New display in Barrowford

Led by showroom manager Simon Thomas, our talented designers have put their heads together to produce a beautifully sleek and modern contemporary kitchen design. This new display invokes a real sense of freshness with a white backdrop that’s subtly broken up by fantastic injections of dark, wooden features, as well as a set of luxuriously dark blue fabric chairs. This display comes complete with a classy wine cooler, rounded off by one of the latest innovations from this world-class manufacturer – the brand-new Neff Glass Draft Cooker Hood!

New displays in Blackburn

Our Blackburn showroom is the official new home of three new displays to provide the perfect inspiration for your new kitchen! The first of these displays is an intriguing design comprising of a beautiful taupe and basalt grey colour scheme, with tobacco oak panels, and finished off with gorgeous 20mm quartz Yarra worktops. This particular display features subtle additions of faux plants and ceramics to add layers of character to this luxurious scheme.

Or if you’re looking for something a bit different, our second display might be just up your street! This particular display builds an atmosphere around dark grey panel boards, anchored by a beautiful island which serves as both the cooking station and a stylish breakfast bar. This kitchen also features the latest in Neff’s range of quality kitchen appliances, as well as a welcoming wine fridge – which always makes for a fantastic conversation starter!

Our third display is a brand new Shaker inspired design, featuring a stunning Hampton ocean blue and crystal white island, Ontario oak panels and bar, and exquisite quartz Indus river worktops that are sure to leave an impression. It beautifully epitomises the reasons why Shaker kitchens are still such a highly sought-after option for homeowners up and down the country – and that enthusiasm shows no signs of abating.

Sound intriguing? Why not come pay our new displays a visit in person at our Barrowford and Blackburn designer kitchen showrooms? Our designers will be happy to answer any and all questions you might have, and of course, if you’ve already formed some ideas about what you’d like for your own dream kitchen, we’re here to help you turn them into reality.

In need of some extra inspiration? We’ve also got designer kitchen showrooms in Liverpool, and Urmston, Manchester. So wherever you’re based, you can always count on the same stunning displays to help you create your perfect kitchen vision.

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The same associations apply to kitchen designs! German kitchen design style is a popular choice because of the sleek and streamlined appearance, the quality of materials, and precision engineering. It’s no wonder then why so many visitors to our showrooms are immediately drawn to the minimalist style present in all luxury German kitchens.

So then, you may be wondering, what other specific features make a luxury German kitchen stand out from other design styles?

Modernity

Many of our customers tend to think of German kitchens as being a “modern” design style, and that’s not inaccurate here in the UK because it is such a popular style! But outside of the UK, German-style kitchens spans modern, traditional, contemporary, and mid-century modern design types.

When we design luxurious modern German kitchens for our clients, often it’s about finding solutions to problems — including finding appliances that fit better into their lifestyle. Modern kitchens typically have high-tech appliances like induction hobs, hideaway extractors, built-in ovens (some models are even wifi connected!), wine fridges, integrated coffee makers, a boiler tap and other luxury must-haves.

We have lots of experience designing stunning, high-tech, and modern German kitchens and know how to optimise for any space, large or small! In one of our latest case studies, we’ve improved functionality by creating a unique seating solution for a high-quality German kitchen in a former family home.

In a German kitchen — no bit of space goes to waste!

Variety

An undeniably popular feature of German kitchens is variety. While this kitchen style is often associated with a strong industrial colour scheme, bold lighting, rough textures, and dark accents — it’s not always the case.

Some of our customers are surprised to find that many modern German cabinetry styles come in a large variety of neutral or light colours, wood effect, natural-looking stone, concrete, and in a range of textures including high-gloss, satin, matte, and gloss.

This expansive selection increases the versatility of our offerings and means our designers can make a German-style kitchen reflect your personality, tastes, and lifestyle. You might even blend this style with another to create a unique kitchen that has everything you want!

Lighting

In keeping with the overall theme of efficiency present in German kitchens, it’s no surprise this extends to the lighting of the space as well. The lighting in German-style kitchens is purposefully designed to look effortlessly elegant and comes in a range of styles.

Frequently our designers prioritise natural, recessed, and hidden lighting when designing in this style to keep the aesthetics smooth and streamlined.

Recessed lighting, for example, is a particularly popular choice in German-style kitchens. This type of lighting sits above in the attic or crawl space and is flush with the surface like in this modern industrial kitchen.

Hidden lighting is great if you’re going for a more subtle effect for your kitchen or need an additional light source to see what you’re doing! In this contemporary kitchen, the main kitchen sink is located some distance from any natural light sources and needed an additional light source. Hidden lighting is usually fixed under the top set of cabinets and is a great option if your kitchen has corners or needs an additional light source.

