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How to design and revamp your kitchen

Posted by Ship It Appliances Ltd on 24th Mar 2018

Minute read

Did you know that the kitchen is the most valuable room in your home? A great kitchen can increase the value of your house by 5% to 7%. That’s why it’s important to pay the most attention to cleaning and renovating this room when putting your house on the market. Here are a few things you can do to easily give your kitchen new life without spending a great deal of money.

In a study about kitchen trends, Houzz.co.uk made some interesting findings about the needs and desires of UK homeowners. It found that households are happier after recently updating their kitchen, and identified some ways that you could give your kitchen new life with a few new touches.

Kitchen Renovations in the UK

The study has found that the majority of UK homeowners update their kitchens every 13 years. 23% of homeowners have performed kitchen renovations in the last 11 to 15 years. 21% upgraded their kitchen 16 to 30 years ago while 6% renovated their kitchens over 30 years ago.

The majority of homeowners have a budget between £5000 and £20 000 (48%). 17% of homeowners aim to spend between £20 000 and £40 000 while 26% are on a tight budget of less than £5000. Only 1% of homeowners have kitchen renovation budget that exceeds 1%.

Embracing New Kitchen Innovations

Over the course of the past few years, we have seen the introduction of many new innovations for the kitchen. These new appliances and gadgets aim to making cooking easier, save time and offer up additional convenience. Plenty of homeowners are eager to give these new appliances a try, with the most popular being:

  • Hot water taps (18%)
  • Espresso makers (17%)
  • Wine coolers (15%)
  • Warming drawer (14%)
  • Waste disposal unit (11%)
  • Steam oven (8%)

Buying New Appliances

Investing in new appliances is a great way to help your home sell faster and increase the value of the property. Larger appliances are more expensive (and you may not recoup their cost), so you can focus on smaller appliances. Replacing your cooker hood, kitchen sink, tap and hob will give your kitchen new life – and, you can purchase these new items for less than £500 depending on the models you choose. Stainless steel appliances are not only affordable – they tend to be very eye-catching and attractive to people viewing your home, giving the room a clean and contemporary look.

Clean Surfaces And Appliances

You should ensure that your kitchen is entirely de-cluttered. Clear your counters of any appliances that are crowding the space. This means that kettles, toasters and microwaves can be put away in the cabinets during viewers. It is important for the space to look as open as possible.

Potential buyers spend a great deal of time examining kitchen cabinets and counters. These can be quite expensive to replace, but it can make a huge difference in your home’s asking price. If this is not within your budget, consider a new coat of paint and new handles for your drawers and cabinets. A coloured backsplash can also help to add some panache to your kitchen, making it more attractive during viewings.

Design tips for modern kitchens

Colours

Fresh colours are in. Many people will go for a tawny colour, some may choose a Bali Hai Blue, and while this may look good in your kitchen, we would recommend combining it with a second monochrome colour from a more neutral palette. Combine this palette with white, pass through the grey spectrum and end with dark graphite or jet black. Popular kitchen colours are set to be bright but mildly edged colours. Be careful to not go too fair into the range of pastel.

Black is in

The real shining star of fitting trends over the last year has been Black cabinets, this trend shows no sign of stopping. Black cabinets provide an untraditional and unique look that will easily become a talking point. Black, once thought to be a cold colour, has made incredible bounds in popularity for kitchen design and when combined with the brighter colours we mentioned above, it can create an interesting contrasting design that will stay fashionable for a long time to come.

Is white still relevant?

White will definitely stay on the scene but due to its years of use and well-explored nature, white alone is no longer enough. White can really make an impact but it needs to be combined with bright colours and interesting decorative features. Unlike black, white may not be a popular focal point for much longer.

Grey elegance

If the popular black, or the contemporary white are both a little too far either side of the spectrum for you, grey may be just what you’re looking for. Grey is a wonderfully neutral colour that won’t go out of fashion. The beauty of grey lies in its flexibility, even the most understated decorations can speak volumes against a neutral grey colour. Grey can provide a stone-like texture and appearance to help create a ‘contemporary meets natural’ aesthetic.

