Kitchens are actually considered as one among – if not probably the most – essential rooms in a home. Removed from being a purely sensible house, the kitchen is now anticipated to be a heat, inviting, social hotspot, tremendous trendy and multitasking.
All of because of this, if you’re planning on finishing up a kitchen renovation, an enormous quantity of planning and care wants to enter getting its design excellent. The sort of challenge often would not come low-cost and you actually need to make sure that you do not go away something out or omit to place sure companies or options in place that you simply may later remorse.
To avoid wasting you kicking your self later down the road, we reached out to the specialists to ask them for the one factor you need to at all times do when renovating a kitchen – take heed if you wish to guarantee you’re nothing however happy together with your finish outcomes.
1. Set up nice air flow strategies
When renovating a kitchen it’s important that you do not get so carried away with the extra seen options that you find yourself neglecting the much less glamorous work horse components of the house that guarantee it’s snug to spend time in – kitchen air flow being an excellent working example.
“I at all times advocate investing in a high-performance vented extraction equipment in a brand new kitchen house to successfully handle cooking smells and steam,” reveals Selena Fast, MD and founding father of PAD Kitchens. “This helps protect the kitchen’s architectural integrity and eliminates the necessity for an overhead extractor.”
Kitchen skilled Richard Davonport, MD of Davonport, agrees. “Air flow must be approached with the identical degree of thought because the structure or cabinetry, as a result of it has a direct affect on how snug the kitchen feels to make use of day-after-day,’ he explains. “Too typically, extraction is handled as a technical requirement relatively than an integral a part of the design, but in actuality it performs an important function in managing warmth, steam and lingering odours, significantly in kitchens that open into eating or dwelling areas.
“The place to begin is knowing how the cooking zone will probably be used, together with the kind of hob, how regularly the kitchen is used for cooking, and whether or not the house is open plan or extra enclosed,” continues Richard. “These components decide the extent of extraction required and affect selections round ducting routes, ceiling heights and cabinetry design. When air flow is deliberate early, it may be built-in discreetly, whether or not that’s via ceiling-mounted extractors, built-in cover options, or programs which are hid inside joinery, permitting efficiency with out visible disruption.”
Selena Fast is the founder and director of PAD. Celebrating 10 years in 2026, PAD is a family-owned design apply that specialises in bespoke kitchens and joinery.
PAD purchasers are each direct householders and design professionals. Purposely not on the excessive avenue, their strategy affords householders a curated vary of finishes from their core assortment. Every PAD kitchen is designed in-house, constructed of their UK manufacturing unit utilizing FSC-approved wooden and put in by their skilled staff of fitters.
Richard Davonport is a luxurious cabinetmaker, designer and the founder and Managing Director of kitchen specialists, Davonport. The corporate designs and makes bespoke kitchens from its workshop within the coronary heart of East Anglia. He has an unlimited wealth of expertise in kitchen design, structure and creating stunning kitchens for all sort of properties.
2. Incorporate a pantry or larder
There was a time when walk-in larders or pantries had been a staple in UK kitchens – they usually have undoubtedly made a comeback lately, with householders realising simply how useful it’s to have a one-stop-shop for all their dried items and produce. In case you are renovating your kitchen you’re within the preferrred place to include some pantry concepts.
“Pantries are incredible for kitchen storage and when planning a brand new kitchen keep in mind that there are thousands and thousands of various configurations which may be designed utterly together with your life-style and personalised utilization in thoughts,” explains Selena Fast. “Relying on the dimensions of pantry your kitchen can accommodate, we frequently take into account together with narrower cabinets together with spice racks on the doorways for full visibility.
“We additionally design inside pantries to have larger and wider cabinets on the prime to retailer belongings you don’t use fairly often and that may perform as a storage space to retailer on a regular basis home equipment you don’t need out on the floor corresponding to a espresso machine or stand mixer, along with a sequence of smaller cabinets to so you possibly can entry the little issues that you simply want on a regular basis corresponding to condiments, spices and tea-bags.”
Store pantry necessities
Skroam 36 Pack Hermetic Meals Storage Containers
A kitchen pantry can quickly turn out to be cluttered with out the best sort of storage. This pack accommodates every thing that you must keep organised, together with labels and marker.