And perhaps the most important is natural lighting, which depends on your space! Natural lighting can make us feel happy and more energetic and is an essential part of all kitchen design.

We design many kitchens in the German style and add feature lights, as you can see in this beautiful barn conversion in shades of grey. Feature lights don’t have to be used, but it is a wonderful way to add interest and personality to a new kitchen.

In the end, we love this style of the kitchen because it’s versatile, clean, and appeals to a lot of different families. We’re always finding new and interesting ways to create stunning kitchens for our clients, like you!

Whether you prefer a sharp, industrial kitchen or your tastes lean towards a more neutral and calmer space we can help bring your dream kitchen to life!

And if you need more inspiration, our showrooms have stunning display kitchens to help inspire you no matter what colours or elements you dream of for your new kitchen — book a free design consultation now. Or feel free to visit any of our showrooms across the North West in Manchester, Blackburn, or Barrowford.

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Key reasons for an early start

Creating a design you like can be done in minutes, but creating a space you want to live in takes far longer. There are the functional aspects to consider, as to what you want to do with your space and how you want it to work. You might have your own little niggles about your current kitchen, and while sometimes these are easily solved, other times it takes time to find a solution – even for our talented designers! Then, of course, there’s the fact that you may have your perfect design already mapped out in your head, but your partner or family may have other ideas. It’s key to get a space that suits everyone – after all, they’ll be using it too.

For these reasons alone, it’s important not to rush the planning process, so getting yourself organised as early as you can is always helpful. And if you’re lucky enough to be ready in time for the warmer spring or summer months, this time of year is always more pleasant and convenient for home renovation. Springtime brings extra rays of sunlight, and a more conducive daytime temperature. Also, if any window frames and double-glazing are being changed along with the kitchen renovation – perhaps to incorporate more natural light – then it’s always nice for the weather to be as bright and warm as it possibly can be during that process!

Plus, if you’re planning on going on holiday abroad for a few weeks, it makes life even easier for both you and your fitters. It’s worth keeping in mind, though, that you may need to schedule in extra time for any special orders for certain custom fittings or unusual requested materials.

Creating unique spaces tailored to suit you

If all that sounds a little daunting, rest assured we’re here to help. At Kitchen Design Centre, our focus is on designing a space that’s uniquely tailored to you, reflecting your lifestyle down to the very last detail. To do that, we work hard to get to know you, so that our final designs accurately reflect the style and functional aspects you desire for your space. As you might imagine, this takes a fair amount of time too, although it takes longer for some customers than others! Some wander into our showrooms and find the design they want almost immediately, whereas others want their space designing almost completely from scratch.

No matter your personal tastes or style, you can rest assured that here at Kitchen Design Centre, we can design a kitchen to suit you. This is true even for small spaces or kitchens with similarly challenging factors – in just the past few weeks, our wonderful designer Maxine won “Best Use of Small Space” in the Neff Master Partner awards! You can get some design inspiration from the beautiful copper kitchen she created, or alternatively browse more of our customer kitchens to see what we can do for you!

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What Does Purple Mean In Kitchen Design?

Purple is a surprisingly versatile colour, and how it makes us feel can depend largely on how light or deep it is. A deeper purple puts us in mind of soft velvet, cultivating an air of richness and luxuriousness. This sort of shade is traditionally reserved for particularly comfortable rooms like living rooms or bedrooms, so choosing it for your kitchen signals to the world that you consider it equally important, if not more – truly fitting for the heart of your home!

Meanwhile, lighter shades of purple like lilac or lavender create a more whimsical, dreamy air – perfect if you want your kitchen to feel more delicate and ladylike. These shades can be beautifully combined with softer greens or turquoises, to give it fascinating visual mystique. Many people choose these sorts of colour schemes for more contemporary kitchens, but purple can also be used together with cream or cashmere cabinetry and kitchen furniture to create a wonderfully cosy traditional kitchen.

Read on, and we’ll show you how one of our own customers has used purple to a fantastically memorable effect in her own kitchen!

Purple Reigns In This Todmorden Kitchen

Our very own in-house kitchen designer, Maxine, crafted this stunning kitchen for one of our clients in Todmorden. The client in question is very fond of deep purple and rich violet shades – and looking at her kitchen, you can already see how it’s very much a reflection of her personality!

