15 Kitchen Renovation Ideas

1. Original focal point

On this 1950s house refit, the kitchen has been designed around the Aga. The sleek finish by J&S House of Design has successfully blended this original detail with a contemporary kitchen.

2. Task lighting

Careful placement of spotlights, pendants and uplights can transform a kitchen and help with the practical use of the space.This is a Bulthaup Kitchen with illumination from John Cullen Lighting.

3. Bold patterns

Choose tiles, wallpaper or flooring with a striking design to add instant pizzazz to your kitchen. Pair with a wash of single colour, such as this chalk paint by Annie Sloan, to allow the decorative element to take centre stage.

4. Eye-catching cooker hood

Use this detail as an opportunity for a kitchen centrepiece. The Smart Deco design from Franke comes in three shades and costs £495.

5. Sticking to tradition

The classic Shaker style can still pack a punch, especially in older homes that feature lots of heritage charm – this design is from Solid Wood Kitchen Cabinets.

6. Themes on a colour

If bold colour blocking isn’t your thing, consider tones from the same family, such as in this example of the K1 range from Brookmans by Smallbone. It’s a classic country kitchen with a contemporary twist, shown here in a palette of Evergreen and Serpentine.

Expert insight

Jim and Susan Gettings of J&S House of Design share their top tips for the key decisions that need to be made before you start updating your kitchen

It’s always worth getting a good understanding
of how the flow of a property works before embarking on any renovating.
If you’re renovating to sell, it’s best to keep things neutral in terms of colour, unit style and worktops.
For forever homes, don’t get hung up on designing around small children, who grow up very quickly.
Decide what appliances you want – a lot of the time these can only go in certain places, which will dictate the overall layout of your kitchen. Technical advancements have moved on a lot over the last few years, so make sure you do your research.
The style of kitchen is hugely important – but you don’t have to match the architectural look of the house; it’s more crucial that it’s to your taste.

If your existing furniture consists of a glass dining table or a modern sofa, then you should be looking at a contemporary kitchen finish. If you have an antique dining table or a chesterfield, then a traditional look would go much better.

7. Colour blocking

This colourful setup by DeVol proves that a mix of hues can work in harmony. This is the Classic English Kitchen range, which is inspired by Georgian and farmhouse designs.

8. Glazed doors

While French doors have long been a popular feature of kitchen-diners, nowadays large spans of bifolds or glazed sliders are a must-have for UK homes, helping to blur the boundaries between inside and out. This kitchen by Brayer Design benefits from ultra-slim framed sliding doors.

9. Smart tech

As more people are favouring smart tech in their homes, kitchen appliances are becoming more advanced, from cameras in ovens that allow you to check on your food from your smartphone to composters that pulverize food to 1/10th its original mass. This kitchen is by Onesta.

10. Open up or hide away

The shelving behind the cupboard doors in the classic Somerton design by Kitchen Makers look so attractive that you might want to keep the cabinets open or remove the doors entirely.

Easy kitchen updates

If you’re looking for a low-cost and speedy kitchen renovation, rather than replacing the entire thing, here are some simple changes that could totally transform the space:

Replace the worktops with high-quality versions
Update the cabinet doors for a refresh
Replace the cabinet handles – mix and match ceramic knobs for a chic French country look
Painting is a cost effective way to jazz up cabinets and walls; consider colour blocking for a fresh feel
A bold coloured splashback will look contemporary alongside neutral cabinets, while tiling behind the worktops produces a range of styles, from traditional to ultra-modern
Add a freestanding island to create more useable worktop space and a new focal feature without changing the kitchen itself

11. Sleek partitions

If you’re knocking down walls, then using your kitchen cabinets as a partition is a great way to zone areas. This contemporary design by Crown Imperial features a handless kitchen style in pale grey.

12. Mix & match materials

The cupboards in this design by Ledbury Studio are textured metal, dark-stained ash and smooth purple, paired with marble worktops.

13. Integrated dining

Whether you’re working with a compact space or want everyone close to the action, designing seating into the kitchen units could be a great option. Shown is the Artisan kitchen by John Lewis of Hungerford.

14. Striking splashback

The blue cabinets and orange island in this kitchen by Searle & Taylor are brought together with a jazzy splashback for an ultra-modern look.

15. Delicate details

An 18th century townhouse apartment benefits from a sophisticated kitchen. Metal handles and textured panels on the cabinet fronts are paired with marble worktops and dark units. Red Deer were the brains behind the renovation.