Get a TV kitchen in your own home

Britain has a long-standing love affair with good food and pop-culture. Over the years the public has fallen head-over-heels with the Hairy Bikers and been enthralled by the Great British Bake Off, which gets to the soul of what Britons love best – warm, home-cooked meals.

Millions of viewers have tuned in over the years to watch the banter between Simon and Dave – the Hairy Biker’s - as they cooked up all kinds of classic British food on their travels. The Great British Bake Off has seen possibly even greater success with an average audience of over 6.5 million and the recent news that adaptations of the show have been picked up by 12 countries across the world.    

The secret to both of these shows is that their food is relatable. There are no gimmicks or stunts, just cooking. And the best part is that every recipe can be made from the comfort of your own uniquely styled kitchens. That’s what makes these shows so popular – even a novice cook, armed with simple ingredients, can apparently whip up a masterpiece.  

In light of their popularity, the famous kitchens from these shows could become real-life restaurants. Developers of the recently sold BBC Television Centre at White City are considering turning part of the complex into a themed village paying homage to the shows that have been made there. The list of programs to potentially become interactive experiences includes Fawlty Towers, Monty Python and Doctor Who, but the food-based shows are sure to draw some of the largest crowds. Who wouldn’t want to dine in the Hairy Bikers Restaurant or enjoy afternoon tea at the Great British Bake Off bakery?

Although, the thing about these famous kitchens is that you not only dream of eating the food created in them, but also of cooking in them yourself. A TV kitchen is full of character, personality and style – along with top-of-the-range appliances - and we often find ourselves thinking “I want that kitchen”. But you don’t have to wait until developers get their plans in order and build replica versions of these iconic kitchens. Drawing inspiration from the kitchens you like most from the TV shows you love, you can transform your own kitchens into havens in the home, full of the character that their famous counterparts express.

Kitchens aren’t simply a combination of a worktop and a few appliances. Now, kitchen companies offer a huge variety of designs covering every aspect of the kitchen – cupboards, drawers, worktops, shelves, sinks, stovetops and so on. This freedom means that with a little creativity, you can create the kitchen of your TV dreams.

Take for example, the Hairy Bikers famous kitchen in their latest show, Everyday Gourmets, which is currently airing on the BBC. From the comfort of their very quirky country kitchen, Simon and Dave cook up a mouth-watering selection of gourmet meals on a very basic budget. While the meals look delicious – namely the Sunday Roast that’s “to die for” – it’s their kitchen design that really inspires cooking.

Strangely, it’s the mismatch of colours that you would expect to overwhelm that actually give this kitchen a cosy and homely feel. On one side of the room is a row of cupboards in a deep purple hue, while on the island bench sitting opposite is a similar row of cupboards, dark green in colour. One work-surface is a speckled, coffee-colour and the other is a rich shade of maroon. It sounds like a clash, but when mixed together the colours make the room feel warm and welcoming.

And anyone can get this sense in their own home. Reviving your kitchen and installing a fitted design that incorporates all of our favourite TV features can completely transform the way you think about cooking. Don’t be scared of experimenting with colours and textures, because as you will have seen on TV, it works.