Designing a kitchen, rediscovering home, and creating a space for the people we love.
Some projects are particularly close to your heart. This year, mine has been the renovation of our family kitchen at Golden Slumbers.
Earlier this year, my husband and I decided to bring our family back together and make our marriage incredible. Having always shared a love of cooking and gathering around food, we felt that creating a new kitchen would be a beautiful expression of this renewed chapter in our lives.
And so began the dream.
Our inspiration image bellow.
A Kitchen for Our Family
I knew I would effectively be taking on three clients: my husband, my daughter and my son. Luckily, we all have similar taste!
One Sunday, after a roast, we sat down and explored Pinterest for inspiration. We settled on a strong navy blue, traditional elements and a kitchen that would feel timeless, warm and welcoming.
Thereafter, Mom took over!
Designing your own dream kitchen comes with sleepless nights. I wanted to get everything right, while working within the restraints of space, time and budget.
This was my opportunity to create a kitchen for us all to gather in. For Lily to bake and have her friends over, for George to make his world-class Yorkies, and for Neill to prepare his bolognaise and a Sunday roast fit for the Windsors.
And, of course, my hostess cupboard of dreams!
After 33 years of collecting dinner services, tablecloths, cocktail napkins, serviette rings and candle holders, I finally had the opportunity to create a home for all these wonderful treasures.
Because sometimes, the things we collect become part of the story of who we are.
From Vision to Reality
We began our renovation on the 4th of June, with the hope of being in the kitchen by the 10th of October.
After years of working on renovation projects for clients, experiencing the process in my own home has been quite an adventure.
I have come to see plumbing as the arteries and veins of a home, bringing in and removing water. The electrical systems remind me of the neural pathways of the brain, connecting everything and giving us light, warmth and energy.
Renovation really does feel like major surgery!
All the design decisions need to be made before even one brick is broken out. And although having a clear vision makes the process easier, unforeseen issues and adjustments are always part of the journey.
There have certainly been a few sleepless nights.
But seeing the space gradually transform has been incredibly rewarding.
The Heart of the Home
Having designed at least forty kitchens over the last three decades, I have always been passionate about this particular space.
As a home cook, I understand how much of our everyday life unfolds in the kitchen.
It is where the day begins, where meals are prepared, where conversations happen naturally and where everyone seems to gather, even when there are other places to sit.
A kitchen needs to function beautifully, but it also needs to feel right.
The layout, materials, lighting and storage all contribute to the experience of living within it.
And while designing kitchens for clients has always been a highlight of my work, creating one for my own family has reminded me of something particularly important.
We are not simply designing a room.
We are creating a place for the moments that will happen within it.
Finding Calm Along the Way
Living at home during a renovation can be overwhelming.
The mess, the noise and the constant changes can make it difficult to see beyond the immediate chaos.
I find it helpful to compartmentalise the process, focus on one stage at a time and have little things to look forward to.
A dinner with the family. A walk around the block. A moment to appreciate what has already been achieved.
And when everything feels a little too much, I turn to meditation.
I find that simply stopping, relaxing my shoulders, taking three deep breaths and reconnecting with the bigger picture can make a remarkable difference.
Sometimes I remind myself:
I am building my dream kitchen.
Not waiting for it to happen, but actively participating in the process.
It is a small shift in perspective, but one that helps bring me back to my centre.
A New Chapter at Golden Slumbers
For me, this kitchen has always been about more than beautiful finishes or a carefully considered layout.
It is about family, cooking, gathering and creating a space where we can enjoy the everyday moments that make a home meaningful.
It is about Lily baking with her friends, George preparing his Yorkies, Neill making Sunday roast, and all of us finding our way back to the kitchen for one more conversation.
And perhaps that is what makes this project so special.
After years of designing spaces for other people, I have had the opportunity to create something deeply personal for my own family.
A kitchen that reflects not only how we want to live, but the life we are building together.
Because ultimately, the greatest beauty of a home is not simply how it looks, but how it makes us feel, and the memories it allows us to create.
And I cannot wait to share our finished kitchen with you.
Danela x