When emigrating turns into extending
Brian and Aimee Jay had life all planned out, ready to up sticks and move down under to join family early 2019, then BOOM, the pandemic hits and things turn upside down!
Aimee Jay had to shield straight away, which led to a lot of stress and strain on the family and their plans. After much discussion, the decision was reached, ditch the emigrating, let’s extend!
Architects employed, ideas emerging the dream began.
After a good look round at the competition, the couple decided that an independent family firm was a far better option. Large national companies made them feel very pressured and sold to. Describing their experience as “slimy salespeople pouncing on you and selling to make their commission.” This is the difference between a Designer and a Salesperson!!
It was a refreshing change for the couple when they came to Urban. Ideas, inspiration, advice, possibilities and endless help and guidance. “Experts in the field are not disingenuous in any way”. Ben offered his opinion and completely changed the original thinking to include an island, utility with extra storage, housing for the appliances, even changing the entire positioning of the kitchen. “This encouraged us to think about the whole project including the dining area and through snug/home office site”, commented Aimee Jay.
The couple sourced their own appliances purely for lead time issues due to the pandemic and supply chain. Ben advised them and helped them choose the right appliances even though they got these online. “Nothing was too much trouble.”
Our fitting team came in and worked alongside the build team adhering to Covid restrictions and always appreciating the importance of the family’s health and the tradesmen.
Two weeks from delivery to finish, most impressed, no problems and a great job!! This was a smooth project with little disturbance encountered, unlike the world outside at the time!!
I was highly impressed on entering the room, not just with Aimee Jay’s eye for detail, colour schemes and quirky style, but the whole set-up. The space is open, light and shouting out kitchen party!!
The grey mist gloss slab door with matt black handle looks a mix of industrial and contemporary rolled into one. Herringbone tiles in matt black complement this look perfectly. Accents of gold dotted about to bring out the metallic look very on-trend. Composite work surfaces are slowly becoming very popular in the current market. This surface certainly adds a fabulous finish to the whole design.
The kitchen is functional and thought out perfectly for this family and their lifestyle. “Harper loves to perch on the stools and complete her homework while I’m prepping our meal”, comments Aimee Jay. Very important to be able to multitask as a busy mum.
Overall, this project is a classic example of an open plan living space with zoning to create multifunctional areas and a sense of separation for eating, living, working, and of course, the classic beverage station for those all-important kitchen parties!!
A huge thank you for allowing me to showcase your kitchen, Aimee Jay, and Brian. It was a pleasure spending time with you and, of course, Betty and Strudel, your delightful fur-babies.
