Claire Jefford’s Kitchen Makeover with Häfele Canada!

Häfele Canada partnered with interior designer Claire Jefford of Claire Jefford Inc. on her recent kitchen remodel. Claire dives deep into what inspired her kitchen reno and her Häfele favourites.

Q: Give us some background on your project. Any notable inspiration? 

CJ: It wasn’t until I came up with the idea to swap my kitchen and living room around that I really started to get excited about my main floor renovation project. This is something we’ve done for other clients, and it often opens up so many more possibilities for layout and interesting design concepts. 

The colour palette was inspired by a set of six antique Spode Wall Plates that my mother-in-law gave to us nearly 20 years ago. Initially, I never liked them, they seemed too traditional for me at the time. Then about 18 months before we were starting our renovation, we stumbled across the plates again and this time, I fell in love! I adored all the bright, fun colours - which will come as no surprise as you scroll through photos of this project.
 

Q: What features stood out to you in your Häfele project? What surprised you? 

CJ: Smart storage is always on trend and especially in kitchens. When the opportunity came to work with Häfele, I was super excited. It’s not easy to keep a kitchen tidy and to always find everything in its place, but with their Fineline large cutlery trays, that’s exactly what happens now! 

These beautiful insert trays have different configurations for main cutlery, as well as for larger utensils used regularly when cooking. We house our Fineline trays in 36” wide drawers and even the kids know exactly where things go! 

I especially loved having the option of using a walnut finish because I designed the kitchen with other walnut accents, such as our custom floating shelf by the sink and our custom hood over the oven. The Häfele walnut inserts were a wonderful way to complement those elements and to assist with the overall flow of the design. 

Q: What kinds of projects would you recommend Häfele products for? 

CJ: Häfele products are perfect for custom kitchens and for people who value investing in smart organization. It really does make all the difference in making your day-to-day experiences more pleasurable. My cabinet maker also commented on how easy it was to install items such as the Häfele Vauth Sagel COR Flex Pull-Out Corner Storage unit, which we absolutely love. 

Q: What’s a Häfele product you wish you knew about before this collaboration that you will continue to use in future projects? What would you continue to recommend to your clients? 

CJ: The TAG By Häfele Symphony Wall Mount System has been a real hit with us and our guests! It not only looks stylish and you get to choose our own finishes, but it also functions really well. We love how easy it is to change up the configuration depending on what we want to hang there and it’s easily accessible, using up space on the wall instead of on the floor. 

My next Häfele product will be the smaller-sized Symphony Wall Organizer for my bedroom. I have a real issue with my small jewellery box and necklaces getting tangled together. I barely switch up what I wear because it’s a mess in there! And not only will the Symphony Wall Organizer help me to be able to see all my pieces of jewellery, but it will also be a nice accent piece in my bedroom. 

Q: What are some pro tips on home organization? 

CJ: Start with a thoughtful design for your room layout. I carefully considered every inch of my new kitchen space, just as I do for clients. Think about where it will make the most sense to place everyday items based on how you and your family use your kitchen.

The more organized your home is, with items easy to see and easy to reach, the happier you will feel. I also keep my kitchen much tidier than I ever did before because Häfele helps me keep everything in its place. 
 

Q: What are some upcoming trends in home organization you can recommend? 

CJ: I definitely would recommend having the majority of your base cabinets be drawers as opposed to doors. None of us are getting any younger and with drawers, it’s simple to see what’s in each one without having to crouch down and search into a cupboard with doors. 
Using lower drawers to house your main serving dishes, such as plates and bowls is also a smart trend we’ve seen more of over the past 10 years. With Häfele’s Non-Slip Mats that we have in ours, in addition to protecting the bottom of our drawers, these also minimise the shifting of dishes when you open and close the drawers. In fact, ours don’t move around at all!

Design: Claire Jefford of Claire Jefford Inc.
Photography: Stephani Buchman

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