‘We’ve made the most of our galley kitchen’

Lorraine and Neil Dengel made their narrow kitchen feel brighter and more spacious with a colourful retro theme and bespoke storage solutions they made themselves

- Lorraine and Neil Dengel

Leaving London for Poole in Dorset helped Lorraine and Neil Dengel achieve a better work-life balance. 'It's a real change for us. We enjoy the benefits of coastal life and the outdoor activities. I now work part-time and have an Etsy page selling my jewellery creations, while Neil and his business partner have set up a joinery company, young-dengel.com, specialising in unique, bespoke freestanding furniture.'

The Victorian semi the couple took on needed plenty of work, but they had a vision for the kitchen, the first renovation project to be completed. They knew its galley layout would make it a little more awkward to fit in everything they needed, but they already had a style in mind that they were excited about. 'We immediately knew what we wanted. We both liked the idea of a retro kitchen but with a modern twist,' says Lorraine. 'And, where needed, we tried to source materials and trades locally because that is important to us.'