At Kitchen Design Centre, we’ve got over 30 years of experience designing and supplying beautiful kitchens, so we have a few tips to help you bring the feel of Spring into yours.

Let the light in

One of the best things about Spring is the fact that the days get longer and the nights get shorter, and it finally feels like summer is on the way! One of the best things you can do for your space is to let as much light in as possible. A well-lit kitchen will help your space feel more spacious and airy, so clear any appliances off your kitchen windowsill and draw back those blinds to let as much of the sun in as you can. If natural light is limited in your space, don’t worry; you’ve got plenty of options to solve the problem – for example, you could use a few lamps or under-counter lighting.

Fresh up your space with a lick of paint

If you’re looking to give your kitchen a fresh update without a complete renovation, making a few thoughtful changes can go a long way. Adding a fresh coat of paint is an easy and affordable way to switch up the look of your space. With Spring approaching, pastels and neutrals are a great choice for adding a bright and airy feel to your kitchen. Whether you’re looking to update your cabinets, walls, or kitchen island, a fresh coat of paint can transform your kitchen and give it a whole new vibe.

Switch up your accessories

If you’d prefer to keep your changes on the temporary side, there are still plenty of ways to transform the look and feel of your space without taking out the paintbrush. Changing up your accessories can give you the same effect. Switching out your tea towels, wall art or even decorating fruit bowls can bring a new atmosphere into your space without any dramatic renovations. The same applies to your tea, coffee, and sugar pots, too. If you have curtains in your kitchen, try switching them out for something lighter and a little more sheer. It’s these little changes that together add up to create a noticeable impact.

To keep the clean, tidy springtime feel in your kitchen, always try to keep appliances to a minimum so your space doesn’t feel cluttered. Reducing your kitchen appliances to just that which you need will help your space feel open. Many modern appliances, like Neff ovens and Quooker taps, are designed to serve more than one purpose, limiting the need to have an abundance of appliances taking up space on your countertops or in your cupboards.

Bring the outdoors in with plants and flowers

Perhaps the most obvious way to ring in Spring in the kitchen is with foliage. Everyone loves a plant or two, and in the kitchen, they really help perk up a space and bring a sense of freshness and vitality. There are many ways you could approach bringing some greenery into the kitchen, such as choosing some beautiful seasonal Spring flowers like daffodils, peace lilies, orchids, or azaleas – the list goes on. You could keep it monochrome with green plants like succulents, mini palm trees or cheese plants.

Or, if you’re more of a home chef, then why not introduce some fresh herbs into your cooking with basil, parsley, thyme and oregano plants? If you’re prone to burning yourself while cooking up a storm, an aloe vera plant is the perfect addition to your set-up; not only will it look gorgeous on your counter, it’ll help soothe any burns! 

And of course, if you need any pointers in reimagining your kitchen for Spring, we’re always here to offer advice. Our award-winning team of designers has years of experience helping our clients achieve their dream kitchens, so get in touch! You can pop down to one of our local kitchen showrooms in Barrowford, Blackburn, Failsworth—Manchester, Urmston—Manchester, or Woolton, Liverpool, and have a quick chat with us over a cup of tea.

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Above all, it’s a design that focuses on flow, and helps to create a more functional living space – and one that we have more than 35 years of experience with here at Kitchen Design Centre. Whether you’re looking for a more versatile space that allows for both cooking and socialising, more freedom of movement between your kitchen and dining area, or you simply want a greater space to put a more personal touch on your kitchen design, our designers are here to help.

Why would an open-plan kitchen suit you?

When considering what an open-plan kitchen can offer, it’s important to keep in mind what you want from it. We design kitchens that are uniquely suited to you and your lifestyle, whatever that might entail. For example, if you’re a keen cook who enjoys whipping up a storm in your kitchen, we can offer specific styles that focus on practical elements like easily accessible appliances and plenty of counter space.

If you’re more of a social butterfly, we can provide you with a space that gives you a fantastic blend of open-plan practicality and social space, where you can enjoy the company of your friends and family. Perfect for dinner parties and Christmas get togethers!

The point is; the way you choose to use your kitchen will have a direct impact on its design. For example, our customers Sarah and Heath were in need of a contemporary family kitchen for a narrow space, so we gave them exactly what they needed to suit their busy, family orientated life.

