Oxford graduate, former YouTuber and CEO of two fitness businesses, Grace Beverley reveals why she chose Caple appliances for her stunning kitchen makeover
Grace Beverley is a force of nature. Oxford graduate, former YouTuber, and founder/CEO of two highly lucrative fitness businesses (Shreddy and Tala), this Instagram queen has redefined entrepreneurship. And she’s still only 23… Grace launched her first company back in 2016, while she was still at university. This was after she spotted a gap in the market for vegan-friendly resistance brands and barbell pads. Since then, her success has snowballed. She’s already earned a Natwest Young Entrepreneur of the Year accolade (in 2019) and a place on the 2020 Forbes 30 Under 30 list.
Grace Beverley's home
In March 2019, Grace Beverley embarked on a new venture that was closer to home – quite literally. In fact, she bought a beautiful Victorian house in central London. There followed a fairly intense ten-month renovation process, documented on her YouTube channel and @chezgrez Insta feed. So, read on to discover her dream kitchen, fully equipped with an array of our sought-after Caple appliances:
Entrepreneur and influencer Grace Beverley’s new London kitchen features a warm, neutral design scheme – and a range of high-performance Caple appliances.
The kitchen showcase
Right from the start, Grace Beverley had a clear vision of how she wanted her first home to be. She told us the kitchen was always earmarked for a starring role. Grace confides: “The house was in serious need of renovation when I bought it. But it came with planning permission for an extension. So, I jumped right in with plans for extending before even moving in.”
Grace’s impressive open-plan kitchen is a welcoming, sociable space, incorporating an informal breakfast bar and designated dining area.
“The previous kitchen was a small ‘service’ style kitchen, just a few square metres in size,” she continues. “As I wanted a multi-functional heart of the home, I knew this existing size just didn’t make sense! Now, the kitchen is the main attraction in an open-plan ground floor, which allows for a very social space.”
Food and fitness
Twice as nice: Grace’s French Door fridge-freezer is always kept fully stocked, with plenty of room for her three housemates’ food!
Food and fitness go hand-in-hand for Grace (and her housemates). So, a spacious fridge-freezer was high on her wish list. Combining style and substance, our CAFF46GM gunmetal French Door fridge-freezer was an obvious choice. Featuring four compartments, it offers a roomy 362l fridge and 164l freezer capacity. Importantly, it has a maximum sound level of 46dB – far lower than normal conversation levels (59dB). So, this makes it perfect for open-plan kitchen settings.
“The French-door fridge-freezer is an absolute dream,” Grace Beverley confirms. “I live with three hungry friends [plus a chestnut brown cockapoo called Ziggy]. We always have more than enough space for four fully-stocked weekly shops, which is quite the feat! The double-door fridge-freezer feels so spacious, I don’t think I’ll be getting another model ever again.”
Go with the flow
Grace’s renovation incorporated some serious building work. Her builders knocked through three rooms then extended the back of the house by around a third of its previous depth. This extensive work created the existing impressive space today. “I love how the living room flows into a chilled dining area and social kitchen,” she explains. “It’s perfect in my eyes!”
Extended dinner parties might be on hold for a little while longer. Meanwhile, Grace and her housemates have plenty of time to experiment with new dishes. She has equipped her new kitchen with our gunmetal C2403GM Electric Pyrolytic Single Oven. This model features our signature MotionHeat+ technology (no need to preheat), plus a labour-saving self-cleaning function. And Grace complemented the oven with our DD935BK induction downdraft.
Grace Beverley's top choices
“My absolute favourite appliances are the induction downdraft and the American-style fridge-freezer,” Grace Beverley enthuses. “The former was the only way we could have a hob on the island, with no [overhead] extractor. I wanted this to benefit the kitchen sight line by creating an enviable open space without distractions.” She adds: “I was worried the extractor might not work as well when built in. But it’s actually the best model I’ve ever had. Caple’s products solved problems I didn’t know there were solutions to. As soon as I found this brand, I knew I needed their appliances!”
Grace’s hob is no longer available, but our DD780BK option is a very similar model. Offering two appliances in one (a frameless, flush-fitted induction model with built-in downdraft extractor fan), it’s a highly cost-effective choice. And it’s specifically designed to fit either a wall unit or an island, which makes it even more versatile.
The kitchen island
Grace maintains that an island has always been a key element in her dream kitchen and she adds: “For me, it creates a more sociable area when space allows, plus extra storage never goes amiss. I love having a breakfast bar, and being able to cook while facing the rest of the room. This entire set-up was a no-brainer.”
In addition to the induction downdraft, Grace’s island hosts our Wi6135GM wine cabinet. This gorgeous gunmetal model features our signature no-frost compressor-cooling technology, to maintain the perfect temperature. Its two zones cater for red, white and sparkling wine – and, at just 43dB, it’s very quiet too!
A wine cabinet with the wow factor: Grace’s kitchen island also houses a dual zone wine cabinet, which can keep red, white and sparkling wine at their perfect temperature.
Natural style
Grace Beverley describes her kitchen vibe as beautiful, natural and casual. “I love clean, light-looking kitchens. However, I wanted to stay away from the gloss white-only look, as it can be a little too modern for me,” she explains. Instead, the emphasis is on natural tones, featuring wooden furniture complemented by tasteful neutral shades.
Our Leesti sink takes durability to another level with its signature Geotech granite finish. It’s scratch resistant, easy to clean, practical and stylish. Grace’s sink can be inset or under-mounted. With a 90mm outlet for basket strainer waste, you can use it with a Caple waste disposer too. Our gunmetal appliances complete the contemporary, relaxed look.
Cleaning the dishes
Our DI631-2 fully integrated dishwasher rounds off Grace Beverley’s appliance selection perfectly. Offering an A++ energy efficiency rating, six programmes, enough space for 12 settings, plus an adjustable upper basket, this model makes light work of clearing up after any gathering. And Grace says, she’s looking forward to organising these when the current COVID-19 restrictions are relaxed.
“For now and always, my kitchen will be the heart of my home – sociable, functional and open,” she declares. “I can’t wait until I can host dinner and drinks parties again. But for the time being at least I know that we have created the perfect space for it!”
Keen for more makeover inspiration? Click below for celebrity sports star Dame Kelly Holmes’ kitchen case study featuring Caple appliances!