Planning a kitchen renovation but worried about costs? Our guide helps you design a stylish, practical kitchen that fits your budget, with tips for creating a space that looks great and reflects your unique style.
1. Design your ideal kitchen
A well-designed kitchen will add value to your home and support and enhance your lifestyle.
2. Refresh your existing kitchen
Learn how to integrate new pieces and makeover parts of your existing kitchen to create a welcoming, contemporary cooking, dining and entertaining space.
3. Opt for practical and stylish materials and accessories
You’re investing a lot of time and money in your kitchen renovation; look for units, worktops, splashbacks and accessories that are hard-wearing and will look great for years to come.
What do you need to factor in when budgeting for your kitchen renovation?
Failing to plan is planning to fail. With methodical planning, you can create the kitchen of your dreams and keep costs down.
Create a clear vision and prioritise key aspects of your kitchen renovation
Whether you’re looking to install a whole new kitchen or refresh your existing scheme, a successful kitchen makeover starts with an achievable plan. Think first about how you use your kitchen. Are you a serious cook? Do you want to incorporate a space for working from home? Do you entertain regularly? These are all important considerations when designing a kitchen that is practical and functions the best way for you and your family.
An architect or kitchen designer can help you refine your style choices and plan each area of your kitchen. They may have ideas you’ve never considered.
Focusing on the essential elements of your kitchen makeover, will help you make sure that you don’t go over budget.
Focus your budget on what matters – quality fixtures, hard-wearing surfaces, fresh lighting, and reliable appliances.
Understanding your budget: materials, labour and unexpected costs
There are three key factors to consider when trying to keep within your kitchen renovation budget:
- Choose the right materials: Your worktops, cabinets, flooring and wall coverings should balance quality and style. You can find hard-wearing affordable options that still have a luxurious look and feel.
- Account for labour: Include the cost of skilled kitchen tradespeople, such as plumbers and electricians, in your financial plan. If you’re skilled at DIY, you can save money by taking on tasks like painting or tiling.
- Allow for unexpected expenses: Budget for unforeseen costs, such as the discovery of damp. Allocate around 20% of your budget for contingencies.
Informed decisions and careful planning will help you to create a stylish, functional and affordable kitchen.
Keep what you like and what works: Enhance existing pieces
Your kitchen furniture and appliances play a crucial role in your kitchen renovation.
To keep costs down, consider whether you can incorporate existing furniture, appliances and decorative elements into your new kitchen design.
Refresh, don't replace
Kitchen upcycling is a sustainable, cost-effective alternative to buying a completely new kitchen. You can sand and repaint existing units, wooden chairs and tables and even tiles. You can also replace the handles on your unit doors and drawers to give them a whole new look.
Minor improvements can have a major impact on the appearance and cost of your kitchen makeover.
Explore more design tips to inspire your kitchen transformation.
Enhance existing features
Think about how you can incorporate existing features into your kitchen renovation. You could, for example, draw the natural light flowing in from your VELUX roof windows deeper into your room with a mirrored splashback and other reflective surfaces. Or you could use a different material or finish on one of your kitchen walls to turn it into a focal point.
Mix the old with the new
With a considered approach to colour, texture and materials, you can beautifully blend heritage with modernity in your kitchen renovation.
Introduce contemporary touches that compliment your kitchen’s existing character. Think clean-lined handles or minimalist lighting that contrasts beautifully with your room’s traditional elements. The timeless charm of a reclaimed butler sink, for example, can be elevated by pairing it with a sleek, quartz countertop. Or a discreetly integrated dishwasher can offer modern convenience without disrupting the vintage soul of your space.
Design your kitchen to optimise its functonality
Your kitchen renovation isn’t just about aesthetics; it must be practical too.
Think about how you want to move around and use your kitchen. Make sure that your layout makes the most of your available space and works brilliantly for everything you use your kitchen for – cooking, eating, working, entertaining and relaxing.
The goal of a renovation isn’t necessarily to add new features, but to maximise the potential of what you already have. By breathing new life into your kitchen, you can create a warm and inviting space.
Simple kitchen renovations that make a big impact
A kitchen makeover does not necessarily require a large financial investment.
With careful planning and some clever ideas, you can turn your vision into reality without breaking your budget.
Discover tips here to transform your kitchen into the heart of your home.
Combining golden metallic light fixtures and marble finishes gives this bright and airy kitchen a warm, welcoming feel.
Teaming open shelving with a VELUX roof window makes this kitchen feel lighter and more spacious, while the shelf display of plants and crockery shows off the homeowner’s unique personality.
Small changes, big impact
Minor details play a major role when it comes to your kitchen makeover.
Spending a little more on your taps, lighting and unit handles can add an extra wow factor to inexpensive units.
The power of paint
A fresh coat of paint on your walls and ceiling can completely transform the mood of your kitchen. Soft pastels — like powder blue or sage — bring a sense of calm and clarity, while deeper hues, like charcoal or forest green, add drama and depth.
You can often paint your kitchen units too. Paint these surfaces in tones that complement your walls and ceiling to create a layered, design-forward look that feels intentional and immersive.
Splashback styles
Today’s splashbacks are more than just practical, they’re a chance to introduce texture, tone and quiet drama into your scheme.
You could opt for traditional tiles or an upstand, where your worktop continues up your wall, or consider elevated, yet understated materials, such as brushed metal, fluted glass or micro-cement. These finishes offer a tactile quality that complements modern and traditional kitchens, without veering into trend fatigue.
For a subtle statement, explore tone-on-tone finishes or matte surfaces that catch the light without stealing the spotlight. You want to create depth and interest, not distraction.
