"It was awful, so run-down and depressing!" recalls Jennie Wason, an Environmental Consultant. "When my husband, Neil, and I moved in during 2001, we were met by plants growing out of the walls, but it was the cold, dank kitchen which shocked us the most." Although they had initially decided to broach this room first, a virtual rebuild of the entire house ensued, putting any ideas of a new cook zone firmly on the back burner. But then, as Jennie admits, it was a delay which actually turned out for the best, as it gave the couple plenty of time to decide what they really wanted from the hub of their home.

Jennie and Neil were in agreement that gaining space was the top of their list, and therefore the kitchen and dining area would become one domain. Just as importantly, the old windows would be enlarged and lowered to work surface height, thus opening up the formerly obscured views of the stunning surroundings, as well as flooding the soon-to-be dual-aspect interior with light. And yet, despite the planned building work, the kitchen still wouldn't be that vast. It was obvious that, whatever form the eventual layout took, it would need to work incredibly hard to make use of the available inches.

Landmark Bespoke Kitchens put the Wasons on the right track, as their Shaker-inspired styles were exactly what the couple had first envisaged. "Our ethos is that high quality craftsmanship should always shine through," explains Landmark's owner, Mat Davies. "As such, my approach follows the traditional values of form following function, teamed with the Shaker ideal of excluding all unnecessary embellishment and elaboration." It was a philosophy that fitted perfectly with the Wasons, who were keen on a classic look that harmonised with the age and style of the cottage. "Jennie and Neil both had strong opinions on their requirements and, after spending seven years searching for their perfect scheme, had been overloaded with information," continues Mat. "Another big complication was that the new area was to incorporate two existing rooms, which made it impossible, at the design stage, to fully appreciate the working footprint." The end result, without the hefty, rather clumsy, dividing line, was something which the pair found very difficult to visualise. "We simply couldn't imagine what the space would be like once the wall was removed. So, although I knew exactly what I wanted from the layout, it was difficult to anticipate how it would all work out," admits Jennie. "I understood that getting the balance of aesthetics and ergonomics was essential, but Mat was brilliant in coming up with a plan that pulled the two zones together perfectly - as well as restraining my tendency for introducing far too much detail!"

The pair's initial concerns were misplaced, as the kitchen, filled with pale blue and subtle off-white tones, maximises the feel of openness - accentuated by the deliberate avoidance of tiles. Instead, painted wainscoting extends around the boundary, merging the practical cooking elements with the softer dining area, while the dresser-style cabinet seamlessly bridges the individual spaces. "The whole room now works perfectly," enthuses Jennie. "All those years of planning and waiting have definitely paid off!"