TL;DR
Get furniture and decor delivered free with Prime
- Fast, free delivery on millions of items
- Prime Video, Amazon Music and more included
- Member-only deals all year
Adrian and Melanie renovated the narrow galley kitchen in their Shoreham-by-Sea home as part of a £60,000 whole-house makeover. The design combines oak, plywood, fluted wood and black-stained oak, while a new west-facing window brings more natural light into the compact room.
Adrian and Melanie renovated the narrow galley kitchen in their Shoreham-by-Sea home, combining natural oak, plywood and dark-stained cabinetry while adding a west-facing window to improve daylight. The kitchen formed part of a £60,000 whole-house makeover, according to Ideal Home, which reported on the project.
The couple moved into a seaside home in West Sussex that Adrian described as a doer-upper, with what he called “strange 1970s architecture” inside. Before choosing finishes, they worked out how to position the kitchen to make better use of available light. They ultimately kept the room’s original configuration, opened up a window to the west and changed the access, Adrian told Ideal Home.
The resulting kitchen retained a galley layout, which limited space for tall cabinets without making the room feel narrower. Adrian first mocked up design ideas, then worked with bespoke kitchen company Wood Works Brighton. The scheme uses oak and plywood, with fluted timber and a black-stained oak finish to create contrasting areas within the compact room.
The details were selected to support the couple’s preference for natural materials and a Japanese-influenced style. Oak window frames match the cabinetry, while leather bar stools came from their previous home. At one end, a cupboard with a curved door and shelves gives the cabinetry a softer outline. Ideal Home identifies £60,000 as the total cost of the wider house project; it does not give a separate figure for the kitchen alone.
How the Design Uses Limited Space
The renovation offers a specific example of how a small kitchen’s constraints can shape decisions about storage, light and finishes. The narrow plan made tall cupboards a potential obstacle, so the couple and their designers had to balance practical storage with room to move. Their approach kept the existing overall configuration rather than relying on a full layout change.
The new west-facing window is central to the design logic: Adrian said the additional daylight meant they felt able to use a darker oak finish. In a compact room, that choice could otherwise make the space feel heavier, though the report does not provide measurements or before-and-after light data. The project also shows how reused furniture, matching window frames and varied wood textures can contribute to a joined-up scheme without every item being newly purchased.
For readers planning a renovation, the useful point is not that this exact combination will suit every small kitchen. It is that the homeowners considered light and circulation alongside appearance, and treated cabinetry, access and the window as connected design decisions.
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
From 1970s Interior to Japandi Kitchen
The kitchen was one element of a broader renovation after Adrian and Melanie bought the property. Their stated aim was to create a bright, organic-feeling home, and the kitchen’s natural materials reflect that preference. The couple retained the room’s basic arrangement but adjusted the window and access rather than starting with a wholly different plan.
Japandi commonly describes interiors that combine Japanese and Scandinavian design influences, but the report presents this kitchen through the couple’s own choices rather than a formal design specification. Adrian said Melanie was interested in Japanese style and that they liked mixing textures. The project’s visible choices include pale oak, fluted wood, black-stained oak, leather seating and a curved cabinet end.
Ideal Home credits the kitchen design to a collaborative process involving Adrian’s early mock-ups and bespoke kitchen company Wood Works Brighton. The article does not provide a renovation schedule, a detailed materials list or a breakdown of the overall project budget.
“The kitchen is quite narrow, and it has a galley layout, so it was hard to fit tall cupboards in without reducing the width.”
— Adrian, speaking to Ideal Home
Kitchen Budget and Project Timeline
The available report does not state how much of the £60,000 total went to the kitchen, nor does it itemize cabinetry, labor, appliances or other renovation costs. It also gives no measurements for the room, storage capacity or window, making it difficult to compare the design directly with other small kitchens.
The article does not say when the renovation was completed, how long the work took, or whether the west-facing window required structural changes. It describes the couple’s design intentions and choices but provides no independent assessment of the finished room’s lighting, usability or long-term performance.
No Further Project Update Reported
Ideal Home’s report presents the renovation as a completed project, but the source material does not identify a future construction phase, follow-up announcement or further milestone. The next useful details for readers would be a kitchen-only cost breakdown, room dimensions and information about the window work, if the homeowners or designer choose to share them.
For now, the confirmed account is limited to the reported layout decisions, materials and overall £60,000 whole-house cost. Any claims about savings, increased property value or measurable improvements in day-to-day use would need additional evidence.
Key Questions
Where is the Japandi kitchen?
It is in the Shoreham-by-Sea home of Adrian and Melanie, in West Sussex. They live there with their two children.
How much did the kitchen renovation cost?
Ideal Home reports a £60,000 total for the wider whole-house makeover. It does not state the kitchen’s individual cost.
What changes were made to the kitchen layout?
The couple kept the original kitchen configuration, opened up a window to the west and changed the access. The room remained a narrow galley kitchen.
Which materials and finishes feature in the design?
The reported scheme includes oak, plywood, fluted wood and black-stained oak. Oak window frames match the cabinets, and the kitchen also has a curved end cupboard and leather bar stools reused from the couple’s previous home.
Who designed or built the kitchen?
Adrian developed initial design ideas before working with the bespoke kitchen company Wood Works Brighton. The source describes the process as collaborative.
Source: rss
Columbus Day / Indigenous Peoples' Day Picks
long weekend sales
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