Incorporating the latest design trends into your kitchen
The latest trends bring together innovations in materials with classic design styles. Draw on all of this to create a kitchen that will never date.
A kitchen that brings people together – go open plan
By knocking down walls, you can transform your kitchen into an open and inviting space where people feel welcome and enjoy spending time.
A central island unit, for example, provides extra space for cooking, eating, working and entertaining. A pair of statement pendant lights above the island and low-profile stools will give this space a quiet elegance.
Choosing the right materials
Your choice of materials plays a defining role in your kitchen renovation. Consider hard-wearing quartz worktops for a clean contemporary finish, an encaustic tiled splashback to introduce pattern and brushed steel handles for an industrial edge.
Five designer secrets for combining old and new
- Start with a soft foundation: timeless neutrals — like misty grey, warm ivory or muted clay —create a calm backdrop that allows vintage and contemporary elements to breathe.
- Use colour as a connector: introduce rich or unexpected hues — such as forest green, ochre or deep plum — through your cabinetry, upholstery or lighting. A single bold tone can tie together pieces from different eras without overwhelming your space.
- Layer textures with intention: combine smooth and tactile finishes — vintage wood, polished stone or linen — to create depth and quiet contrast.
- Balance materials with care: pair sleek surfaces, like honed quartz or glass, with heritage details, such as vintage timber or raised ceramic tiles. Make subtle nods to the past that feel curated, not themed.
- Design for atmosphere, not aesthetics: every surface contributes to your room’s mood. Cool marble can ground your space, while soft oak or limewashed finishes add warmth.
With a well-considered selection of colours and materials, you can make your kitchen an elegant, functional space that links the past and the present
Finishing touches
In the final stages of your renovation, focus on combining functionality and style.
The finishing touches, such as carefully selected furniture and stylish lighting, brings the design elements in your kitchen together to create harmony.
An inviting cooking space where contemporary style and personal touches combine to create a warm and welcoming atmosphere, perfect for intimate meals, family time and entertaining.
Functional Lighting
Subtle task lighting, tucked under cabinetry or inside units, makes everything more accessible and easier to use, while adding a soft, architectural glow to your kitchen.
Play with natural light
Natural light is key to opening up your space and creating an inviting and friendly atmosphere.
VELUX roof windows will give your kitchen natural light and fresh air, and make it feel healthier and more spacious.
Vary lighting for a modern, timeless atmosphere
Clever lighting choices seamlessly blend traditional charm with modern style. Use a variety of lighting to set different moods: bright, functional lighting for meal preparation areas and softer, more intimate lighting for relaxing dining spots.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
How do I choose a worktop?
Five tips to select a functional, stylish worktop for your kitchen:
- Choose a hard-wearing material: look for a worktop material that is resistant to stains and impacts, such as natural stone, wood or laminate.
- Make it functional: if your worktop is part of a sink or cooking area it should be heat-resistant and waterproof.
- Stay within budget: Natural stone tends to be expensive; laminate and tiles are more affordable alternatives.
- Design for your space: make sure that the size and shape of your worktop gives you enough room for prepping and serving food.
- Easy maintenance: your worktop should be easy to look after. Unlike engineered stone, such as quartz, natural stone requires regular sealing. Laminate is particularly hard-wearing and easy to maintain.
How do I repaint my kitchen?
Repaint your kitchen easily by following these 5 steps:
- Clean your kitchen surfaces: before painting, clean your walls and ceiling with a powerful detergent to remove grease.
- Prepare your space: protect what you don’t want painted - tiles, appliances, your floor and worktops – with masking tape and plastic sheeting.
- Start at the top: begin with your ceiling to avoid splatter on freshly painted walls. Choose a hard-wearing, easy-clean paint for your ceiling and walls.
- Painting cabinet doors: remove the doors to make painting easier, use a paint that is suitable for your kitchen cabinet material.
- Painting woodwork: finish by painting your woodwork, your windows and door frames, doors and skirting boards. Use a separate brush for different colours to avoid colour contamination.
How do I choose a splashback?
Follow these five tips for a hard-wearing, attractive splashback:
- Choose your material carefully: Engineered stone, stainless steel, glass and tiles are easy to install and keep clean and can also withstand heat and humidity.
- Opt for the right size: your splashback should fit perfectly into the space between your worktop and any wall cabinets.
- Combine functionality and style: it’s particularly important to have a high splashback near your cooking area and sink where your walls are most prone to splashes. Coordinate your splashback with your worktop for an elegant finish.
- Consider appliances: make sure that your splashback is heat resistant if it’s to be positioned close to your hob.
- Add subtle accessories: Consider integrated rails or magnetic strips for storing utensils along your splashback, but keep them minimal to maintain a clean aesthetic.
How do I design my kitchen island?
For a functional, attractive kitchen island, follow these five tips:
- Assess your space: ensure your kitchen has room for an island. Ideally, your room should be at least 14 m² and you should have at least 90cm of clearance around your island so that you can easily access it from all sides.
- Decide on its function: will your island be a prep space, a dining area or both and will it include features, such as a sink or hob?
- Choose complimentary shapes and materials: opt for a design and materials that contrast or continue the style of your kitchen.
- Plan its size carefully: you don’t want your island to look too small or too large for your space, it should sit comfortably in your room without making it feel crowded.
- Zone your island: leave a gap of at least 30cm around any washing and cooking areas of your island for ease of use and to prevent splashing.
Final thoughts: Renovating your kitchen
A kitchen renovation should enhance your home’s value and improve your quality of life. With thoughtful planning and quality materials, you can design a space that balances practicality with style, blends the old with the new and reflects your personal taste; a kitchen where memories are made and shared for years to come.