Open-plan kitchens let in the light

Natural light is a key element when it comes to improving the brightness and feel of your designer kitchen, and open-plan designs are much better suited for taking advantage of this. By opting for an open-plan kitchen, you can really maximise the amount of natural light that flows through the space, giving it a more welcoming, breezy feel that’s sure to lift the mood of the room.

Why is this important? Well, we’ll spare you the detailed science lesson, but basically humans are daylight creatures. That means we’ve evolved to be happier, more energetic, and healthier in direct sunlight. It’s why small, windowless rooms can make us feel quite so uncomfortable, and equally it’s why natural light is such an important factor of your kitchen to ensure that you’re able to maximise your enjoyment of the space.

If your kitchen backs on to your garden for example, consider adding some sliding, or bi-fold doors to give you easy access to it. These doors add so much more light to your space that it’ll appear more roomy than it actually is. If roof lights are a practical option for your space, you may find them a great way to achieve the same effect.

They provide options for clever design possibilities

We understand that a small kitchen space can present challenges when it comes to having ample room for all your equipment, appliances and so on. Open-plan kitchens are all about making the most out of the space in your home. Here at Kitchen Design Centre, we do this by incorporating a range of clever design ideas like integrated appliances, and hidden storage, ultimately helping you make the most out of your designer kitchen.

We have plenty of open-plan designs for you to peruse in our customer case studies, where you’ll find kitchens with sleek, contemporary looks from things like handleless pull-out units, as well as integrated appliances like Neff multi-function ovens. These cutting-edge appliances possess a stunning versatility to match their intuitive controls, and our status as a Neff Master Partner means we’ve got a great depth of expertise when it comes to smoothly integrating it into your kitchen design.

The options are endless, and depending on your specific requests, we can tailor these design features into any kitchen style, so it’s completely up to you to decide what you’d like!

Open-plan kitchens utilise islands in a fantastic way

Open plan kitchens are perfect spaces for the much-coveted kitchen island. In an open-plan kitchen, the island plays a vital role in separating the kitchen from the living room, while also connecting the two spaces. It does this by creating a place for the cook to interact with the rest of the room, providing an engaging, social atmosphere.

Of course, you’ll need to keep in mind what you’ll spend the most time doing on your island! If it’s cooking, consider placing a hob on top of it. If you’re thinking of it as a cleaning space, maybe install a sink, or think about integrating a dishwasher. The balance between practicality and aesthetic pleasure is really what makes an open-plan kitchen worthwhile. For us, they’re the quintessential option for anyone who wants to create the perfect kitchen-diner combination.

With 35 years of experience behind us here at Kitchen Design Centre, our designers are passionate about helping you get the kitchen of your dreams. If you’re in need of some extra inspiration though – drop by our Blackburn kitchen showroom (or our other designer kitchen showrooms in Manchester or Barrowford) where you can sit down for a chat to let us know exactly what sort of requirements you have. We’re here to help!

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How to incorporate different kinds of plants into your kitchen

Once you’ve decided to incorporate some plant life into your kitchen design, one of the first decisions you’ll need to make will be about where you’re going to put it. You’ll probably find that different types and sizes of plant will be best suited to different spaces. Here are just a few of our suggestions on how to get started!

Tall plants

If you have any large empty spaces along any walls or in corners, you might want to consider taller plants first. If you’re careful about where you place them against the wall, you might find that they can occupy a large space quite comfortably. It’s size can help it prevent a space from looking too sparse, and as long as it’s given room to breathe, it’s relatively easy to avoid the area looking too crowded, too.

Of course, the great thing about tall plants is that you can generally move them until you’re happy with the overall effect. What’s more, tall and slim plants can also make ceilings seem slightly higher than they really are, which is great for creating the illusion of more room when space might be premium!

Short plants

While tall plants obviously work best when they’re at ground level, if you find you’ve got any empty space higher up, then shorter plants with leaves that expand outwards can really come into their own. Something like a chlorophytum comosum, or spider plant, can be kept atop your cupboards or shelving so that its leaves cascade down over the edges, which can create quite a striking and distinctive effect.

Potted plants

If you’re looking for something a bit more unassuming on the other hand, small potted plants like ferns or succulents can give your kitchen some subtle elements of colour when placed along the shelves or windowsill in your kitchen. These are ones that you do actually have to judge quite carefully, as it can be all too easy to make the space look too crowded by having too many other ornaments or kitchen utensils sharing the space. Equally, you’ll also want to judge the distance carefully to ensure that they don’t end up making the space look too sparse.