Retractable Rack Organiser
Tiered storage racks make seeing gadgets proper in the back of your pantry a lot simpler and likewise will let you group like with like. This one expands and retracts to swimsuit all types of areas.
These useful slide-out drawers are straightforward to repair into any pantry and may be totally pulled out to permit you an excellent look of every thing you’ve got saved in there. They might even be nice to maintain an under-sink space tidy.
3. Construct-in accessible options
The price of a brand new kitchen may be fairly eye-watering and in case you do not need to end up having to make costly changings earlier than you want it is smart to consider your future wants, not nearly what you need proper now.
“Purchasers are sometimes not simply designing for immediately; they’re investing in a house that may help their life-style for years to return, so introducing accessible options as a part of a thought of, future-proofed strategy can really feel empowering, relatively than uncomfortable,” says Natalie Fry, founder and inventive director of Grid 13 Design Studio.
“You will need to current accessible design not as a particular class, however as a mirrored image of excellent design apply – intuitive, snug, and inclusive by nature,” continues Natalie. “Options corresponding to wider walkways, layered lighting, lever-style {hardware}, or pull-out storage may be launched as enhancements that enhance the consumer expertise for everybody. These aren’t scientific add-ons – they’re quiet, thought of selections that help how folks truly dwell of their properties.”
Natalie Fry is founder and Inventive Director of Grid 13, is a multi-award-winning luxurious inside design studio based mostly in North Leeds, based in 2013. With over 25 years of expertise working with a number of the UK’s main architects and inside innovators, Natalie leads her all-female design staff to create stunning and purposeful kitchen, bed room and dwelling areas for purchasers throughout the UK which are true reflections of purchasers’ personalities and life.
4. Create distinct ‘zones’
Whether or not you’re engaged on giant kitchen diner concepts or one thing a little bit extra modest, it’s a good suggestion to consider the house in ‘zones’ to make sure its day-to-day performance.
“Moderately than beginning with a named structure, corresponding to an island, galley or L-shape, we at all times encourage householders to suppose by way of zones,” reveals Richard Davonport. “Zoning seems to be at how the kitchen will truly be used day-to-day, figuring out the place preparation occurs, the place cooking takes place, how storage helps these actions, and the way folks transfer via the house when multiple individual is current. When these zones are outlined first throughout a renovation, the ultimate structure tends to fall into place extra naturally, and the kitchen feels simpler to dwell with over time, no matter its measurement or architectural constraints.
“This strategy is especially precious in open-plan properties, the place the kitchen has to work exhausting with out visually dominating the house,” continues Richard. “By zoning actions relatively than forcing furnishings right into a preconceived structure, it turns into attainable to melt the kitchen’s presence, permitting cooking, eating and dwelling areas to sit down alongside each other in a manner that feels balanced and intuitive relatively than imposed. A well-zoned kitchen additionally manages sightlines extra fastidiously, conserving sensible components corresponding to preparation surfaces and home equipment subtly anchored to their very own areas, whereas social zones really feel extra relaxed and related to the remainder of the house.
“Zoning additionally encourages rather more considerate decision-making round particulars which are typically neglected early on, from the place taller cabinetry is greatest positioned to how circulation routes work when doorways, drawers and home equipment are all in use on the identical time,” factors out Richard. “It permits designers to resolve potential pinch factors earlier than they turn out to be every day frustrations, and to make sure that the kitchen continues to perform comfortably when routines change, whether or not that could be a rising household, completely different working patterns, or the kitchen taking up a extra sociable function inside the dwelling.”
5. Make house for sociable seating
Even if you’re restricted to small kitchen concepts, it’s nonetheless very a lot worthwhile attempting to include some seating into your design – this can immediately assist create a welcoming really feel in addition to offering a spot to dine. That stated, cautious planning is required from the off to make sure it will not encroach on day-to-day actions.
“When planning kitchen seating, it’s important to think about circulation, peak, performance, capability, and social interplay,” explains kitchen designer Jasmine Cunningham from PAD Kitchens. “The preferred choices are bar stools on a kitchen island. We advocate permitting not less than 90-120cm clearance round every stool for ease of motion – and we at all times make sure that a plug pop-up or double plug socket is near the island seating for charging laptops/telephones for when working from dwelling or for youths doing homework.
