The kitchen refurbishment business is booming despite the current cost of living increase. Refurbishing the kitchen is one of the most common projects that clients undertake. So, how do you decide what or who to use for that dream kitchen?
The two things that are important to consider are;
Budget and Brief.
This is the case for any project of course but with kitchens, the choice is very large, so where do you start?
Budget first. Do your research, don’t just go with the company who has the best showroom or glossy brochure, those have to be paid for somewhere. ‘Free design’ also has to be recouped, so look for those hidden costs.
The first thing to decide is whether you want to keep the kitchen in the current location, enlarge the space or go for open plan. Is the sink/cooker/fridge are in the right place, or does the location need to be changed. I would suggest doing the design of the space first and using either an Architect or Interior Architect to do the space planning and then think about the actual design of the kitchen. Architects and Interior Architects will look at the circulation, light and best use of space which a kitchen showroom may not be equipped to do.
Interior Architects are trained in all aspects of kitchen and spacial design and then can either design or commission the kitchen for you by introducing you to a kitchen company that they know and can recommend. One of the biggest issues I am seeing at the moment is that predesigned spaces and kitchens are acoustically difficult. This is difficult to solve afterwards. Once you have ascertained how much you need to spend on any building work, then what is left over is your budget for the kitchen. Services are expensive to move but don’t let that put you off.
If you want to achieve an entertaining/living space, then facing the window or wall to cook or wash up is not going to achieve what you wanted.
There are so many materials and finishes to choose from these days and your designer can help you with this.
No matter what your budget is, just be realistic, do your homework and go for it!!