This contemporary kitchen uses purple glass accents and soft, intensely purple fabrics for her kitchen chairs, beautifully offsetting the more neutral tones of the Hacker Cashmere gloss units, and the clean, contemporary shades in the rest of the room. What’s more, you can see how the purple utensils – such as the toaster and kettle – give the room some extra splashes of colour, injecting a fun touch of personality into an already visually striking kitchen!

If this has piqued your interest, you can take a quick look through some of our other case studies, to find inspiration for your own dream kitchen. Or, if you’re thinking perhaps of a different colour, you can check out our blog on how to use red in your kitchen design – which is also complete with one of our amazing case studies, so you can see how it all works in practice!

Don’t forget to follow us on Twitter: @modernkitchens

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The golden question… “How much does a German kitchen cost?” If we could give you a straightforward answer we would, but our answer is always “It depends.” At Kitchen Design Centre we create kitchens that are 100% bespoke. You choose the materials, furnishings, and appliances. By giving you full control of these elements, you have the power to create the kitchen of your dreams while tweaking elements to suit your budget.

Three things to consider when designing your German kitchen

1. Fab kitchen furnishings

With our designer German kitchens, we use clever furnishings to suit the size, style and layout of your kitchen. Those with bigger kitchens may opt for the popular kitchen island – ideal for food prep, your breakfast bar, and storage. Smaller German kitchens may make best use of wall space, taking advantage of height when designing in cupboards. As always, the number of furnishings you need will directly impact the cost of your designer kitchen.

2. Cutting edge kitchen technology

When we talk about cutting edge technology, we’re not just talking appliances. While your choice of appliances will impact the overall cost of your German Kitchen, it’s other elements like those nifty ‘push to open’ cupboard that will increase the price too. Of course, there are always ways in which we can meet your budget – and we’ll always recommend technology to meet both your requirements and your allocated spend.

3. Top-notch kitchen build quality

One reason why our German kitchens remain so popular is their quality. Featuring the best in materials and design, you can be sure of a kitchen design that will look great and function well in years to come. We only use the best here at Kitchen Design Centre – so you can be sure that what you’re getting is well worth the cost.

Inspiration for German kitchen design planning

If you’re keen to re-design your kitchen, why not take some inspiration from our recent customer projects? All of our German kitchens feature bespoke design, tailored to client needs. As a result, each kitchen comes with a completely different price tag, depending on the furnishings, technology, materials, and innovation that make up the design.

Large kitchen transformation

With this design, we were able to take advantage of space. The couple combined their kitchen and dining room enabling a wow-factor kitchen design. We installed German manufactured units and used textures such as gloss and Corian. Sensio LED lighting and top Neff appliances completed the look.

A new, sociable kitchen space

In this kitchen, our clients were keen to prioritise the social aspect of the kitchen. This meant they opted for an open-plan design, incorporating furnishings like a breakfast bar and large family dining table. The clients also choose a vibrant colour scheme, which was injected into some of their furnishings. To complete their kitchen, they opted for handleless cupboards, Neff appliances, and the popular Quooker Fusion tap.

If you’re on a tight budget, why not take a look at our kitchen offers page. Here, you’ll find all the latest news on our best deals. So whether you’re looking for a discount designer kitchen or reduced price state-of-the-art appliances, you’ll discover our best deals here.

Have you had your kitchen designed by one of the team at Kitchen Design Centre? If so, we’d love to see your review. Leave your feedback in the comments below or tweet us @ModernKitchens

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From bright and energising Cristall Taupe, to chic and sophisticated Bristol Pearl Grey, there are some fantastic new trends heading your way for 2016.

At Kitchen Design Centre, we like to design kitchens that feature colour schemes and styles that are both on-trend and timeless – leaving you with a designer kitchen that lasts. That’s exactly why we’ve decided to give you a sneak peak into the hottest kitchen trends for next year, allowing you to get your creative juices flowing!

Whether you’re looking for something modern, minimalist, and monochrome, with our Cristall Black Comet Pearl Grey, or something more chic and traditional, you’re certain to find a 2016 trend to suit your home…

The post What’s Hot In 2016 appeared first on Kitchen Design Centre.

We were delighted to find out that one of our stylish yet quirky kitchens, designed by Maxine Hutchinson, was shortlisted for an award too. The vibrant, user-friendly kitchen met all the criteria for a Best Kitchen Under 20k nomination; proving designer style can be affordable.

Discover the award-nominated kitchen

Our designer, Maxine, worked closely with her client and made the most of every last penny in the budget. Her client asked for a wow-factor kitchen and that’s certainly what Maxine and her team delivered! Through getting to know her client – her needs, personal tastes and kitchen requirements – Maxine designed a kitchen with plenty of storage, top-of-the-range appliances and unique style.