All that will depend on exactly how much space you’ve got to spare, and indeed how big the plant itself is. If you’re unsure of whether or not it’s achieving the effect you’re going for, a second opinion is always helpful!

If your potted plants are a little on the larger side of course, you might decide that they’re actually too big for the windowsill. In which case, they might be better suited as a focal point for your kitchen table or kitchen island instead.

How we can help here at Kitchen Design Centre

Our designers each have their own wealth of experience and passion for kitchen design, so you can trust us to help you achieve exactly the effect you want for your space. We understand how to combine all the diverse aspects of your kitchen, from its colour scheme to its plant life to its natural light – and form them into a cohesive whole, giving you a space that is truly the heart of your home.

Feel free to take a quick look through our case studies to get a better idea of what we can achieve for your space!

Due to the ongoing Covid-19 restrictions, at the time of writing (March 2021) we’ve had to temporarily close our designer kitchen showrooms in Failsworth in Manchester, Urmston in Manchester, Blackburn, Barrowford, and Woolton in Liverpool. However, we’re ready to open our doors again as soon as it’s safe for our customers – until then, why not book a free Designed From Home service?

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Now, the tricky part comes when you don’t exactly know what you want. But that’s fine too – that’s what our designers are here for. We can help you with designing the entire kitchen from inspiration to installation, or if you’ve already got plenty of detailed ideas and a vision in mind for your kitchen, we can simply help you make it a reality.

So how do you start building your vision for your kitchen? Well a good place to start is by taking a look around your existing space and thinking making a list of everything you like and dislike about it. As you’re doing so, you can start asking yourself key questions like…

What do you want the space to be?

Traditionally, kitchens were simply a place to prepare food, but these days they’re often considered the heart of the home – not just a place for cooking, but for eating, socialising, and spending time together as a family. So one of the first questions you’ll need to ask yourself about your dream kitchen is what it means to you. If it’s a purely functional space that’s purely devoted to the art and science of cooking, then you can put all your energy into making it as ergonomic and efficient as possible.

And if you’re also planning to use it as a place to socialise with family, you can start thinking about where everyone’s going to be seated. You might prefer something like a simple breakfast bar, so you can chat while you’re preparing breakfast, lunch or dinner, or even more comfortable seating around a larger table.

Sometimes this decision might be made for you – for example if you have a relatively narrow space, you might decide that it’s best utilised as a cooking area only. But then again, we’ve created some quite impressive designs in areas where space is at a premium – just take a look at this contemporary family kitchen for a narrow space!

What will you be cooking?

One of the biggest questions you need to ask yourself about your kitchen is, of course, what you plan to be cooking in it. If you have a preference for a certain type of food, this is a great time to incorporate it into the design. One kitchen we designed in Barrowford was created for a pair of keen bakers, so we made sure the new design remained as efficient as possible, while giving it a visually striking appearance.

It’s a good idea to think about practicalities like workspace. If you love spending time cooking in the kitchen, having lots of workspace will probably be one of your core priorities. This is why kitchen islands are so popular, as they provide an effective way to separate your preparation and cooking areas. And if you’re a big fan of particularly ambitious meals – or even just the traditional Sunday roast – it’s definitely worth making sure that you’re giving yourself enough space to work.

Who’s going to be using it?

Now, the obvious answer to this includes you and your family. That means it’s important to consider not just what you want from the space, but what everyone else will want from it too. Does your partner have a different cooking style to you, or are they passionate about any different types of cuisine? Will your children be looking for opportunities to get involved in the kitchen too? (We recently created a particularly clever design which allowed a keen junior baker to store her ingredients and easily cook alongside Mum.)

This is also a good time to think about accessibility. Is there anyone in your family who might struggle to use the kitchen in any way? We’re not necessarily talking about things like wheelchair accessibility – it could be something as simple as reaching up to a high shelf.

It’s also worth thinking about the maximum number of people your kitchen can comfortably accommodate. If you have a large family or you’re regularly hosting large meals, now is an excellent time to think about whether you can alter the space to accommodate all the extra foot traffic – making it much less stressful for you to be cooking and entertaining at the same time.

How could it be more efficient?

Closely related to our last point, the efficiency and ease of movement are perhaps two of the most important elements in any designer kitchen. That means it’s always a big priority for our own kitchen designers, and over the years we’ve produced some particularly ergonomic designs – just take a look at this recent stunning contemporary kitchen!

