Improve Don't Move

We take a look at how updating your kitchen can give your home a new lease of life

Be part of the 'Don’t Move, Improve' Movement

The kitchen is the hub of our home – these days it’s much more than the place we simply cook our food. The new trend for open plan living where the kitchen merges with the dining room and often living space means that today’s modern family can connect throughout day.

From the furious fast-paced breakfasts of the school run negotiating last minute homework while making packed lunches and checking emails to enjoying a glass of wine at the end of the working day whilst cooking dinner, the kitchen is the heart of many a home. Updating your kitchen design to suit your lifestyle, combining practicality and a design that matches your personality can make your home feel like new.

Kitchen design

Your kitchen design is based on the doors and windows you have or plan to install, these structural features determine your route through the room so think about them first. Your back door doesn’t need to sacrifice design for security and being creative with your choice of door can have a huge impact on the natural light in your kitchen. 

Bi-folding doors can transform the look and feel of a kitchen by flooding the room with light all year round, giving your kitchen a new lease of life and a contemporary feel.

A panoramic view of your garden will not only help you to keep an eye on little ones playing outside, they’ll wow your guests whether open or closed, bringing the outside in and making the room feel more spacious even though the square footage hasn’t changed. Even when the sun has gone down, garden lighting can bring your outside space to life and change the atmosphere in your kitchen.

Kitchens often have to have room for more than one cook as well as space for the whole family buzzing around and so the light in the room should also be a key aspect when planning the hub of your home.  It’s not just a matter of design, it’s about practicality. Consider where you cook, eat and socialise and the lighting and space required for each; would a central island with a low hanging light or skylight work for you, could a breakfast bar under some windows provide a space for informal meals?

Kitchens need to combine function and form. The oven, the cooking range, the fridge and the freezer can often be statement pieces. The hob can become part of a breakfast bar, bridging the living area of the kitchen with its practical catering function.

When it comes to designing and planning the layout of a kitchen, practicalities and function are among the first areas to think about. Carefully considered storage options ensure a streamlined and clutter free space. Larder and pantries are making a real come back in today’s kitchen design providing a separate (cold) storage area for food that doesn’t need to be kept in the fridge but does need a cool space. Carefully considering what you need to store – and what you are happy to have on show will help you design the kitchen that works for your family and friends.

When improving the space in your home, it all needs to start with a plan – take a look at our Pinterest boards for more inspiration and ideas.