Top tips for Renovating your Kitchen in time for Christmas

Update your kitchen in time for Christmas with our top renovating design ideas.

By Gemma Parkes | 18 October 2017

Update your kitchen in time for the festive holiday season with these stylish renovation ideas.

When renovating your existing kitchen there are key elements to consider to ensure it looks great and functions perfectly. These renovating design ideas will up the style stakes and ease-of-use of any kitchen.

Upgrade taps and the sink

Photo credit: Roux kitchen in nouvel cream chalk matt-painted finish, with Hail Storm quartz worktops from £35,000 Moores

Choosing striking fittings will give your kitchen a luxury look. Beautifully sculpted taps or those in an unusual finish, seamlessly integrated sinks and eye-catching handles are simple ways to make your scheme feel like it has been designed especially for you.

Add wow-factor worktops

Photo credit: Work surface in turbine grey £500 per sqm Caesarstone

A smart design move is to mix pricey worktops with affordable cabinets, or to add a statement breakfast bar. ‘The look and feel of an entire kitchen can revolve around a worktop or island,’ says Jon Stanley at Caesarstone UK. The growth in popularity of quartz is, in part, due to the material’s ability to deliver a luxurious look. ‘When teamed with other standout flourishes, it can make an off-the- shelf kitchen look more expensive,’ Jon continues.

Style the floor

Photo credit: St. Ives pocelain in Hepworth £59.90 per sqm Fired Earth

Large surface areas such as worktops, doors and walls often get the most consideration, but the floor is just as important. Change the style of your scheme with an industrial or modern geometric design, or zone an open-plan space by using different flooring in each area. Porcelain tiles in stone, concrete and wood effects have made it simpler to create the look you want with a low-maintenance floor.

Invest in storage

Ensure you can house everything you need in the right place and set aside a portion of your budget to include internal drawer and cupboard solutions, which will preserve the room’s clean lines. ‘The kitchen is often part of an extended space, and this creates the need for as much storage as possible to ensure that the worktops are kept clutter-free,’ advises Darren Taylor at Searle & Taylor. ‘Utensils such as pans, chopping boards and knives can all be included within the storage plan, so they are concealed when not in use. And consider integrated seating with hidden storage beneath.’

Include a standout feature

Metellic finish kitchen

Photo credit: Kitchen in iron lacquer with tall units and oak tabletop, and brushed-steel worktops from £18,000, Furniture Union

Statement appliances are a great way to make an impact, so it’s worth investing in this area. ‘More people are now enhancing their kitchen with a coloured appliance,’ says Maurizio Severgnini at Bertazzoni. ‘Gloss white and orange finishes are popular for modern kitchens, whereas matt aubergine has been the colour of choice for more traditional settings.’ Luxury extractors are also an option for creating a unique look, because they can take the place of a pendant light over an island.

Design with colour

open plan kitchen floor

Photo credit: Painted kitchen in comfy cozy by Valsper, £24,000 Naked Kitchens

Choose contrasting hues that highlight a workstation or breakfast bar, or opt for painted wall units in one shade and base cabinets in another. You could also try painting the interior of your units, giving a glimpse of colour when the doors are opened that can then be hidden away. Another feature worth considering is lighting, use LEDs or overhead spots to highlight features or intensify the colour scheme.