To maximise the efficiency in your kitchen, you can start thinking about all the appliances and accessories that you use the most, and how you can rearrange them so that they’re always within an arm’s reach of where you work. As part of this, make sure to take a note of where the sockets are in your kitchen, and what you’d like to dedicate them to. (Here’s a quick tip – wherever you decide to locate your sink in your new dream kitchen, it’s generally a good idea to install the washing machine and the dishwasher nearby.)

Storage is also a key issue when it comes to efficiency, as it has a big impact on how you can access everything in your kitchen. You can start by having a good clear out of all your current drawers, cabinetry and cupboards, so that you can be sure you’re not factoring in items or gadgetry that you’ve not used in years. Again, consider the items that you use the most – or you spend the most time looking for – and how you can ensure that they’re never too far away.

As well as ensuring ease of use, optimising your storage is also an excellent way to achieve a minimalist look, which is a particularly popular aesthetic that so many of our customers love for their kitchens. There are lots of specialised or creative storage solutions that you can incorporate into your kitchen – cabinetry set into kitchen islands or peninsulas are amongst some of the simplest, and highly effective at that.

This is a good point to think about the lighting, too. It has a huge effect on the practicalities of the space. You might want to reposition or revamp the main lighting so that you’re not blocking your own light when looking down at your workspace, for example. Soft, recessed ceiling lighting tends to be one of the most popular solutions for our customers here at Kitchen Design Centre. Plus, it’s always a great bonus to incorporate modular lighting so that you can light up certain areas in your kitchen independently of one another. And lighting can tie into another important point…

Are you changing the style of your kitchen?

Maybe you like the function and layout of your kitchen just fine the way it is, but you’re just looking to refresh its style. This is where your written list will come in handy, as it can help you identify exactly what you like about the way it looks and feels as it is, and what you’d like to change about it.

If you’re planning on changing anything, what are you trying to achieve with that change? Are you planning on matching it with the aesthetic of the rest of your home? Or maybe even contrasting it? Or are there just certain individual elements that you want to refresh? Another recent kitchen we created was specifically designed to be contemporary in look and feel, in contrast to the original building.

Don’t forget that well-selected appliances and stylish kitchen gadgetry can serve the dual purposes of updating your kitchen’s look, while still opening up a fascinating new range of hi-tech functionality – we’re talking about things like Quooker’s boiling water tap, or a cutting-edge downdraft extractor.

If you’re still forming ideas, it can help to collect images from magazines, and put together a personal scrap book or mood board to show your personal kitchen designer. As we mentioned above, even the smallest things can end up inspiring some of the most fascinating designs – a colourful chair was the basis for this quirky social space quite unlike any other!

And of course, if you ever need any help, our award-winning designers are always here to help put the finishing touches on your ideas, or even add a little creative flair of our own! At the time of writing, our showrooms are open by appointment only – so if you’d like to book an appointment, you can find your nearest showroom here. We’d love to see you!

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Pick out your first cool colour

The first step to creating your ice cream colour scheme is just the same as the first step to creating any other – you’ll need to decide on your base. Normally, this will be the colour for your cabinetry and worktops, as the colour of these tend to be the most influential overall on the final appearance of your kitchen.

If you’re not sure of where to start on which colour to choose, it’s generally best to look at the lighter, most neutral colours first like cream or vanilla. These can serve as a brilliant blank canvas for you to get creative. For a few examples, look no further than the customer kitchens we’ve previously designed – some show how white can serve as a great basis to highlight pops of colour. Cream and vanilla work in much the same way, and can help reflect the most natural light too, making your kitchen look even lighter.

Choose your scoop

Once you’ve settled on the right base colour for your kitchen, you can start thinking about the secondary complementary colours. These can be used for a feature wall or splashback, your curtains and other fabrics, or your kitchen island – which you can choose to match to your worktops, or complement them in a different shade. (These are just a few ideas, of course!)

This is where you can get even more creative in terms of which pastel shades to choose – you might want to consider mint chocolate chip, strawberry pink or even a light blueberry colour. Lemon sorbet is also a popular shade, as it provides a beautifully understated touch.

Something sweet to top it all off

Much like the final chocolate flake or the cherry on top, you’ve now got freedom to add an even more vibrant pop of colour to create a truly delicious final effect. You’ll want to think about accessories first, such as toasters, fruit bowls, kettles or coffee makes. Don’t forget to consider the often-overlooked elements, such as your lampshades – which can be coloured to blend in nicely to your colour scheme, or stand out from it.

