The designer's solution artfully uses optical illusions to make this compact space look and feel higher and wider than it really is, with a neutral colour palette so it melts away into the background regardless of whether the glazed, folding Crittall-style door is closed or not. Taking its cue from professional galley kitchens, the grey laminated cabinetry is arranged along both sides of the long, narrow space and the sleek flat-fronted doors reach all the way up to the ceiling, to accentuate the height. To make the space feel open and welcoming, and with no awkward massing to jar the simplicity of the scheme, just one run of wall-mounted cabinets is used, and the hob is situated at the front end of the galley with a powerful extraction vent flush in the ceiling. Beyond, tall cabinets enclose the fridge-freezer and double ovens, and these, together with the sink tap in the otherwise clutter-free Corian worktop on the other wall, draw the eye along the length of the galley.

Finishing touches: black steel was selected for the splashback, to co-ordinate with the black steel drawer and base cabinet handles; it also makes the refrigeration ventilation slots almost invisible at the top of the panel that lines the side of the oven cabinet.