When it comes to extending your home, the kitchen is often a main priority. As highlighted on this blog previously, the recent Covid-19 ‘lockdown’ has prompted a good few home owners to consider a refurbishment or extension to their kitchen going forward into this Winter…. and on into 2021.

So, with that in mind, and with an eye to kitchen improvement in particular, please check out here below some further key thoughts and ideas to consider perhaps for your ‘new ‘kitchen project, from the very expert team at www.idealhome.co.uk. First consideration from the experts is the versatile side extension and its value in terms of truly effective improvement.

Extend out with a side return

Extending out to the side is a good option if you live in a semi-detached or detached home, as it doesn’t mean using garden space. You may lose side access to your garden though, and planning permission can be trickier as it will be determined by how close you are to you neighbour’s boundary.

full width

For period terraced homes the path or back garden to the side of a kitchen at the rear, called the side return can be extended into to create a kitchen that runs the full width of the house. Remember, though, to consider how light will then reach the rooms the new space will extend over. You can also combine rear and side extensions for a stunning wrap-around kitchen.(Photo Credit – David Giles)

Make colour the star!!!

In an all-white or neutral kitchen, pick a standout shade for a single feature. This will simplify and streamline the scheme, particularly in a smaller extension.

decorative

In this stunning space, reflective turquoise glass is the material of choice for the splashback and it has been repeated as a decorative feature on the kitchen island. The island also functions as a space divider that defines the dining area on its opposite side. (Photo Credit – David Gadsby)

Consolidate storage

Plan your kitchen extension storage with care. If you have the space, it pays to keep cupboards to a specified area rather than have them dotted all around.

banked together

In this impressive extension, base and wall units have been banked together on a single wall and long, full-width island. This not only keeps everything close to hand at the busy, business end of the space, but allows you to co-ordinate your colour scheme – in this case, a dark-grey matt paint finish. (Photo Credit – Richard Gadsby)

Use a peninsula as a divider

Define the different functions of your extension with well placed units. If you have extended out into your garden from the back wall of your house, the line of the old wall will quite often make a natural dividing point for the new extension. (Photo Credit – James French)

divides

Here, a rigid steel joist and window mark the spot. The worktop below houses a sink, a couple of cupboards and a mini breakfast bar and divides the working kitchen from the dining and sitting area overlooking the garden.

Consider glazed doors

In larger extensions with high ceilings you may feel you need more than furniture to divide up an open-plan space. These full-height sliding glazed doors are a revelation, adding smart, defined verticals to the design and marking a change of function between kitchen and living areas without screening anything from view.

emphasise

Low-hanging pendants and fabulously tall storage emphasise the height of this space, with cornflower blue paintwork and slate wall tiles uniting the decorative elements. (Photo Credit – James Merrell)

Build in, build out

Enjoy the freedom to fit out a room from scratch. Plan your new extension carefully and in a perfect world you will end up with a room that balances practicality and beauty.

ideal spot

Every appliance and every ounce of storage will occupy its ideal spot. This kitchen uses a false wall to house built-in ovens, open shelving and upright and overhead cupboards, while the hob, sink, wine cooler and supersized drawers have been incorporated into a stand-alone island. (Photo Credit – Amanda Turner).

For refurbishment, improvement and extension of your home, going forward into this Autumn and on into 2021, we at Mint Builders can offer a full development and finishing service to add value and better ‘liveability’ space to your home.

We are here to help with any questions or concerns you may have. We have all the expert contacts on hand to help you gain the changes at home you now need. Please request your project planning and quotation visit to improve, refurbish or extend your home for the future. Contact Mint Builders on 01242 279739 or email info@mintbuilders.co.uk