As for what colour to choose – well, that’s all up to you! Here’s where you can afford to go a little crazy, with vibrant reds, blues, greens or yellows. If you need a bit of inspiration, you can see how a sophisticated white kitchen we previously designed has been given a pop of colour with the fruit bowl on the kitchen island, while another has a wonderfully distinctive look thanks to its deep purple accessories.

And if you need a bit of help or inspiration, our designers are always here to help! Every one of them has years of experience behind them and an innate talent for helping your dream kitchen to become a reality. We’ve got designer kitchen showrooms in Manchester, Blackburn, Barrowford and Urmston, or you can Book A Free Design Appointment right here on our website!

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For many of our customers, colour is a fantastic way to set the tone for the space – do you want a kitchen that’s fun and social, a quiet place to relax, or simply a place to enjoy some delicious family dinners?

But, which colours do you see in your dream kitchen? Do you want an energised entertaining space? Or a relaxing heart of the home?

Subtle palette

Every year we create stunning kitchens from the subtle spectrum of colours like whites, greys, creams, sand, pale blues or greens, and others. This trend looks to be fairly consistent largely due to the growing popularity of minimalist design.

There are many benefits to having a subtle colour palette – for example, it can increase the resale value of your home or it can help create a homely feel in your dream kitchen.

Subtle colour schemes have a way of making the space feel airy, light and breezy, calm, and cosy all at the same time. Some people prefer the way these muted tones can create a sense of zen — lasting calm — to a normally bustling area of the home.

In this contemporary sociable kitchen, our designer Rowan has created a space in a soothing grey and white. The visual interest for this kitchen comes from the contrast between the matt textured island and high-gloss cabinetry.

In kitchens looking to open up more space, the subtle and refined colour palette can allow us to create a stunning focal point with a patterned and textured feature wall like the wood.

Why we love it: Simple colour palettes are chić and give us room to create visual interest by mixing textures, patterns, contrasting tones, and lighting.

Vibrant accents

This year many of our clients, who love to entertain family or friends, are opting for designer kitchens with bold colours or painted cabinetry to contrast an otherwise calm colour palette.

As designers, we know, humans are hardwired to react to colour in different ways. For example, blues create a sense of calm, red and oranges are vibrant and energetic, yellows create a sense of happiness and fun, while purple can help inspire creativity.

Adding colour is a quick and sure-fire way to instantly add flair or personality to your kitchen. Our designers will help you choose where and how to add colour which might be by incorporating painted cabinets, vibrant feature walls, whimsical textured backsplashes or contrasting statement islands to your dream kitchen design.

In this modern luxury kitchen, a rather simple colour scheme (blue and grey) is livened up with splashes of neon green to draw interest and help frame the space.

Or in this simplistic, stylish kitchen where entertainment is the primary focus allowing our designers to play with lighting, colour, and add those personal touches like a bubble wall – to make this room unique.

Why we love it: From bold to subtle, dark to light, pastel to neon – we simply love colour! For us, bold colours can help make a design more dimensional and can help add visual interest.

If your tastes swing more subtle or bold – 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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1. Vibrant splashbacks or accent walls

We’ve spoken plenty before about the incredible level of influence that colour has on a space – blue is naturally calming, for example, whereas using a bold red is a great way to energise an area. If you feel your space could be elevated further by a healthy dose of colour, a splashback is an easy and effective way to achieve it. You can opt for a single, solid colour to get the look you want, or get creative with patterned tiles and similar design pieces. If you want, you can go even bigger with an entire accent wall – but it’s a big job, so make sure you’re certain of the colour you want before you go ahead!

2. Beautiful artwork or happy memories

Another wonderful way to express your creative side is through some beautiful artwork, which can be carefully chosen to match the mood and aesthetic of your kitchen. A restrained contemporary style kitchen can be enhanced by a quietly beautiful monochome piece, for example, whereas a more vibrant space might demand something bursting with colour and energy.

On the other hand, you could take the same approach as some of our customers did in Rochdale, in their traditional kitchen with a sophisticated style. A happy family picture has pride of place above the hobs, emphasising the kitchen’s function as a family space. If the idea of placing it above the hobs appeals to you though, it’s worth making sure that the picture and frame are sufficiently protected against moisture, as steam can wreak havoc otherwise!

