What I WISH I knew about kitchen design before I became an interior designer!

Not long ago I was having a coffee with a family friend and our conversation got onto renovations – specifically mine and Neil’s 1930s house renovation.

She’s seen the house develop since the day we got the keys, and was party to the ups, the downs and the huge decisions like our choice to ditch our 80K kitchen extension last minute! 

We were chatting about how drastically different the whole house looks now compared to back then…

Every single room needed gutting 😷

It was the most dated home I’d ever step foot in at the time, and admittedly we were daunted by the task ahead but it was (still is!) the most rewarding project we’ve done together.

As I took a sip of coffee, she turned to me and asked:

“But Fi, is there anything you would have done differently now that you have more interior design experience?”

“Absolutely!” << My instant reply 😅

Specifically, I’d have done our kitchen a little differently.

You see the thing is, while Neil and I still adore this room, it’s right for us on many levels… there’s no getting away from the fact it was designed by an amateur! (i.e Me, circa 2016, overwhelmed with zero time to balance my previous job and a reno!)

When we began making the kitchen decisions years ago, I was a self-confessed interiors addict and definitely ‘found my path’ in helping people develop their homes, but at this early stage I hadn’t formally trained as an interior designer and I hadn’t taken on clients yet. I was still a baby to the renovation world working on our own projects which I’ve documented here on this blog.

And it’s amazing what you learn from other people’s projects. At the time I lived and breathed interiors and learned a decent amount from our own work in the house, but didn’t have the technical knowledge I have now, since training and working on a wider breadth of renovations in various corners of the UK.

Like Anna’s gorgeous house we supported with in Surrey (back when the social distancing rules meant awkward pics! 😂)

I sometimes wish I could click my fingers and do parts of our kitchen again with my knowledge now.

Hindsight is a bugger, isn’t it? 🙄

But then I think what a complete and utter waste of materials, money and unnecessary impact on the planet chucking kitchen parts into landfill that would be!

We have a perfectly nice kitchen we still love, and I don’t foresee us ever needing to change the fixtures and fittings of this kitchen unless things break and need replacing.

But there are things I wish I knew back then...

The one thing I wish I knew…

There are so many things I wish I knew when we were starting our kitchen design, too many to list, but when I reflect on some of them, there is a recurring theme.

I may not be able to turn back time, but at least I can pass on my learnings to help you get your design right for you.

Now I have a “trained eye” you could say, I notice that lots of kitchen designs can look “off the shelf” which can still be super pleasing to the eye, but I sometimes spot missed opportunities to make a kitchen higher spec, better optimised to the shape of the room or overall more unique – without breaking the bank.

Take for example kitchen carcasses and units. We all know that purchasing these from leading suppliers offers fairly minimal leeway on measurements and customisation in design vs a bespoke kitchen – but not everyone can afford bespoke…

When you design a kitchen with a leading supplier, you/they often have to work to typical unit widths which can leave you with wasted space, and sometimes the unit style or dimensions you want don’t come in the range or colour you’d like.

Unless you get a bespoke built kitchen, you usually find yourself having to find more ‘workarounds’ which can be a headache.

When I think about it, a fundamental skill I’ve been building since day 1 as an interior designer, is aiming to get that ‘bespoke’ feel without costing too much more ££s for my clients.

I’m regularly in a dance of trying to create a unique look for a client, offering design ideas that push the norm, while also being mindful of budget and their practical and aspirational needs for their homes.

Interior design isn’t rocket science, I know, but it can really enhance how you experience life if you take the time to really consider every detail and I’ve always been so passionate about making homes happy, inspiring spaces to exist in.

I often think that you don’t need to hire someone to create the perfect home for you (unless you want to, or have limited time of course) but instead, I try to give people the tools and empowerment to be your own designer. There’s a few ways I do this (see my Home Design Lab online course or my Design Your Home free email series).

Making your kitchen design more unique… if you want!