In this case, the client’s love of purple and shades of violet was reflected with contemporary, stylish focal points. A purple glass splash back was added above one of the workstations to give the kitchen a bold and vibrant one-of-a-kind look. A casual eating area, which enables the client to entertain guests while cooking, was also incorporated.

Create the look for less: Designer kitchen style on a budget

You don’t have to spend a fortune to get an award-winning kitchen. If you’ve got a budget in mind, here are some ideas to help your prioritise your design.

• Pay careful attention to the visible features. A worktop, for example, is one of the most visible features, so it’s worth prioritising your spend on elements like this. Honed granite makes a good option, but we have plenty of quality designer materials that look great but are incredibly affordable. As with our award-nominated kitchen, make the most of a splashback feature too – with colour, or perhaps painted glass.
• Be inspired by more simple, modern designs. With traditional designs come additional extras like beautiful cupboard handles and knobs. A handleless kitchen is a great alternative – it looks good and is cost-efficient too.
• Marmoleum or porcelain tiles are great options for your new kitchen floor. The former comes in many patterns and colours, is comfortable underfoot and easy to maintain, while the latter helps to achieve a seamless, chic and integrated look in the kitchen.
• Think carefully about overall appliance cost. It can be easy to just pick one of the cheapest, stylish-looking appliances on the market, but it’s important to factor in the running cost too. There’s no point picking something cheap that you’ll be paying for in high energy bills for years to come.
• Find a good fitter. We only work with pros here at Kitchen Design Centre. This means that a client with a more modest budget can still get that wow-factor kitchen they’ve been looking for.

What features would be on your designer kitchen wish list? Tell us in the comments below or tweet us @ModernKitchens

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Happy customers and award nominations are always good indicators that we’re doing a great job at Kitchen Design Centre – so we were delighted to find out we had a double whammy with one of our 2014 kitchens.

One of our most stylish, contemporary kitchen, designed by Simon Thomas, here at Kitchen Design Centre, not only delighted the owners, it’s up for an award too!

The modern kitchen was designed with style in mind. Sleek German made units were integrated into the design, along with high-tech Neff appliances and wow-factor features. Some of which included, high definition LED strip lighting and perimeter lighting around the family’s kitchen island.

What’s more, the kitchen was designed with the rest of the family home in mind too – giving them views of their terrific garden, which they could enjoy when dining around their kitchen island.

Neff award nomination

This particular kitchen has been nominated for a Neff Excellence Award in the category of Best Kitchen Design using Neff over £20,000. The judging panel behind this award will be looking for a highly desirable, extremely well planned and designed kitchen. We know that it ticked all the boxes for the family in question, so we hope that the judging panel feel the same too.

As a Neff award, the judging panel will of course be taking a closer look at all the appliances we’ve used and assessing whether they’ve been sited in the best place and whether they meet the customer’s requirements.

Of course, a great kitchen isn’t just about good design and appliances, it’s also about creativity and thinking outside the box – all qualities we believe each and every one of our designers possess. With that in mind, the judging panel will also be looking at our creative use of space and materials – assessing whether the overall result is both practical and stunning.

So, in practical terms, what should you consider when designing your own winning kitchen?

6 tips for a winning kitchen

1) German kitchen design 

A modern German kitchen always adds a bit of wow-factor to your home. Famous for their sleek lines, efficiency and offerings of greater space, they’re a great option to consider when redesigning your kitchen.

2) Open plan design

An open plan design is great for sociable couples and families alike. The layout allows for optimum multitasking – allowing you to cook for your family and guests while entertaining them.

3) Up-to-date appliances

Modern appliances make cooking easy. Neff products in particular look great, often combine several functionalities into one product and make preparing and serving a delicious dinner simple.

4) Clean lines and minimal clutter

In a great looking kitchen everything has its own place. Features like kitchen islands store away a multitude of sins while adding style and functionality to a kitchen.

5) Proper lighting

The importance of good lighting can’t be ignored when it comes to kitchen design. Consider layered and under cabinet lighting for even more wow. Multiple light level settings can also add a beautiful touch to your kitchen.

6) Your own unique stamp

Your kitchen should embody your likes, dislikes and personal tastes. So if you want to add a touch of the country kitchen or add a bright coloured feature wall – go for it! Just make sure it works alongside all the other design features in the room.

