Covid has caused a lot of people's lives to change, mostly the pressures and issues have been negative. However, one positive is that while many of us have been spending a lot more time at home we have made the choice to renovate. While costly and wonderful overseas holidays have been put on ice there is a growing trend to spend that money on home improvements and why not? Making our homes more enjoyable spaces cannot be a bad thing and it might even be better for us than a holiday. You could argue 2 weeks in the sun is great but creating more space to live and work at home may help us more in the long run. We spoke with London's refurbishment experts who gave these top tips for home improvements this summer.
The Heart of The Home
These days the kitchen really is the heart of the home. Where once entertaining (what’s that?) was done in the lounge, we all now flock to the kitchen to chat, have a drink and prepare food for friends. Getting your kitchen done is a big deal, moving walls and creating open plan spaces or extending to build a larger kitchen area is extremely popular and can be amazing! But what do you need to put into that new space to really make it special? Here are a few suggestions for essential items for your new kitchen!
Seating
At first, this may not seem a big part of the overall space but where you and your guests sit makes a very big difference visually and from an enjoyment perspective. If guests aren’t comfortable while they chat and socialize, they won’t have as good a time, the vibe changes and it becomes subconsciously harder to enjoy yourself. Making sure your seating is comfy is important. But seating can also make a big statement, it can be the flash of colour against white units or single solid coloured units. Islands are a big thing and getting the right stools really is essential. Think outside the box a little, avoid the big names and look for something special. Companies like Cheeky Chairs create luxury bar stools from designer fabrics that are made to order. These types of seating bring life and uniqueness to the space that will change the look and feel.
Cooking
When it comes to aesthetics once again, the cooker isn’t always at the top of the list, but it really should be. The choice you make here can really set a tone for space or confuse it. For example, getting a really sleek contemporary built-in oven and induction hob put into a traditional shaker-style kitchen can jar quite a lot. The same goes for putting a traditional range into a handless gloss kitchen. Its not so much about choosing a certain type of cooker its about choosing the right one for your kitchen. That being said there are pros and cons to most cooker types as you would imagine but the general advice is to look at the reviews and spend as much as you can. Buying cheap really does normally mean buying twice. Do your research and you will get something that will last years!
Flooring
Thankfully we have come a long way from the floral line that ended up with bumps or being faded and looking awful. We now have a lot more choice and getting the right flooring is a seriously essential part of any new kitchen. There is so much choice its almost impossible to address everything but plan your flooring carefully and it will do wonders for the look and feel of the kitchen. There is a big trend for large herringbone wooden flooring which can look amazing but does also push the price up. Real wood flooring needs care and can be quite high maintenance which some very busy homes simply won't work with. Brands like Karndean are still on the expensive end but offer hardwearing alternatives that look exactly like the real thing. Don’t forget tiles too! A lovely chequerboard tile floor really can bring the wow factor to a kitchen. Whatever you choose make sure it works with the colours and other surfaces rather than trying to compete with them. If you go bold on the floor don’t go bold on your work surface for example.
Lighting
Lighting is the makeup of the interiors world. It highlights the good bits and if used correctly can even help hide areas you don’t want to draw attention too. Getting the lighting right is hard so don’t be afraid to speak to kitchen showrooms and even specific lighting shops about your requirements. Under lighting for cabinets is a great choice for any new kitchen. It can be left on when other overhead lights are off creating a relaxed warm room. LED spotlights in the ceiling are simple and very effective for general lighting, they last for years too! When it comes to dining, either around a table or an island some drop lights are the way to go! Glass or metal pendant lights can look stunning over a dining table and really bring intimacy to a meal while making sure everyone can see what they are eating. They also allow the main lighting to be turned off which also helps the ambiance.
Of course, cabinets and surfaces are critical to making a kitchen look good but these other aspects really are essential to bring the entire space to life so take some extra time on them because it will be worth it.
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