Home Rescue: Shónagh's kitchen transformation in Kildare
Shónagh wanted a kitchen that retained the charm of her railway cottage while also serving the needs of her four children. Here's how Dee Coleman and the Cash & Carry Kitchens team helped make her dream a reality.
Cash & Carry Kitchens sponsors Home Rescue: The Big Fix on RTÉ 2.
The Shaker Ivory range has been discontinued. For more neutral options, consider Mirano Linen, Oslo Linen or Dereham Taupe.
Shónagh's old kitchen
Primary school teacher Shónagh and her four children live in a railway cottage in Kildare town. Over the years, the small house had become overwhelmed with a rising tide of clutter, as Shónagh struggled to cope with a long list of repairs and unfinished projects. The kitchen was small and dark. It was dysfunctional and didn't fit the needs of a young family of five. Home Rescue's Dee Coleman, along with Cash & Carry Kitchens' own expert kitchen designer Aaron Sheridan, set out to bring a new lease of life to the space.
The old kitchen was small and dark
Shónagh's new kitchen
After studying Shónagh's needs and wants, Dee decided to go with a Shaker Ivory kitchen.This ever-popular kitchen style is part of Cash & Carry Kitchens' Modern Heritage collection. It's sleek and durable and brings a lovely sense of calm — just what Shónagh was looking for! Dee talks us through the design process while Shónagh tells us about her favourite features.
Watch Dee Coleman talk about the design process
The concept
Shónagh's house is a beautiful old railway cottage, with a north-facing kitchen. That was the starting point for Dee's concept. "The colours had to be light", Dee explains. "But not stark, because this isn't a contemporary space". Ivory was the perfect colour for the units, complemented by a light green on the walls. Shónagh loves the brass accents introduced by the Blanco Envoy tap and the Faber Chloe hood. "I didn't think an extractor fan could look so beautiful", she tells us. "It's not just something functional, it just looks great".
Ivory was the perfect colour for this railway cottage kitchen
Layout
Shónagh's old kitchen was poorly laid out. There wasn't enough countertop space to cook for five people. So, Dee overhauled the space by adopting a U-shaped layout. The re-design also created space for an integrated dishwasher – Shónagh's favourite feature in the new kitchen. "It's going to make my life so much easier", she says. "I cried when I saw this dishwasher".
The new layout allowed for more countertop space
Storage
Storage was essential. There needed to be a place to put things away tidily, so that the counters could be kept clear. "Pull-out storage is particularly important for Shónagh", explains Dee. "She can see what she has and things are far less likely to go out of date. You can organise things and see them quickly". Dee achieved this with deep drawers in the kitchen, pull-out chrome baskets, integrated bins, tall units and under-bench storage for the kids' toys.
Chrome baskets were one of the storage solutions
The end result
"I absolutely love it!" says Shónagh. "I can't believe this is my kitchen. It's so bright. The colour is perfect". She's also a fan of the Nero Graphite worktops. "I'm really delighted with the countertops. I was afraid that it would be too modern and high-gloss. But this is something which I would have chosen myself".
Watch Shónagh discover her new kitchen
This kitchen was featured on Episode 2 of the 2024 series of Home Rescue: The Big Fix on RTÉ 2. Watch the full episode on the RTÉ Player.
The Shaker Ivory range has been discontinued. For more neutral options, consider Mirano Linen, Oslo Linen or Dereham Taupe.
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