Kitchen Envy

My friends all seem to be in the process of having stunning new kitchens, the latest completion as featured in the photo taken on Saturday.   Seeing previously dated spaces transformed has given me scope for daydreaming about how my ideal kitchen would look.  Spanning the full width of the back of my house and opening onto a courtyard garden, the generous scale of my current kitchen was one of the clinchers for me deciding to buy my home.  On the first viewing I loved the size, but made a note to self that I'd need to change the decor (namely the country-style curtains and pelmet) along with the tiles which are not my style.  Over six years later and guess what, they're still the same.  The cherry wood cupboards are lovely and in the scheme of things I couldn't justify changing everything as it's all in perfect condition, but with no holds barred I'd go for a sleek contemporary look with a stand-alone island, great for preparation and entertaining.  First I need to win the Premium Bonds and even then I wouldn't be able to extend to incorporate a utility room and walk-in pantry (on my wish list ever since I lived in Australia).  But in life it's essential to dream and one day they may just come true.  In the meantime I know I'd like to have more shelves for my ever expanding cookery book collection; a comfy sofa so I can browse at my leisure; a dedicated baking zone complete with marble top counter for pastry; a temperature controlled drawer for dough to rise (I didn't know such a thing existed until watching the Great British Bakeoff recently), added to which I'd like to swap my single oven for a double one, or two double ovens with more scope for cooking.  Last but not least, although totally unrelated to it's design, my dream kitchen would be in a fabulous house by the sea...