3. Open shelving for elegant displays

Open shelving is a particularly versatile addition to a kitchen, used as a practical home for crockery just as much as a proud display area. Floating shelves in particular can help emphasise the pared-back appearance of a minimalist contemporary kitchen. If you’re thinking about using open shelving, it’s worth thinking about your favourite items that you’ll want to display, and how often you’ll likely want to access them. Family heirlooms can be ideal for this sort of thing, whereas the salt and pepper shakers perhaps less so!

4. Spruce up your kitchen island

Perhaps one of the more unorthodox ideas, some customers have enjoyed fantastic results from painting their kitchen island in a different shade to the rest of the units. As it’s quite a self-contained area of the kitchen, you can often afford to choose a bolder shade than you’d normally be able to elsewhere in the kitchen. The result is a functional, beautiful space which makes a stunning impression on your visitors – the perfect space to entertain!

These are just a few ideas of course – you might well have plenty of your own! Whatever your vision for your dream kitchen, our talented designers have the skills, experience and the passion to help you achieve it. If you’re looking for inspiration, you can take a trip to your nearest designer kitchen showroom in Manchester, Blackburn or Barrowford, where one of our designers will be only too happy to sit down for a coffee and a chat!

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What is a focal point

A focal point is, quite simply, something that catches the eye: a centrepiece that wows people who see it, a single object or area that stands out as the distinguishing element of your kitchen design. In the kitchen, a focal point should add an artistic touch that still complements the overall style in the space. Some of most successful kitchen focal points draw the attention subtly, while others are bold and vibrant. One of our favourite recent designer kitchens, a quirky social space, uses a distinctively-coloured chair as a focal point to give the kitchen a unique style all of its own.

Another way is to create a pleasing contrast in colour, texture or material used – for example, a wooden feature in metal or a smart granite worktop could be an exciting focal point!

Decoration or design?

The most successful focal points can often be a decorative statement, or alternatively a design piece. A decorative focal point could be as simple as a display of plates in the shape of a fan, rustic jars filled with sauces, chutneys and pickles, or a well-chosen framed painting with a food related theme. Design features should be both practical and beautiful, so a perfect example is a central island in the kitchen or a breakfast bar area where you can sit down and enjoy the fruits of your labour.

How to create a kitchen focal point

The key to creating a kitchen focal point that really works is to think about its positioning and its purpose. Decorative focal points are there to be looked at rather than to be used, and because they’re typically smaller than a design focal point you need to ensure that they are positioned somewhere that will gain attention. Placing them near the natural light of a window is one way to do this, or you could use up-lighting. Design focal points are ideal in a central or standalone position, or alternatively, you can create an exciting focal point from a part of the kitchen that’s already in place by changing its appearance; for example, an attractive accent wall.

A well selected focal point can be particularly effective when used in a country style kitchen, or to add a quirky touch of character to a minimalist kitchen area. Remember the focal point golden rules: they need to be seen, and they need to reflect the personality of you and your kitchen. Our designers are always available to help with that! With years of experience behind us, our passion is to help you achieve your unique vision for your space. You can take a trip to your nearest designer kitchen showroom for some design inspiration, or alternatively have a chat with one of our friendly designers! You can find us in Manchester, Blackburn or Barrowford – we’re always happy to see you!

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1. Smart storage and cupboard space

One thing you definitely can’t afford to have as an afterthought is storage. After all, if you don’t have efficient storage in your kitchen, it becomes much more difficult to use it properly! What you keep in your kitchen will depend a lot on what you like to prepare and cook, so thinking about your likes and dislikes is an essential consideration when redesigning your kitchen. It’s not just about what you use, either, but how often you’ll find yourself using it – so be sure to bear that in mind! Thankfully, today there’s no shortage of efficient storage solutions you can use for your kitchen, so don’t be afraid to get creative!

2. Effortlessly stylish worktops that are both practical and durable

Your kitchen worktops are one of the biggest influences on your kitchen’s overall style, so it’s important to choose them carefully from the beginning, so that their look complements the overall appearance of your space. What’s more, you’ll also need them to be durable enough to handle the demands of your space, including whether they’re at risk of chipping or damage in tight family spaces. Thankfully, most modern worktops are more than capable of handling this, but it’s still wise to give it a thought, just in case!

