Kitchen Inspo
27 Apr 2023

Home Rescue: Lisa and John's kitchen transformation in Clondalkin

Lisa and John wanted a kitchen which could cater for their entire family of 11 people. Here's how Dee Coleman and the Cash & Carry Kitchens team helped make their dream a reality.

Cash & Carry Kitchens sponsor Home Rescue: The Big Fix on RTÉ 2

Lisa and John's old kitchen

Lisa and John live in Clondalkin in South-West Dublin with seven of their nine children. Their home is a modest three-bed terraced house. Before the Home Rescue team arrived it was cluttered and not in the least bit functional. Filled with bags of clothes and poorly laid out, the kitchen was an especially big problem. Dee Coleman, together with Cash & Carry Kitchens expert Dee Morrissey, came up with a clever new design that turned the chaotic room into a space suitable for the busy family.

The old kitchen was poorly laid out and filled with clothes

Lisa and John's new kitchen

After studying Lisa and John's needs and wants, Dee Coleman determined that a two-tone Augusta kitchen in white and midnight blue was the kitchen for them. This versatile kitchen is part of Cash & Carry Kitchens' Modern Heritage collection. It's practical, warm and full of heart — exactly what the couple wanted! Dee talks us through the design process while Lisa and John tell us about their favourite features.

Watch Dee Coleman talk about the design process

Kitchen peninsula

"This particular family had very specific needs", explains Dee. "They had nine children and on a day-to-day basis could be catering for up to 11 people. So we had to start thinking about it in terms more of a commercial kitchen than a normal residential kitchen". Therefore the kitchen peninsula became a pivotal part of her vision. The whole design revolved around it. "John and Lisa needed to be able to cook from scratch for their family. That’s very important", Dee elaborates. "So, what we wanted to do was give them this whole area where they were able to cook the food here, put the plates there and then the people who are dining just over there on the bench would be able to collect it themselves".

The peninsula was a pivotal part of the kitchen

Seating area

Dee tells us more about the area with the kitchen table: "This corner had to work very hard. It has to seat up to 11 people. Everything in this house has to really earn its keep in terms of workflow and functionality. And this seat is no exception. So, it’s a bench and we have the worktop that is the same as the kitchen worktop here. But it also has storage in it, so, instead of it just being pretty, which it is, it’s also highly functional". There is also overhead storage. Dee shares her plans for it: "It also has to handle overflow storage. We have things like cereal. So effectively, all you have to do is put the milk on the table and the kids can serve their own breakfast".

The bench has storage underneath

Appliances

Lisa and John wanted a functional kitchen. This influenced both Dee's selection of appliances and where she positioned them within the kitchen layout. The Normende Double Oven and Normende Induction Hob are both built into the island, making food prep much easier. Meanwhile, the Normende Tall Integrated Freezer and Normende Tall Larder Fridge have more than enough space to feed the entire family. They're located in the units on the back wall. The washing machine and condeser dryer are stacked next to them. Meanwhile, the integrated dishwasher is located beneath the sink.

The integrated fridge and freezer are conveniently located behind the island

The end result

Lisa and John are both "on top of the world" with their new Augusta kitchen. "It’s definitely going to make life so much less stressful. It really, really is. It’s just unbelievable", says John. "This kitchen is going to be the focal point of the family". The couple are especially looking forward to being able to enjoy proper family meals and chats. "We haven’t been able to do that for a long, long time", admits John. They're also thrilled with how the kitchen looks. "This just looks like a showroom. It’s absolutely fantastic", they say. "Everything, the quality, just the finishes, it just runs so smoothly". Lisa agrees with John when he tells us that "It’s no exaggeration to say that it’s going to be lifechanging. No exaggeration whatsoever".