight in Italy the change was dramatic but it would take many more weeks until completion. Our own builders and tradesmen were all fantastic. Not so much the kitchen company. Least said about them the better. Customer service, communication, product knowledge and plain common sense all seemed to go out the window. Many headaches and tears along the way. Despite all of this I’m delighted with the finished product and absolutely love my new kitchen even although the dining area is still not complete. Here are some of my favourite things about it…

The Splashback

I fell head over heels in love with the Oyster Colonsay fused glass from Steve Robinson Glass Art and instantly decided that I had to have it as a splashback. It’s a real statement piece and work of art.  I’ve tried to tie in its colour scheme with other touches of blue and turquoise around the kitchen.

Jam Jar Lights

I didn’t have any real plans for the lighting in my new kitchen until a visit to the Scottish Ideal Homes Show. As soon as I spotted the amazing jam jars from www.jamjarlights.com I knew they were for me. Much hilarity on the night of hanging with 9 friends required to hold them at different heights over the island until I was happy with their final positioning.

 

The Larder Cupboard

I knew from the outset that I wanted some sort of larder cupboard as I had drooled over them in friend’s houses. It has recessed doors which means everything can be hidden away when required although I do rather like having my jars and tins of ingredients and quirky and vintage bits and pieces on show.

 

The Gin Shelf

This wasn’t specifically planned as such but has evolved into an homage to juniper. Cheers!

Turquoise Kitchen Aid

Although I say I based my kitchen colour scheme around the splashback the real inspiration most probably came from a longing for a turquoise Kitchen Aid and after an agonisingly long wait my new baby was finally delivered last month. Just like childbirth the process of a new kitchen was exhausting and painful but so worth it in the end.

Thanks to Claire for sharing her beautiful kitchen with us, Claire can be found at: Foodie Quine, on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram

If you would like your kitchen featured, email: foodies100@fleaenterprises.com