“For a extra social structure, built-in bench seating is an inviting addition, whether or not positioned on the again of an island or beneath a window,” provides Jasmine.
6. Add considerate ending touches
It’s all too straightforward when renovating a home usually to get so swept up within the bigger options and design components that you simply neglect to offer sufficient consideration to smaller particulars – however these are what can truly make all of the distinction to the ultimate end.
“When renovating a kitchen, you will need to suppose past how cabinetry will look in isolation and take into account how will probably be used hour by hour,” advises Gareth Hull, design lead at Hendel & Hendel. “Closely loaded pan drawers, built-in dishwashers, tall larders and fridge freezers all place completely different calls for on {hardware}, and selecting items that really feel safe, snug and well-balanced within the hand makes a noticeable distinction over time. That is significantly essential in household kitchens the place doorways and drawers are opened continuously which means poor {hardware} decisions shortly turn out to be a supply of frustration relatively than one thing you get pleasure from utilizing.
“From a sensible standpoint, high quality {hardware} contributes to a quieter, extra snug kitchen surroundings, one thing householders typically underestimate throughout the strategy planning stage,” continues Gareth. “Easy operation, stable brass development and exact engineering cut back noise and resistance, which turns into more and more essential in properties the place the kitchen is used early within the morning, late within the night, or repeatedly all through the day. These should not particulars that may be simply improved as soon as the kitchen is fitted, which is why {hardware} must be handled as a core element of the renovation relatively than a ending resolution.”
Store kitchen cupboard {hardware}
Scalloped Cup Deal with in Vintage Brass
House owners of traditional farmhouse kitchens take word, this gorgeous brass cup deal with, with its scalloped design is ideal for including a little bit magnificence to even probably the most primary of cabinetry.
Heritage Cupboard Pull Colonial Design
Accessible in a spread of sizes, colors and finishes, this pull deal with is strong, easy-to-fit and can be utilized for each kitchen drawers in addition to cupboards.
Barrington Knob
Brushed Satin Brass
Good for tying in with fluted particulars elsewhere in your kitchen design, this stunning brass knob is impressed by Artwork Deco design.
Gareth Hull is the design lead at Hendel & Hendel, a number one UK {hardware} model. He leads on the design path for the model’s collections and inside styling. With a background in product improvement and a eager eye for element, Gareth’s strategy seamlessly blends conventional craftsmanship with modern aesthetics and his work emphasises refined varieties, elevated supplies, and a steadiness between modern, conventional and transitional items.
7. Arrange a brief kitchen
Lastly, and I communicate from private expertise right here, one of the vital essential issues to do when renovating a kitchen is to be ready for the disruption it should trigger to day-to-day life. Placing a brief cooking and meals preparation set-up in place will assist enormously to easy the entire course of if you’re dwelling on website whereas renovating.
What that appears like for you will depend on your particular person wants. For us, we made do with a easy desk with a tenting range, washing-up bowl and a kettle throughout our first renovation, whereas second time round we had an previous electrical cooker within the eating room and washed up within the downstairs toilet – neither was significantly enjoyable however figuring out what was in retailer helped.
Alternatively, it may very well be sensible to organise to stick with buddies or household for the trickiest levels, corresponding to if you’ll be with out water for a day or two or when flooring are being dug up for brand spanking new pipework.
FAQs
Do you have to retrofit underfloor heating when renovating a kitchen?
When taking a look at the most effective methods of heating a kitchen, underfloor heating typically comes out on the prime, giving a mild, even unfold of warmth with out taking on precious wall house. That stated, in a renovation, becoming moist programs may be disruptive and can add to your general prices greater than electrical mat programs.
In case you are finishing up intensive renovation work and maybe including an extension too, then it’s a very sensible thought to think about putting in moist underfloor heating on the identical time. However, if you’re merely upgrading your worktops and having a little bit of a refresh, it could be higher to think about one other methodology, corresponding to trendy radiators.
Kitchen extensions are sometimes undertaken similtaneously renovations and are one of the vital in style methods so as to add worth and house to a property. In case you are contemplating a kitchen extension, together with the above skilled ideas take into consideration how you possibly can use your new addition to usher in further gentle and create a stronger connection together with your outdoors areas.
