Instagrammer Rachel McGinley from @7ato7b who is the proud owner of a beautiful new build home in Augher, County Tyrone shares with us her stunning new kitchen which features lighting by Castle Lighting Omagh.

Rachel and her husband Ciaran McGinley, are not just proud owners of a beautiful new home, they recently had their first baby, a gorgeous little girl who has certainly made their new house a place to call home.

Originally from Errigal Ciaran / Ballygawley the County Tyrone couple had spent the previous five years living in the Middle East but made the move home to their new build house in time for the arrival of their baby daughter.

The couple bought their new build property as a shell from a local contractor who had taken the house to a builders finish with concrete walls, floors etc.

The house which is located on the outskirts of the village of Augher, County Tyrone is situated next to the home of Rachel's brother. Rachel explained "we watched it being built and just fell in love." Having bought their new dream home, their first mission was to put their own stamp on it. This was certainly no paint job as the couple had tradesmen back to knock out a number of walls in order to make the layout suit their needs with the kitchen layout being a central focus.

Design Inspiration:

Rachel explained "We’ve both always loved and admired traditional Georgian style homes and therefore wanted to give our home a Georgian feel but with a contemporary twist. We added features such as panelling, window framing, and mouldings throughout the house to try and achieve this timeless look whilst furnishing with more modern pieces."

Creating The Kitchen:

To create their dream kitchen Rachel and Ciaran worked closely with Peter Leonard from her uncles Frank and Eamonn McNelis kitchen company 'Greenhill Kitchens'.

Rachel explains "After the house was bought Peter was our first call and he’s the man who showed us the possibilities within our home such as moving a door, knocking out a wall etc. At the stage we bought the house, this was all very possible. Our kitchen is now everything we could ever have dreamt of."

The kitchen is 'L' shaped in design and has all the advantages of a modern kitchen design but with a traditional style to suit the taste of this stylish couple. The kitchen colour is 'Architect's White', which exudes a lovely crisp white tone and is complemented by antique style handles which have a gold like colour.

To frame the Rangemaster cooker is a large overmantle which features a toughened mirror splashback with an antique effect to reflect the light and space, with two oversized drawers on either side. The central focus of the kitchen design is the glorious island which features a white quartz top with veins of gold and grey. The island top was supplied by Murray Fireplaces, Monaghan and has a thicker ledge than normal to give it extra detail.

Within the kitchen is a range of additional storage solutions which are clever in design, while the fittings and appliances work with the flow of the families lifestyle. To complement the kitchen design is an on-trend harringbone effect floor which was supplied by Kildress Plumbing, and sure to look timeless in the years ahead.

To find out more about Greenhill Kitchens why not visit their website, Facebook or Instagram accounts.

How did you plan and choose the lighting within your kitchen?

As we were trying to get the house ready during the first Covid-19 lockdown, and were still living in the Middle East, we had to arrange everything from abroad in order for it to be ready for us to move straight into. We therefore relied heavily on Instagram and Google.

I actually found my lights from a social media recommendation on Instagram with a follower recommending me to check out Castle Lighting. Within minutes on their website I seen exactly what I had been looking for. I opted for three pendents which are the visual focus when you enter the kitchen. They feature a chalk white shade with a matte finish and are complemented by a gold cap and plate.

I have been asked about these lights by many of my followers and have been informed that unfortunately they have been discontinued.

Please Note; For anyone thinking of recreating this look, you can see a similar version of pendant on this link, priced at only £90 each >> https://www.castlelightingomagh.com/product-page/white-and-wooden-single-pendant

• Have you any top lighting tips for other new home owners designing a kitchen / home?

The more lighting, the better! Think of adding wall lighting, additional sockets for lamps etc. Allowing for mood lighting even in areas such as your kitchen makes it feel so homely and warm all year round. Plus, you can layer the light so that the space feels different throughout the day in line with your lifestyle. It is also important to think of your outdoor spaces and the lighting of your exterior entrance.

• If you were to rebuild your home would you do anything differently?

I would actually have less windows in my house. I find now that we have moved in, some windows are annoyingly placed and take away from the potential of having feature walls in bedrooms etc.

• Have you any advice for those thinking of creating a new home?

The best tip my mother ever gave me was to take newspapers or cardboard along with masking tape and line out the dimensions of your rooms. Choose possible furniture pieces that you are interested in and measure them, then walk the physical space you’ve laid out.

It’s incredible how many spaces within your home can be missed or overlooked and in hindsight you could have made a feature of the space. Equally you may have an area where you discover the area is too small or awkward and therefore you need to custom build a piece to make best use of the space, such as a bathroom unit for example. Finding out the workings of your space early is massively helpful and an area that we focused on throughout the fit out of our new home where possible.

• What is your main source(s) of inspiration?

Instagram is without doubt my number one source for inspiration and has taken over Pinterest for me personally. The homes that people create and are willing to share on Instagram are simply amazing! It is also a community where you can discover and share ideas while asking questions or seeking recommendations, such as my example with Castle Lighting above.

The Instagram account of @from7ato7b

• Have you any top styling tips?

Start with fresh neutral walls. Once you actually move in to your home, you will have a lifetime to stare at these walls and spaces in order to plan something more creative and daring. The same applies to not only wall colours but your furniture, lighting and so on. Get the basics around you in place and then layer them with your personality as time moves on.

Paint samples from Instagram account @from7ato7b

So there you have it, a sneak peak into one of Tyrone's finest new homes with top advice from Rachel at @From7ato7b! Be sure to follow Rachel on Instagram where you can stay up to date on her inspirational new home and top interior tips.

From 7a to 7b Instagram Account: https://www.instagram.com/from7ato7b