Now don’t get me wrong. You will still produce a practical and beautiful kitchen buying everything from a leading supplier. ‘Off-the-shelf’ is not a bad thing at all. Mixing materials and styling the kitchen to suit your needs and personality can even be enough to give that wow-factor you’re after, but if you’re keen to achieve a higher spec look within your budget, taking time to research innovative materials and layouts to take a kitchen from looking too straight forward will be important for you to explore.

Examples that come to mind are:

• Bringing in broken-plan wall structures/partitions/screening to zone an open plan kitchen-living layout

• Ordering pre-built carcasses (the white insides!) but finishing each unit with bespoke doors

• Working with suppliers like Naked Doors, Husk and more to provide bespoke door finishes for high street suppliers

• Being creative with end panels and carcasses to build layout features such as built in benches, islands, shelving and breakfast bars

• Sourcing reclaimed materials to finish focal points (for example, finishing an island in sheets of reclaimed timber, or fitting custom made open shelves as opposed to wall cabinets)

Often with some outside-the-box thinking and good budget management, you can end up saving money by adopting creative ideas.

What I would have done differently in my own kitchen

Going back to our own kitchen, there are certainly design elements I would have taken a different approach with if I was designing the space from scratch now. The end result may have even cost us less money at the time, too. Although prices are higher now than they were then.

• Rather than opt for a full Howdens kitchen, if I had my time again I’d have explored bespoke doors in a paintable finish for versatility with colour and finish

• I’d have explored inset frames, simple cornice and a flush rather than recessed plinths which would have given a more bespoke, traditional look

• Rather than the standard Fairford Shaker door we chose, I’d have looked at bringing more detailed beading, working with our carpenter to create a bespoke door design 

• I’d also have limited the use of wood in the room design. Currently we have wooden floors and wooden worktops in here. Nowadays I think it’s too much. I’d swap the wooden worktops for a solid surface worktop or lighten up the floors with a paler wood finish for clearer contrast between the two.

There were also small details that became a little rushed back then that I’d want to redo. Like the tile trim around the cooker. We used a plastic white trim which has melted in a small area thanks to Neil’s gigantic wok! (They’re damn tasty stir fries he makes though so I let him off with it 😂)

Now that my attention to detail is sharper, these are just some areas I’d reconsider...

The under cabinet lighting was also not finished right. If you lower your head and look under the wall cabinets you can still see bare cables that have been neatly tied but not covered – this wouldn’t fly on a client project! I’d have it all boxed in now.

I guess my point for this post, and what I’ve learned over the years is…

Don’t just take the straight forward route, even if you’re on a tight deadline

The beauty of your situation currently is that you’re about to design your kitchen from scratch and (hopefully) you’ve left enough time to consider every big and small design decision. 

You will certainly get a fantastic look with a kitchen that’s bought exclusively from a leading supplier, but you also have the time you have to make adjustments to your layout and design plans to bring in creative ideas and make it a more unique finish if that’s what you want. It can be done while still coming in on budget, or sometimes saving money.

Even if time is limited right now, you’re still in control and can slow things down to give you more space to design/consider opportunities.

Have confidence with your kitchen design

I’ve spoken to so many new renovators and home owners in the past who have told me the endless kitchen options out there can leave them feeling a tad overwhelmed and unsure about how the final result will look… If this is you and you’re not sure what style speaks to you nor how to make everything cohesive in your home, it can be such a minefield. I totally get it.

I genuinely think a way forward, before you spend thousands of pounds on a kitchen design, is to find some support to establish what your sense of style is. That way you will be able to form a vision for your kitchen (and any rooms around it or leading off from it) that will stand the test of time.

Look at Home Design Lab if you’d like my support with your kitchen design, or even consider How to Renovate a House which is where many of our students start their journey with us and will be right for you if you’re developing a full property and want to explore ways to save and get the project and layout details right. Both are worthy places to start and have got students amazing results.

Check out Georgie & Matt’s kitchen transformation 👇🏻

You don’t need an interior designer to achieve your dream kitchen. You just need to be shown how to explore and develop your own taste and then shown how to apply it to areas of your home. 

I hope this post has inspired you to push the boundaries and experiment with your kitchen design and I hope you’ll consider joining our online courses to give your project an amazing head start.

Thanks for reading,

Fi xoxo