Kitchens · Real Homes

For their 40th wedding anniversary, Adrian planned a surprise for his wife, Tracey. Not a diamond ring or a luxury getaway, but something closer to home: a Laura Ashley kitchen, designed to celebrate family and forty years together.

Laura Ashley Bedale kitchen in Sage with a large island, quartz worktops, a Belfast sink and a vase of pink roses
Laura Ashley Bedale in Sage · Designed, supplied and project-managed by Romerils

A sparkly new kitchen

Walnut Cottage is named for the grand walnut tree in its courtyard. It's a home full of warmth and quiet elegance.

When Adrian and Tracey moved in five years ago, they inherited a kitchen with twenty-five years of stories, and plenty of signs of wear.

"Our 40th wedding anniversary was coming up. Adrian said, instead of a new sparkly ring on your finger, how about a sparkly new kitchen?"

Tracey

Now that's romance.

Tracey's brief was simple: elegant, cosy and in keeping with the house. Laura Ashley was the natural fit. And rather than starting with measurements, our team started by understanding how the family lives.

Tracey and Adrian smiling behind their kitchen island, beside a wooden chopping board and induction hob
Tracey and Adrian

Designed around family life

The island was made bigger, turning it into the heart of the kitchen: a place to gather, cook and talk. New Neff appliances sit neatly built in, and the hob now faces outwards. Adrian stays part of the conversation while he cooks, never tucked away from the action.

"Jamie understood exactly what we were trying to achieve, and Martin made sure every detail was planned perfectly."

Tracey and Adrian

Every detail considered

Sage green cabinetry sets a calm, contemporary tone. A Quooker tap in Patinated Brass adds a subtle modern twist. The Franke Belfast sink nods to tradition, while quartz worktops bring a touch of luxury that stands up to daily life.

The house was once filled with William Morris prints, and Tracey was keen to carry that on. She chose new blinds in the latest Morris designs, weaving the home's heritage into the new room.

Storage is beautiful and practical: a glazed display cabinet, a roomy larder, petite oak drawers for life's little essentials, a Neff Slide & Hide oven that keeps walkways clear, and a Caple wine cooler ready for gatherings.

Glazed display cabinet with glassware, books and a blue and white ginger jar, above a lit quartz worktop
Glazed display cabinet
Caple wine cooler built into the end of the sage green island, with brass cup handles on the drawers
Caple wine cooler

Living without a kitchen

A few weeks without a kitchen is never simple, but Adrian made it work. With a bit of planning, he batch-cooked meals ahead of time, relied on the microwave and the barbecue, and called on the kindness of friends.

Meet Taco

No story about Walnut Cottage would be complete without Taco, the rescue cat whose colouring suits the kitchen's earthy palette perfectly.

Taco, a cream rescue cat, sitting on the floor beside the sage green kitchen island
Taco the cat

"He matches the aesthetic completely."

Tracey

The heart of the home

What makes this kitchen special isn't the cabinetry. It's grandchildren tugging on wellies, family stories shared around the island, and a husband who knows the perfect gift.

Get the look

Brand
Laura Ashley
Range
Bedale
Colour
Sage
Carcass
Oak
  • Neff combi microwave and Slide & Hide oven
  • Quooker tap in Patinated Brass
  • Franke Belfast sink
  • Quartz worktops
  • Caple wine cooler
  • Glazed display cabinet, larder and oak drawers

Planning a new kitchen?

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This story first appeared in The Home Edit, Issue 1, Autumn/Winter 2026. Home starts here.