The kitchen is the heart of the home, it’s where our fondest memories are made; baking with the kids, entertaining friends or simply cooking your favourite mid-week meal. When we’re at home we spend most of our waking hours in the kitchen, especially at the weekend, so it’s more important than ever that your kitchen is your sanctuary, a space where you truly enjoy spending time.

It might sound like an oxymoron – creating a relaxing kitchen environment, which is the busiest part of the house – but trust us it is possible and hugely rewarding.

Starting from scratch…

If your designing a new kitchen, there are some key areas to consider at the outset to ensure your new space is harmonious, somewhere you can relax and most importantly a room you love to spend time.

The most important aspect is to ensure your kitchen designer understands you. Of course, it’s imperative they know their stuff when it comes to the furniture, appliances and worktops, but a great designer will understand your lifestyle, how you’re going to use the kitchen and the best layout and choice of products to suit you. They will appreciate how much time you will be spending in it, how many kids or friends will be coming and going and how many meals will be prepared, served and scoffed in it too.

A cluttered kitchen makes it hard to relax, so organisation is also key, the old mantra ‘a place for everything and everything in its place’ absolutely applies, especially with open-plan living. It’s now easier than ever to ensure that your new kitchen has clever storage for all your things, from your pots and pans to the blender you keep promising to use more, so you can keep your kitchen space clutter-free and more organised. Less chaos means less stress.

Bring the outside in…

There’s nothing more relaxing than a sunny day in the garden, with bi-fold doors from the kitchen to the garden, you can make sure the enjoyment of the outside unites with the kitchen. If it’s a typical British summer, and on the mild side, open plan living spaces mean you can still enjoy the outside whilst sitting inside. Vaulted ceilings and skylights let the natural light pour in, which creates a warm and serene environment and has a profound effect on your mood. If your kitchen is struggling for natural light a relaxing environment can be created with clever use of LED lighting. Use under cupboard lights and dimmers where possible so you can create the right mood lighting for a peaceful space.

It’s not often you get to create your perfect kitchen, so you’ll want to make the most of the opportunity. That, quite simply, is why we’re here. Our designers will provide expert advice, not only on the perfect layout, but on colours and soft furnishings too, so that your finished kitchen is the relaxing space you’ve been dreaming of.