Home Rescue: Claire and Pierce's kitchen transformation in Dundalk

Claire and Pierce's old kitchen

In Dundalk, County Louth, three generations live under the same roof — there's Claire and Pierce, their three kids and also Claire's mum Doreen. Their bungalow was built by Doreen's husband Pat, who has dementia and had to move to a care home. The house should be big enough for all of them, but it was no longer fit for purpose. Pierce is a full-time carer, cleaner and cook for the whole family but he struggled to manage in a tiny kitchen with a chaotic layout. Home Rescue's Dee Coleman, along with Cash & Carry Kitchens' own expert kitchen designer Aaron Sheridan, set out to reinvent the space so that it will serve the very different needs of three generations.
 

Claire and Pierce's new kitchen

Based on Claire and Pierce's wish list, Dee opted to go with an Augusta White kitchen. This versatile kitchen is part of Cash & Carry Kitchens' Modern Heritage collection. It's practical, warm and full of heart — exactly what the family wanted! "This kitchen is very light, it's airy, it's homely", says Claire. Dee talks us through the design process while Claire and Pierce tell us about their favourite features.

Cottage Style

"The design concept kind of made itself", explains Dee. "This is an old house and it's been used for the last 50 years". Therefore, she wanted to give it a cottage feel with a contemporary edge. The new kitchen design achieved this with the white shaker-style doors from the Augusta collection, the Robson Oak wood-effect worktop, pewter door knobs and a brushed brass tap. The Belfast sink completes the aesthetic. "It's amazing", says Claire.

The kitchen peninsula and downdraft extractor hob

Dee was thrilled with the kitchen peninsula. Pierce now has a proper space for cooking and plating up. "This area has to work really hard", Dee tells us. "There's Pierce's work zone and next to it we have a slightly raised section with a waterfall edge that allows for dining". A Faber Galileo downdraft extractor hob sits in the middle of the peninsula. Dee explains its function: "This means that we don't have any visual block for an extractor. This was really important because we went to the trouble of taking down a wall". 

Storage and integrated appliances

Pierce is cooking for six people three times a day. So, storage was key! The new kitchen incorporated several solutions to this dilemma. A Le Mans corner storage unit was installed beneath the hob, with a pull-out spice rack next to it. There are also tall units for dry goods, some of which have pull-out chrome baskets. "Everything has its place", adds Claire. She's also delighted with the integrated appliances, including the dishwasher, washing machine and fridge — "I love the clean lines".

The end result

"The other kitchen was very dark and oppressive. This kitchen is light and homely", says Claire. "It's just amazing", adds Pierce. Claire tells us that: "it's a family space, it wasn't a family space before. I can actually visualise all of us in here now". Pierce is also confident that it will make things much easier for him when he's cooking for everyone — "I've got space to plate up and the whole vibe has just changed".

This kitchen was featured on Episode 1 of the 2024 series of Home Rescue: The Big Fix on RTÉ 2. Watch the full episode on the RTÉ Player.