I honestly couldn't say which one I disliked more from our original two kitchens in this house. The upstairs kitchen had painted pink and sparkly walls, paired with dark wood cabinets that weren't the good kind. On the other hand, the downstairs kitchen had blue tiled floors, mid-tone cabinets, unpleasant sinks, and tiles with small triangles. Neither of them was my cup of tea. ( more on that in a bit) It took quite some time to finish the downstairs kitchen because we decided to go for an Ikea kitchen with Noremax fronts. The challenge was that I incorporated my sink, dishwasher, and oven from somewhere other than Ikea, making the process tricky. We had to add a small panel to cover the hole under the oven, and the Bosch dishwasher had to be taken entirely out because the door wouldn't close. If you're considering using different fronts on your Ikea kitchen, I recommend it, but you must go full-blown Ikea with your appliances or be quite handy. Thankfully, my 'handyman' husband finally had some time off to finish the job. 

I chose Noremax because I could select my own Farrow and Ball colour, which is a huge advantage. And I recommend Oval Room Blue for a room that only gets a little light. 

One of the things that I like most about the kitchen is my mismatched shelves. One is a vintage French one I picked up at Etsy; for the other, I bought the brackets second-hand and added the wood shelf myself. I didn't want this kitchen to feel formal, just chill and practical. The whole vibe for the house was that of a surfer girl moving in with her older sister, who lived in London. I'm still workshopping it!

Having my tea collection on display and the cups lined up on the other shelf is delightful and oh-so-utilitarian. I visit this kitchen countless times a day than I visit the fridge! It's like my personal haven, right next to the TV room. This kitchen is my most visited spot in the house, and I'm over the moon with how it turned out; the flow here is smoother than a freshly brewed cup of tea.