Miss Ohno

Behind Derbyshire’s doors: Transforming an Ashbourne kitchen into a hub for hosting friends and family

When Creative Interiors customer, Miss Ohno, came to Creative Interiors for a long-awaited new kitchen, the brief was simple: create a space to entertain friends and family, that was packed with practical features to fuel her love of cooking while offering a unique aesthetic. Now that Miss Ohno’s kitchen is complete, we caught up with her and her rottweiler, to look around the finished space.

Tell us about yourself, your home, and your renovation project. How long have you lived there and why did you decide to renovate your kitchen?

I live with my rottweiler in the beautiful countryside of Ashbourne, Derbyshire. We’ve been at this home now for over four years now, and it’s always been on the cards to do a major renovation. The kitchen was always the biggest downfall of the home, I LOVE cooking and entertaining and the kitchen just didn’t let that happen. There wasn’t even space for a dining table, so I have spent the last four years eating on the sofa which went against every fibre of my being but just became the thing to do! Having a space for a dining table and to entertain guests was a priority for me and having a kitchen that really worked with my passion for cooking was super important too.

After getting planning permission passed in January 2021 and finally getting around to starting our renovations in April 2022, I started planning the renovation.

How did you hear about Creative Interiors? What made you choose them?

I had every intention of having a Creative Interiors kitchen after seeing all the beautiful kitchens on their Instagram page and I’ve also heard great reviews from past customers.

Creative Interiors offers a wide range of premium kitchens. What attracted you to the new custom Creative Interiors kitchen in particular?
I had always wanted something very different and something to make my kitchen stand out from the rest, and the custom Creative Interiors kitchen did just that – I was able to create a completely bespoke space!

What style kitchen were you looking for?
I wanted something traditional yet contemporary at the same time. I didn’t want anything too modern without handles as I thought that was more common nowadays, but I also didn’t want something too traditional as the whole house had modern features to it.

Where did you get your interior inspiration from?
I mainly used Pinterest and Instagram for inspiration but there wasn’t a particular account, it was more just picking out the bits I really liked and putting them all together to see what worked. Elie, our designer at Creative Interiors, also really helped with some fabulous ideas that I hadn’t even considered.

What features does your new kitchen have?
It has a double oven which I’m very excited about. I also have a wine fridge which was a must, and a shelving unit on the end with a door so that it all looks seamless.

How did you find the renovation process, from planning and design to installation?
It’s been a big job but it’s definitely been worth it in the end. After years of thinking about the renovation, for it to finally come to life has been such an experience. The kitchen installation was seamless throughout and we had no problems whatsoever. Creative Interiors ensured they were on-hand should anything need to be done.

What do you love about your new kitchen the most?
I love the uniqueness of the kitchen. It’s definitely a statement feature of the home and it’s the place I spend the most time in. The contrasting colours of black and white with brass features really do stand out and I know I won’t get sick of it! I aimed to have a one-of-a-kind kitchen and that is certainly what Creative Interiors delivered.

Would you recommend Creative Interiors to others?

100% – as I mentioned previously, they have been brilliant from start to finish. They’ve been on-hand to help from design stage to installation to the finishing touches. They’ve also added their own creative input to things I didn’t even think of which was great. Elie and James and the rest of the team have been fantastic and we can’t fault them one bit.