3. Beautiful fittings and high quality appliances

The true workhorses of your kitchen are, of course, your appliances. We’re a Neff Master Partner here at Kitchen Design Centre (even winning one of their industry awards recently), which means we’re the perfect people to help you equip your kitchen with powerful, innovative and efficient appliances. Again, you’ll need to think about what ones work best for your space, especially if it’s limited. For extractor fans, for example, a high-tech solution like a downdraft extractor can help you keep your kitchen smelling fresh and clear without compromising on space.
Equally, your fittings serve both practical functional purposes and beautiful aesthetic ones, too. A useful kitchen cupboard can be given a fresh style with the addition of understated handles, and a standard sink can be lifted with a marvellous Quooker tap.

4. Carefully considered lighting

Your lighting can have a hugely dramatic effect over your final design, and you can use it to reflect the atmosphere you want for your space. Soft, warm lighting can make it look cosy and inviting, whereas brighter white lighting can enhance the effect of a modern or contemporary kitchen. You can even make them design features in and of themselves – for this open plan barn conversion, for instance, our designer Paul Harrington incorporated feature pendant lighting above the peninsula, for an intriguing final effect.

5. A distinct aesthetic and style

While you’re thinking about all these various elements, you’ll also need to plan how they all harmonise and complement each other, to give your kitchen a distinct look and personality. Having too many competing colours or textures in a space can all too easily end up making it look cluttered and messy. To avoid this, you can always look at some of the most popular styles of designer kitchens – for example, contemporary kitchens, industrial styles, or a country farmhouse space. That’s not to say your kitchen needs to fit exactly into these templates, of course; you can blend several of them together to make your kitchen look and feel unique. They can, however, give you excellent starting points to finalise your vision for your dream kitchen!

And that’s where our designers come in. Our mission is to help you realise every inch of your vision for your dream kitchen, and we’ve got the experience, expertise, and passion to help you do it. Feel free to take a look through our case studies to see what we’ve achieved for previous customers, or simply pay a visit to your nearest kitchen showroom. We’ve got designer kitchen showrooms in Manchester, Colne and Blackburn, and you can be sure that our designers in every one of them will be only too pleased to see you!

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Working out what you need from the space

Kitchen islands are a unit in the centre of a kitchen. You can use it as extra storage, as a way of dividing a kitchen and dining room, or as a breakfast bar. Some people also install a hob or sink in their kitchen island. It all comes down to what you need from the space.

The important thing is that your island fulfils a specific requirement you have for your kitchen. If you need more space to cook, it can become a platform for new magnetic induction hobs, or a Quooker tap. If you need more space for storage, on the other hand, it can house some useful storage solutions like extra drawers or cupboards, so that your other kitchen cupboards become less overcrowded. Unless your kitchen island fulfils a specific requirement, in a family home it can all too easily just become an extra surface that becomes cluttered with everyday household “stuff” – paperwork, letters, that sort of thing. (Happily, that’s exactly where our talented kitchen designers can come in; helping you work out exactly what you need from the space!)

Is your kitchen large enough?

Our designers can accommodate kitchen islands in many different kitchen configurations, even relatively small and narrow spaces. That said, if your kitchen is exceptionally small and/or narrow, you might want to consider some alternatives. For example, you’ll need to make sure there’s enough room to open base floor-level cupboard doors next to the island. It can be a real headache otherwise! By the same token, a dishwasher door needs a fair amount of clearance.

Even if you don’t quite have the space, though, you’re not out of options! If you don’t have the room for a full kitchen island, you may want to consider whether a kitchen peninsula might work instead. Rather than sitting in the middle of a kitchen, a peninsula sits to one side, typically at the end of a run of cupboards. It provides a nice little seating area, as well as extra storage. In other words, many of the same functions as an island!

Plan ahead for your workspace!

Apart from beautiful design, functionality is one of the core aspects you’ll want to focus on when designing your kitchen. Make your kitchen island work that bit harder! As we touched on above, you can install a sink or hob, or fit retractable power outlets. Make sure you have access to key elements of your kitchen from the island so that it can be used as a baking/food prep area.

With some careful thought during the design process, a kitchen island will become a real asset to your kitchen. Here at Kitchen Design Centre, our own designers have years of experience in designing kitchen islands to fit each one of our customers’ individual needs. You can find out more about them by checking out some of our customer kitchens, or by dropping in for a chat at any one of our designer kitchen showrooms!

The post How will a kitchen island work in your space? appeared first on Kitchen Design Centre.