The kitchen is often seen as the centre of the home. It’s where the family comes together to eat, where you can host visitors for dinner and drinks, and generally the space where you socialise with loved ones. Consequently, the kitchen should feel homely yet elegant, a space in your home which you’re proud to invite others into but equally enjoy spending time in by yourself, whipping up your finest delicacies.
The pandemic has seen a drastic increase in home renovations, with kitchen makeovers being the most popular renovation made, next to home gyms and home offices. If you have been considering a kitchen makeover and you feel that now is the time to take the plunge, then read on for four important things to consider when creating a beautiful kitchen in your home.
Look at the latest trends
The first thing you need to consider when planning your brand-new luxury kitchen is how you want it to look at the end. This isn’t a room that gets renovated very often so making sure that you choose a style that stands the test of time is key. There are plenty of trends you can opt for – contemporary, traditional, cottage, Japandi and the like – and many different innovative ways to fit the room out to ensure that it holds all the luxuries you desire. From a boiling water option on your tap to wine coolers to dual tone kitchens, once you have found the type of kitchen for your needs and wants, you can then start to plan the layout.
If you are looking at luxury, you might want to look at the latest kitchen trends, keeping up with the times is key to the luxury look and something that will maintain its value.
Consider the layout
Whilst functionality is one of the most important aspects of the kitchen, so is the design. Are you the type of family who eats in a formal dining room or do you prefer to sit on bar stools around the kitchen island? These are key things to consider when thinking about the layout.
Do you also watch TV in the kitchen and have your kids do their homework in the same room whilst you are preparing dinner so that you can keep a watchful eye on them? Consider the uses early on as this will guide you towards the important elements in your design. Open plan kitchens with a central island are popular at the moment and provide a sociable space when preparing food but find what suits you and your household best.
Get professional advice
Unless this is your trade, you will no doubt be looking to the professionals for the best advice and workmanship, and if you don’t have an existing go-to person for the job then make sure you gain some recommendations from people you trust and meet the individuals involved for a thorough chat about everything you want as well. Designers will be able to bring your vision to life, providing you with exactly what you want as well as perfect plans to present to builders and other professionals involved on the project.
Plan your budget and timeframe
Not very many of us can truly say that money is no object, as even the biggest of spenders will have a rough budget they would like to stick to when creating their bespoke luxury kitchen. This is one of those renovations where you can easily spend the average UK cost of £8,000 or splash out more and more as you go, resulting in a £20,000, £50,000 or even £100,000 plus kitchen. Account for extras in your budget, as there are almost always unexpected occurrences and make sure you budget for the work undertaken including potential plastering, electrics, plumbing, flooring and the like.
The timeframe will be largely dependent on the people carrying out the work, so try to get a worst-case scenario from them and, if you have to, check your family into a hotel while the work is being undertaken. This will save you having to deal with the noise, mess and restrictions involved while your kitchen is being fitted.
