Kitchens
Expert advice
for your dream kitchen
Kitchens
Expert advice
for your dream kitchen
for your dream kitchen
Kitchens
Expert advice
for your dream kitchen
Does your kitchen have the wow factor?
Kitchens often need to be many things – not only a practical place for preparing delicious food but a social space for spending time with family and friends; a space to work; space for quiet. And kitchens need to work throughout the day too – from early breakfasts and quick coffees to working lunches and late-night lingering around the table. A well-designed kitchen can change your life and become the real centre of your home and if your kitchen doesn’t make your heart sing each time you step inside then our free Kitchens guide is for you.
Bursting with inspirational ideas, our favourite finds and clever tips plus a comprehensive collection of suppliers’ details and product information, this fabulous free guide contains everything you need to get you started. Whatever style you prefer – city sleek and modern, cosy and country, vintage or industrial – we can help you create the room of your dreams.
Here’s a flavour to help you get started:
What’s trending now?
Wooden cabinetry is back and when paired with statement stone worktops it makes a wonderfully fresh and modern style statement.
Beautifully veined marble is always striking and can be seen in worktops and splashbacks in many high-end kitchens this season. Marble should be used as much as your budget allows for a truly luxurious feel but it also pack a punch when used on its own, featuring on an island unit or above a hob for example. When combined with brass fi ttings it really shouts luxe!
Using the power of paint to create a striking contrast between your units and worktop is huge right now, with shades of blue particularly strong. Adding a pop of colour with a freestanding piece or painting the lower cabinets in a different shade is popular currently too.
Top tip: Trends offer good guidance, but don’t be afraid to bring in your own personality too!
Our favourite find: We love the finish of this stunning Scandinavian inspired Kitchen
Where do I start?
Are you looking to rip out and replace everything? Do you need to re-arrange the space, eg move walls/doors/windows? If you can, deciding on a budget at the earliest opportunity will help you focus your plan and determine how much work you are able to do. Knocking down walls and re-positioning windows can be costly and might be unnecessary but you might want to combine two rooms and open up space, in which case they might need to be part of the plan.
Storage
Make sure you consider how much ‘stuff’ you have and where you want it to go. Having your essentials close at hand makes working in a kitchen so much easier – think about what you use and how you use it. There are lots of clever features: deep, easy access drawers for pans, sleek pull out trays for knives, slots between cupboards for chopping boards, wire baskets that swing out from behind cupboard doors. If you prefer a sleek and minimalist look you can easily keep gadgets and paraphernalia tucked craftily out of sight yet still within easy reach. If you prefer to have more things on display, open shelving can work well and can open up the space. You can use it to display favourite pieces – a pretty jug, a patterned plate or use glass jars fi lled with the foods you like to have within easy reach.
Top tip: Wide, deep drawers underneath the hob are ideal for keeping pans close to hand
Our favourite find: We love the modern corner storage unit (left) and blue under sink cabinet (right)
Lighting
Spend time getting your lighting right. Task lighting is important to give focus to particular areas, so spotlights, downlighters and undercupboard lights can be considered here. And if you use your kitchen for cosy dinners and socialising, getting the mood right is equally important, so consider a range of lighting at different levels and perhaps use dimmer switches too.
Top tips: A beautiful lamp or pendant light can be a real feature and worth investing in
Our favourite find: This range of stunning suspended lamps (left, centre) & under cabinet mood lighting (right)
Floors and walls
Tiled floors are practical and popular but have you considered other options? Rubber and concrete are increasingly popular – rubber offers a great non-slip surface and comes in some fantastic colours. Concrete works particularly well in urban settings, especially when set against a contrast of steel or marble. The variety of tiles to choose from – for floors or walls – is vast. Not just materials – glass, marble, porcelain – but colours and shapes too. From small mosaic tiles to 3m sheets, hexagonal, delicate scallop shapes and rectangular ‘bricks’
Top tip: If marble tiles are beyond your budget, printed porcelain tiles are an affordable alternative
Our favourite find: We love this sleek built concrete tile finish