Work Zones

Dividing your kitchen into work zones is a new trend that has homeowners designing their kitchens with a functional purpose in mind. What this means for most households is grouping your kitchen appliances based on function. Think about which tasks you commonly perform in the kitchen and group your appliances accordingly. For example, your kettle and coffee maker would sit together while your sink and dishwasher would be placed within a close proximity of one another.

Rustic Materials

The rustic trend has been round for quite some time, and it doesn’t seem to be going anywhere just yet. You can incorporate rustic styling into your kitchen by using natural and reclaimed materials for your kitchen counters, curtains and flooring.

Composite Sinks

According to Yahoo, kitchen designers involving composite sinks have been gaining ground over stainless steel sinks because the material is durable while being chic and stylish. A composite granite sink will add sophisticated look to your kitchen while being hard-wearing enough to withstand the everyday wear-and-tear of a busy household.

Quiz - What is your dream kitchen style?

Thinking of giving your kitchen a makeover, but can’t decide on a style? Let us help you pick out the perfect kitchen decor to suit your lifestyle and fashion sense. Take our quiz to help steer you in the right direction!

Kitchen Counter Space Saving Ideas

Sink Accessories

A very convenient and affordable option involves sink accessories. There are many types of new sink models that come with various accessories that help you save space on your counters.

These sinks comes with glass covers that can be used as cutting boards or a work surface. If you’re not looking for an entirely new sink, consider purchasing a large cutting plastic or glass cutting board to keep over top of your sink while it is not in use.

Put Small Appliances Away

There are some kitchen appliances that you use every day but only for a very short period of time, such as coffee makers, blenders and toasters. These items do not need a dedication space on your kitchen counter, and it is a good idea to put them away after you are done using them for the day. By keeping these small appliances off of the counters, you will have more space for food prep during the holidays.

Storage Solutions

If you don’t have much counter and cabinet space in the first place, take a look at some alternative storage solutions. Hanging baskets and racks are a great way to store items that would normally go on your kitchen counters. They are easy to access and they keep small items like spices and utensils out of the way. Kitchen caddies and karts are also great solutions, as they can be easily tucked away out of sight.

Tips For A Green Kitchen

In most households, the kitchen is the most energy-intensive room. To do your part for the environment and save on your monthly bills, there are many things that you can do ensure that your kitchen appliances run more efficiently when it comes to energy usage.

Pay Attention to Energy Ratings

Today, energy ratings range from D (for using the most energy) to A+++ (for using the least amount of energy). Be sure to pay close attention to this figure when shopping for new appliances. According to a test by Which.co.uk, the most energy-efficient refrigerators costs £25 to operate per year. The fridge with the lowest rating cost £87. So, you can save over £60 per year by purchasing a top-rated model. If you invest in several energy-efficient appliances, you will see the savings accumulate very quickly.

Practice Energy-Efficient Cooking

Ovens and induction hobs offer up many energy-saving strategies. Nowadays, preheating is not common practice, as many ovens heat up very quickly so you can turn your oven on and start cooking your meal almost immediately.

You can also save energy during the cooking process. When cooking flexible meals like roasted potatoes or pasta bakes, you can turn off the oven up to 10 minutes early and allow the residual heat to finish cooking. Another useful tactic is to cook two dishes at once if they must be heated at similar temperatures. It is also advised to use microwaves or toaster ovens when you can, as they can save up to 80% more energy than cooking with the oven.

Save Water With Your Dishwashers

Dishwashers tend to use up quite a lot of water, but they don’t necessarily have to. You can cut back on water usage by only using the dishwasher when it is full (but not overloaded) and staying away from using the built-in drying feature. Allowing your dishes to air dry overnight will save a great deal of energy.

Many homeowners choose to prewash or rinse their dishes, but there is no need. It is advised that you simply remove any extra scraps and place your dishes right into the washer. The only time you will need to prewash is when there is particularly stubborn particles, such as burned-on food.

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