Why do you think your kitchen is a winning kitchen? Tell us about your standout kitchen style in the comments below or tweet us @ModernKitchens

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Vinyl flooring

While some may find vinyl old fashioned and boring, there are some statement, stylish designs to be found. However, these don’t always come cheap. Whatever design you choose though, the material itself is hard to beat. It’s easy to maintain, very difficult to stain, and generally really durable too. You can also find vinyl that resembles other materials – for example, wood-effect vinyl flooring.

Ceramic tiles

This type of flooring has been popular in Europe for decades. It’s also become more popularity in the UK too over the last 10 years or so and is an affordable, attractive, easy to maintain solution. Ceramic tiles are stain-resistant and sealed tile and grout are also water resistant. In fact, the only real disadvantages of tiles are the echo-y effect they give a room and nippy feet!

Slate flooring

For a real country kitchen look, slate is a great option. You can stick to traditional black slate, surrounded with pale grout, or for something more modern, why not get creative and match the shade of the grout to the tiles or accent colour you’ve chosen for your kitchen.

Wooden flooring

For a warm and timeless look, you may like to choose wooden flooring. While, solid wood flooring isn’t recommended for kitchens because of the inevitable moisture and temperature fluctuations, engineered wood flooring works really well. It’s easy to maintain, durable and can add real character to a modern kitchen.

Laminate flooring

The benefit of laminate is that you can pick virtually any design you wish and get a replica of a wood or stone pattern of your choice in your kitchen for a snip of the price. Typically, this sort of flooring works out relatively cheap and often comes with a guarantee for 25 years or more. It’s simple to install, easy to look after and exceptionally scratch and stain-resistant too!

Marble flooring

For a chic and unique look, why not opt for elegant marble? It has a crispness and bright, light design that makes it ideal for modern homes and that monochrome look, as well as period properties.

Stone flooring

The rustic, farmhouse feel of stone flooring is a popular option these days. It’s natural, easy to maintain and long lasting – but does tend to be cold under foot. If you opt for stone, large floor tiles can add the illusion of space in a smaller kitchen, as can tiles of varying shades and sizes.

Inspired? Why not pop down to one of our kitchen showrooms to discuss your dream kitchen further? You can find us in Blackburn, Manchester and Colne.

What flooring would you choose for your kitchen? Tell us in the comments below or tweet us @ModernKitchens

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Your perfect kitchen, guaranteed

When you purchase a kitchen from us here at Kitchen Design Centre you’ll be given a copy of our guarantee guide, detailing the type of guarantee for each element of your new kitchen. In some new fitted kitchens, when looking at the small print, you may find that actually not a lot is covered by your guarantee, but this isn’t the case with a kitchen from Kitchen Design Centre. We rarely have any calls from clients about our guarantees because as a rule our kitchens are exceptional and of the highest quality, but when things do go wrong, you can be sure that you’re covered by our guarantee.

We’ve got it covered…

Furniture

Carcases, doors, fittings (hinges and drawer runners) are all included under our five-year furniture guarantee. We’ll endeavour to replace any defective materials with like for like, but if exact replacements are unavailable we will supply as near to the original items as possible.

Worktops

Laminate, granite, quartz and corian worktops are all covered by our guarantee, the latter three materials all have a five-year guarantee, whilst laminate has a ten-year guarantee. It excludes everyday wear and tear and covers manufacturing defect only.

Splash backs

All splash backs have a one-year guarantee, against manufacturers defect only.

Sinks and taps

All sinks and taps are guaranteed against manufacturers defect only. Silgranit sinks boast a ten-year guarantee, whilst stainless steel sinks are covered by a one-year guarantee. All taps too have a one-year guarantee, except Quooker taps, which benefit from two years protection.

Lighting

Cabinet lighting is covered by a one-year guarantee, against manufacturers defect only.

Neff applicances

The two-year guarantee for Neff appliances is against manufacturers defect only and excludes scratching of stainless steel – as this is to be expected with this material.

Installation

You can be confident that the installation of your cabinets, worktops, appliances, accessories, sink and taps are all covered by a one-year guarantee. Where a third party is used for building works, then they are responsible for their own work.

Being confident with your purchase

Making sure you understand the guarantee before buying is important to most customers, so if you do have any probing questions about our guarantees feel free to ask away. We’ll be able to explain exactly what is covered and what you should expect from a follow up service from us. Our guide is written in plain English and we try to make everything as simple as possible but we do understand that sometimes customers like that extra bit of reassurance – which is something we’re more than happy to ensure at the Kitchen Design Centre.

What kitchen design is on your Christmas wishlist? Tell us in the comments below or tweet us @ModernKitchens

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