Kitchens – How to upgrade on a budget.

Deciding to install a new kitchen is always a big investment, and although I love the opportunity to start from scratch there is no reason why with a little creativity you can’t either upgrade existing or go for one of the less expensive suppliers.  As with some careful ‘hacking’ you can create something unique.

The current trend for open shelving means that removing over counter cabinets brings down the cost of a new kitchen. By taking away oppressive wall cabinets you can create a much lighter more modern look. Yes you do need to be tidier and the crockery has to match, but the overall effect is modern and refreshing.

I like to mix up finishes and styles, such as using rough natural looking wood shelves against a more sleek matt cabinet finish. The kitchens above are part of an overall design scheme I created for a  new build project of 6 industrial style flats in EC1.

Other options include spray painting existing cabinets in a lighter more contemporary shade or adding a bespoke island, this will  have an immediate upgrade effect. Another tip is to change cabinet and draw pulls.

This year we are seeing a huge revival of gold and copper accents. I’m using these finishes in all my up coming projects for 2016.

Alex Evans

You May Also Enjoy

Surge in country and seaside property values
Breaking News

Air-conditioning searches double as 61% consider installing it

Searches for homes for sale on Rightmove with air conditioning have more than doubled this summer, up 104% compared with the same period last year New consumer research from Rightmove, the UK’s largest property platform, reveals that recent heatwaves are influencing how Brits think about their homes, with staying cool becoming a key priority: 61%…
Read More
Estate Agent Talk

Why Cases Stall in Summer and What Agents Can Do About It

By Cara Stanbridge, Head of Relationship Management at Nova Conveyancing Every year, we hear talk of the summer slowdown. But from what I see working closely with agents, conveyancers and clients, the issue isn’t usually a lack of activity. More often, it’s keeping transactions moving when everyone involved is juggling higher workloads, holidays and competing…
Read More
small house bird box
Breaking News

Britain’s property hotspots revealed

The Scottish city where houses sell fastest – and the town where it takes SIX TIMES as long to sell your home Homes in Glasgow sell three times faster than the UK average – making the Scottish city the fastest selling in Britain Wakefield is the slowest-selling city in Britain, with homes spending twice as…
Read More
Breaking News

Breaking Property News 13/8/26

Daily bite-sized proptech and property news in partnership with Proptech-X.   The average age of tenants living in shared houses in the UK is now 35   Thought leadership by Adam Pigott CEO of tlyfe (Openbrix)   “The headline figure that tenants are now in their mid 30’s and still have to share facilities, not even have the…
Read More
Breaking News

Stamp Duty receipts remain above pre-pandemic norms

The latest research from Yopa has revealed that, despite continued speculation surrounding a slowdown in the housing market, Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) receipts remain comfortably above pre-pandemic levels, demonstrating the resilience of buyer activity in recent years. Yopa analysed monthly Stamp Duty Land Tax receipts published by HM Revenue & Customs between January 2018 and…
Read More
Estate Agent Talk

The summer improvements that could add value to your house

The latest research from Yopa has revealed which summer-inspired home improvements could add the most value to your property once the cost of carrying out the work itself has been taken into account, with a summer house potentially boosting the value of the average UK home by almost £8,000. Yopa analysed a range of popular…
Read More