As Chief Marketing Officer for Three UK (having previously held the position at Harvey Nichols), Shadi Halliwell needed a kitchen that not only suited her hectic lifestyle, but also provided a space with the 'wow' factor to relax at the end of the day.

We interviewed Life expert designer, Daniela, to discuss the design process and to find out how the project evolved...

Daniela, could you tell us a little bit about the client's property?

"Miss Halliwell's home is located minutes away from the prestigious Ascott. It's a beautiful, elegant property that oozes class, with a grand garden at the back which the kitchen overlooks.

"It was a pleasure to design a kitchen for such a stunning space. As soon as I saw the room with its amazing natural lighting, I was excited to start piecing together Shadi's tailored design."

What were the main requests the client had for her kitchen design?

"Shadi had a very keen interest in how we could make her kitchen practical and she was seeking the best storage solutions available. However, it was also important that we balanced practicality with aesthetics, as the kitchen needed to reflect the grandeur of her beautiful home.

"As a highly successful, independent business woman, Shadi knows exactly what she wants from life, so we were determined to create a space she would fall in love with, using the ideas she had and building on these with extra finishing touches, to truly give the space the 'wow' factor."

Could you tell us about the personalised design elements you brought together for the client?

"Shadi was looking for a kitchen that could be timeless but would still create a striking look to suit her impressive home- something simple but elegant so that her personality could shine through with decor.

"We decided to blend modern and classic styles with a twist on the traditional shaker door, using a refined shaker with a super slim surround and handleless trim opening for a contemporary edge.

"The classic veining of the work surfaces also adds interest and depth, but is juxtaposed with sleek straight edges and the slim hob on the island. The muted, warm palette and sleek lines left the canvas clear for Shadi to feature her favourite artwork, plants and ornaments as focal decorative points in the kitchen."

What storage did you incorporate in to the kitchen?

"Storage was probably the most challenging part of the kitchen design- not because there were any issues, but because Shadi fell in love with all of the smart solutions!

"We work with a range of expert storage partners (Kessebohmer, Gollinucci, Konfigure and Blum) at Life Kitchens and Shadi loved a wide selecton of their solutions, including the iMove pull-down unit, the Space Tower feature, the Convoy pull-out tray system, our Pull-Out Larders, our drawer inserts and the pop-up sockets!"

"I worked to incorporate as many of these features as I could into Shadi's kitchen, meaning it maximises space and practicality in every possible way. You name a storage solution and trust me, this amazing kitchen will have it!"

What are Shadi's favourite parts of her new kitchen?

"Shadi fell in love with the colour scheme- a combination of warm work-surfaces and espresso and cashmere units, paired with LED strip lights and spot lights to create a luxurious mood.

"She also loved the feature glazed units and open shelves which were designed perfectly to display her beautiful glass collection and her books.

"The statement island and impressive wine cooler were also a few of Shadi's favourite features as she entertains a lot so it gives her guests a place to dine, chat and pour/store drinks!"

Have you been inspired by Shadi's kitchen? Would you like Daniela, or another of our Life expert designers to bring your kitchen dreams to life?